The Skoda Rapid car underwent an unnecessary engine overhaul

Mies took his car in for service due to jerking, and that started a series of unnecessary repairs costing thousands of euros.

In the end, the jerking stopped with a small job of about thirty euros.

The customer took the case to the Consumer Disputes Board, demanding his money back from the repair shop.

Multi-generational the stages of the mess are detailed in the board’s decision.

The 2013 Škoda Rapid car started jerking, so the man took it to the repair shop in the summer of 2022. According to the man, troubleshooting did not produce results.

The man took the car to the repair shop again at the end of 2022 due to the same problem, and the wires of the car’s spark plugs were replaced.

The workshop was returned with the same issue in late spring 2023. At that time, tougher measures were taken: the engine was disassembled and the timing chain was replaced. The work cost a good 4,600 euros, but according to the man, the twitching continued.

The last time we dealt with the issue was in the summer of 2023, when one spark plug was changed.

The repair cost 28.30 euros. The twitching stopped.

In public level, the smooth running of an internal combustion engine requires the rhythmic cooperation of several parts moving at different times.

The function of the plugs is to ignite the fuel and air mixture in the engine.

If the plugs or its wires work poorly, the fuel will not ignite in a timely manner. Twitching may result.

Mies demanded that the repair shop pay him a little over 5,000 euros for useless repairs. According to him, the problem was being looked for in the wrong place, even though one spark plug was the only cause of the jerking.

In its reply, the workshop denied the matter. According to it, after the first two visits, the defects were no longer noticed during the test runs.

On the occasion that led to the engine repair, the repair shop recognized the jerking. According to its view, the car had three overlapping faults.

Firstly, the cylinder head was rough and secondly, the timing chain was stretched. The cover is the top of the engine, and the timing chain, on the other hand, rotates several parts of the engine at the same rate.

That third failure was ultimately a faulty plug.

According to the repair shop, the customer was asked for permission for the repairs, and the troubleshooting proceeded according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Workshop did not provide a reliable report to the Consumer Disputes Board.

The board did not find it credible that the car’s age and mileage alone would explain duplicate defects. The car was about 10 years old, and it had been driven about 150,000 kilometers.

The board leans to the Consumer Protection Actwhere, for example, it is said that the service must correspond to what the consumer has reason to expect. Since the parties agreed to fix the jerk, and it was not fixed, an error has occurred.

According to the law, the consumer’s interest must be taken into account. According to the board, this did not happen because the workshop did not first investigate the possibility of a minor defect.

Board recommends that the repair shop refund the man about 4,800 euros. Original troubleshooting and plug replacement have been deducted from the amount.

The board’s decision was unanimous. The board’s decisions are recommendations, i.e. they are not legally binding.