Seat dealer stole my engine cover?

kingy666

kingy666

kingy666

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Liverpool
Today I took my (leased) 1.6 TDi Seat Toledo in for its first service at Seat Liverpool. When I went to pick the car up the service manager told me that the top engine cover is missing. I laughed and said 'what do you mean missing'
He said the Technician opened the bonnet and noticed the cover was missing. I told him that a couple of days ago I topped up the screenwash and the engine cover was on the engine. He seemed to just shrug it off and tell me that it was not on when I brought the car in.

It was only when I got home and opened the bonnet that I could not figure out how a large engine cover has disappeared and I then noticed that the 2 front fixing bolts were missing that fix the cover to the engine. The engine itself is a tight squeeze in the engine bay and if the cover had come off it would not fall down the side, front or back of the engine and onto the floor.

This just does not add up! The cover, on its own without the 2 fixing bolts, is £110 which I should not have to pay. What do you think I do about this? has the dealer stolen my engine cover to put on another car?
 
What a bizarre thread title. Whatever happened why would they have stolen your engine cover? It's probably far more likely somebody forgot to put it back on. That's incompetent but it's not theft is it. Everyone is just so dramatic about stuff all the time.

OMG THEY STOLE IT
 
I did discuss it with the dealer

He said "you have no engine cover"
I said "I had one a couple of days ago when I last opened the bonnet"
He said "£110 for the part"

I have sent the dealer an e-mail about the situation and also about the fact that my car is on a 20,000 mile/2 year service interval but my dash is now saying 12,500/1 year. If this was my car instead of a lease car I would put it down to experience and buy a second hand cover (£40 on auction site but still need the 2 bolts). But, with this being a lease car payed for by the company I work for, I just think why should I have to be out of pocket.

This is not the first time I have had something 'go missing' from a car whilst at a garage. A couple of years ago I took my Hyundai coupe to my local garage and had my SD card stolen out of my CD player - why would you steal an 8Gb SD card worth about £3 from a customers car!
 
[TW]Fox;27216750 said:
What a bizarre thread title. Whatever happened why would they have stolen your engine cover? It's probably far more likely somebody forgot to put it back on. That's incompetent but it's not theft is it. Everyone is just so dramatic about stuff all the time.

OMG THEY STOLE IT
Click to expand...

If they forgot to put it back on then why would they tell me it never had one when I took it in? so it is not theft if they take a part off my car, keep it and then try and sell me a replacement for £110
 
Slam62 said:
I reckon some poor oick broke it
Click to expand...

I thought that may be the case but why would they also unscrew the 2 retaining bolts. These are not actually bolts but a ball that works as a ball and socket and clips into the cover with a lot of force.
 
I wouldn't put anything past some dealers, but without knowing if the dealer in question is of ill repute its hard to say
 
kingy666 said:
If they forgot to put it back on then why would they tell me it never had one when I took it in?
Click to expand...

Perhaps the guy who spoke to you wasn't the guy who did the work? Who knows?

It's almost certainly a case of incompetence not malice. Why are people so quick to see evil in everything?


so it is not theft if they take a part off my car, keep it and then try and sell me a replacement for £110
Click to expand...

The Theft Act 1967 requires an intention to permanently deprive somebody of property for something to be theft. it is incredibly unlikely that somebody looked at your car, saw the engine cover and thought 'I'm having that'.

So no, it's not theft.
 
Go back in when there are other customers around and if you get nowhere quickly kick up a fuss - you'll magically have either your cover or a replacement back shortly afterwards
 
[TW]Fox;27216803 said:
The Theft Act 1967 requires an intention to permanently deprive somebody of property for something to be theft. it is incredibly unlikely that somebody looked at your car, saw the engine cover and thought 'I'm having that'.

So no, it's not theft.
Click to expand...

er... yes it is theft. I had an item, someone took that item off me without my consent and kept it for themselves.
 
kingy666 said:
er... yes it is theft. I had an item, someone took that item off me without my consent and kept it for themselves.
Click to expand...

I'll agree it's gone missing. Unless there's proof otherwise it's not theft. If you had proof then you'd have gone to the police by now...
 
The dealer has reset your service light to fixed rather than long life. Simple mistake.

As its a lease car I'd be inclined to return it without the engine cover, if you don't get anyway with the dealer.
 
Your dealer sounds like a ....., and they aren't in short supply.

I got my previous car from a national dealership, all was fine, come pickup day and they tore the entire boot interior out - why!?!?

Depends how far you want to pursue it, perhaps go down to the dealer and ask for the manager (not the service manager they always suck!) failing that if they have a regional manager.
 
I weirdly had this same thing happen but on a Renault about 10 years ago. Took it in for a service knowing full well the cover was there as I'd just topped the wiper fluid up, got it back and went to have a mooch and it was gone.
Kicked up a stink with the dealer and just got flat denials.
I think in the end I just got tired of arguing and the car ended up written off not long after.
If I were you however I wouldn't give up.
 
The only stupidity on display here is such a poor choice of lie to try and wriggle out of the fact they've either broken or lost his engine cover. They obviously know they've done something with it because THEY brought up the fact it was missing.
 
At last, people who understand my frustration. If they had broken it then I can understand if they let me know, say sorry we will order you a new one and fit it that would be fine, these things happen. The cover can't be lost as it is a large engine cover which does cover the whole top of the engine so a bit too large to lose. It is just the denial and also what really is getting to me is that they have unscrewed the 2 retaining 'Ball end' bolts and the only explanation that I can think off is that they wanted the cover and these bolts for another vehicle.

The cover
 
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