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@Sparky
Need some advice. Long story short (as I can):
Mrs Sparky misjudged a corner and went over a concrete kerb at (what I'm told was) 50mph. Cue a phone call to me while I was in the pub saying that she'd written off the car and was waiting for a tow truck. This was while we were in Norfolk visiting my dad, so we got the car dropped there and he took it to the local garage in the morning.
In the cold light of day the garage said it was fine. Charged me £34 for their time and some realignment.
This was two months ago.
Fast forward to today. I'm on the Isle of Wight cycling and Mrs Sparky phones and says that she got bad news while taking the car in for a service. It's a Citroen C1. They say it needs £1,700 worth of work. Apparently the engine bay is so filthy with oil that they couldn't see what was going on. They need to jet wash it first.
Now. How do they know what the damage is if they can't see it? Lots of questions, but Mrs Sparky isn't very mechanical and didn't follow what they said. I'm back tomorrow evening. Car is still at garage. What to do?
She could've punctured something and there's been a slow leak. If there's engine bother then it's a write-off.
The garage has been paid to service and deliver the car at our house. I've asked them to do that. If they say no then I'll go over and pick it up myself. They can't stop you taking a damaged (or supposedly damaged) car away, can they?
It's only worth £3k. Not sure what to do. Can't decide until I know more, I suppose, and that'll have to wait until I'm back because mechanical stuff goes in one eat and out of the other with Mrs Sparky.