Terrible experience, firstly I booked for a service when I arrived to pick my car up the engine was left running, I had 6 miles of petrol left in the tank! Then stupidly I booked to have some other work done, I was told by another garage when getting other work done that the wheels had not been put back on securely and there was a bolt underneath that had not been done up Whatlington had given me a quote for both dicks and pads but I only needed pad!!!!!I will never go back shoddy dangerous work. Don’t trust!!!I would give 0 stars but that’s not possible.
Response from the owner:Dear Lucy,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We're truly sorry to hear you’ve left feeling disappointed and concerned after your recent experience with us. We take customer satisfaction and, above all, vehicle safety extremely seriously, and as such we’ve carried out a full internal review in response to your comments.
To address the points raised:
• Vehicle left running: We do not leave vehicles running unattended on the forecourt as part of our operating policy, a practice implemented years ago to ensure security and safety. The only exception would be if your vehicle was brought up from the plantation area for prompt collection while you were waiting. Even then, it would have only been running briefly, and the low fuel level you mention may have already been present when the vehicle was dropped off.
• Brake Discs and Pads Recommendation: Your service was carried out on 10/03/25, and during this, our technician recorded that the front discs were significantly lipped on the inner edge—something that can cause uneven wear and noise if new pads are fitted without replacing the discs. Our recommendation to replace both was based on these observations and made in good faith to avoid potential issues later. We understand this may not align with the advice you subsequently received elsewhere, but our priority is always preventative safety.
• Wheel and Bolt Concerns: This is most concerning to us. You mentioned wheels, as in multiple, not being secure. It is worth noting that only the nearside front wheel would have been removed to carry out the CV boot repair.
Regardless of this fact, as part of our standard procedure, all wheels are refitted and torqued precisely to the manufacturer’s specifications. We’ve reviewed the technician’s notes, and no issues were flagged post-repair. But we will continue to review our processes, and specifically your case, to try and understand where we failed you in maintaining our own high standards.
However, we completely understand how worrying it is to hear news such as you were given, and had we been made aware sooner, we would have invited you back immediately to re-inspect the work.
We acknowledge your frustration and regret that your experience did not meet your expectations. We’re more than happy to arrange an inspection to ensure your complete peace of mind. Please contact us directly at 01424 870307 or via email at info@whatlingtongarage.co.uk — we’d like the opportunity to make things right.
Thank you again for your feedback, and we genuinely wish you safe and trouble-free motoring moving forward.
Kind regards,
Front of House Team
Whatlington Garage
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