VW Service - liable or not?

[passat06]

Wondering if anyone can help/advise me with my recent dealer experience.

I put my Passat 1.8 20v in for an 80,000 miles service in Mid Jan with the local VW authorised dealer. I told the service agent that I was concerned about a tapping noise in the engine. I suspected it may be a valve problem and the car was not performing properly or starting first time as it should.

I discussed this when booking the car in and was told a compression test would be carried out. However it seems that this was not properly recorded on the job card. (How was I to know?)

The service cost £1024 in all including a couple of light units, replaced CV joint and brakes.

The car came back with the work done. However, I was told that the mechanics considered the noise to be normal 'wear and tear' and that a compression test had been considered unecessary.

The service involved a cambelt change with tensioner and in my view the car was noisier after I got it back. However, these are the professionals, so I took their advice as assurance.

However, last Monday, the engine dropped a valve where a valve seat had disintegrated. The car had done barely 2000 since the service, round town.

The dealer told me that the engine will need £3000 worth of parts plus labour in effect making the car a write-off.

He also tells me that he is not liable as he could not be expected to foresee a valve dropping.

My view is that I asked for this problem to be investigated but it was not and I was assured that the noise was to be expected.

So, am I just an unlucky bloke who is now £4000 down and fuming.

Or should the dealer be liable for not having investigated the problem and having failed in his duty of care?

I'd be glad for an opinion - am thinking of taking up cycling ...

Lastly, here is a list of other probs with that £1000 service:

• The service failed to identify and replace a split pressure air hose on top of the engine intake.
• I asked that the rear brakes be replaced. The pads were changed but the discs not - despite being 95% worn.
• I reported a near side front wheel knocking that I said could be a CV joint. The joint was duly changed at £93 plus labour but the knocking is still there.
• The car was returned to me leaking brakefluid - which was not a prob before it went in.
• Front brake disc covers were bent onto the discs during the CV change.

[phils2309]

Hello Passat 006

Do you still have the instructions you gave the garage when the car was presented to them for its 80000 mile service and have you put in writing your complaint to the garage? If you instructed the garage to investigate what you consider to be a suspected valve proplem having failed to do so and then you have now subsequently discovered the car has one then they are in Breach of Contract.

Regards

phils2309