So I took my (daughters) 3 year old Hyundai i20 to the local dealer for a routine 'big' service and get a call at the end of the day to say they needed a part for the window fault I reported, so would be a day or so, fair enough I thought. Couple of days later I get a call to say that during the service the ceramic end of one spark plug broke up and fell in to the cylinder and was being troublesome to get out, plus some BS about vacuum clearance not doing it, "unfortunately the head would have to come off". A new loan car was supplied but I was pretty annoyed.
Two more days passed with no word so I rocked up today and walked in to the workshop (on a mission) to find my car, there it is on the ramp with everything out, front end, suspension, engine the lot! None of the staff would discuss my accusation that this was "no head-off job", Question: "had some gibbon run the engine with bits inside?" No answers and scuttle of disappearing staff whilst I waited for the MD.
He was pretty meek, when I explained that I knew the Hyundai 'book' says a head gasket replacement was 6 Hrs and wasn't an engine out job, "so lets stop the bulls4it" . He quickly fess'es up, as suspected they had run up the engine with ceramic bits in the pot, scoring the bore and damaging a piston & ring. But the best was to come, "it's OK" he had a replacement engine on the way with the same age/miles. He looked pleased with the offer, but I pointed out a) I wasn't having an engine of unknown history from a scrapper b) no fecker had discussed this with me, so it wasn't happening. He was a bit crestfallen and asked if I wanted my engine bore honed and a graded over-size piston fitted. "Nope, no way" I say, "new engine or legal action" (Now, I knew that's not going to happen, the cost of a new full engine would write off the car and legally I'm only entitled to restoration of my goods to a 'like condition', not 'betterment' by way of new for old).
Moments pass as I left the silence for him (awkward for staff watching) then, weirdly he offers to take the engine out of a later, lower mileage car they have in stock, 1 owner sold by the dealer with FSH, and swap it. So I've reluctantly accepted this, and to knockoff the £250 service bill and including a new full clutch on my gearbox whilst it's out. I'm being supplied with a copy of their cars V5 to prove the source and letter supporting the work.
I'm never going to be happy, short of a new engine which isn't going to happen, but does it seem a reasonable offer?
) with toys.
