Auto Box Automatic Transmissions cc.

Autobox in Koedoe****rt bad service.

PLEASE THINK TWICE BEFORE TAKING YOUR VEHICLE TO AUTOBOX IN KOEDOE****RT I am sharing our experience because I believe people have a right to know what happened to us and to make an informed decision about where they take their vehicles for repairs. We took our 2018 Renault Captur to Autobox in Koedoe****rt after being referred to them by our mechanic, who had received their details through someone he had trained with for many years. We paid R62,035.00 for the work carried out on our vehicle. When my daughter collected the vehicle, the first thing she noticed was a loud noise whenever she turned the steering wheel. I immediately told her to take the vehicle back and have it checked. She was told by someone at Autobox that the noise was coming from the steering rack and that the steering rack was apparently broken. Naturally, this caused considerable concern. The vehicle subsequently went back to Autobox for a second time after a warning appeared on the dashboard telling us to check the automatic gearbox. I specifically asked them to check everything they had worked on. They kept the vehicle for two days and then told me that the vehicle was ready and that there was nothing wrong with the work they had carried out. They sent me the following message: “Afternoon. We can confirm the noise is coming from inside the steering rack. When removing the gearbox, it is not necessary to strip or remove the steering rack from the vehicle. Autobox did not work on, remove, or strip the steering rack; we also found no evidence of external damage. Autobox did not act negligently while working on the vehicle, and all care was taken in accordance with our high standards and quality control. Your vehicle can be collected when you are ready. We close at 16:00 today. A repair referral is available upon request.” I was also assured that the vehicle had been driven and extensively tested. However, I have the Cartrack tracking report for the two days the vehicle was at their premises. According to the tracking information I have, the vehicle travelled only a few metres while it was there. This raises a very serious question for me: How was the vehicle extensively road-tested if the tracking records show virtually no movement? I asked Autobox for the referral they offered regarding the steering. We took the vehicle to the specialist they referred us to. The gentleman got into the vehicle, tested the steering and immediately told us that there was nothing wrong with the steering rack. What he did identify was extremely concerning. He told us that the suspension had been loosened during the work carried out by Autobox and had not been properly tightened again. According to him, the loud noise we had been hearing when turning the steering wheel was caused by the suspension not being properly secured. I will repeat that because of how serious it is: We were driving a vehicle after major mechanical work, and we were subsequently told that suspension bolts had not been properly tightened. If my daughter had continued driving the vehicle without pursuing the problem, what could have happened? There is another issue that concerns me. Autobox also repaired water pipes that had been leaking, at considerable cost to us. On a Saturday, while my daughter was driving along Old Delmas Road, the vehicle suddenly cut out. Our mechanic came out to investigate. He found that, in the area where the new parts had been installed, another component had apparently been damaged and glued together rather than properly replaced. That replacement part cost me approximately R1,500. I am not making this allegation without evidence. I have the physical component showing the damage and the glue repair. I am therefore left with a number of very serious concerns. We paid R62,035.00 for the work carried out on this vehicle. When we brought the vehicle back because we could hear that something was wrong, we were told there was nothing wrong with their work. We were then referred to a steering specialist, and it was there that we were told about the suspension not being properly tightened. I am a patient person. I understand that mechanical work can sometimes involve complications and that vehicles can develop problems. But there is a fundamental difference between an unexpected mechanical problem and something as serious as bolts on a suspension system allegedly not being properly tightened after work has been carried out. My question to the owner of Autobox is simple: You knew that this vehicle would be driven long distances. What would you have said to me if something had happened to my daughter because the suspension had not been properly secured after the work done on the vehicle? Would we have been discussing a repair bill, or something far more serious? I have documentation and physical evidence relating to the issues I have described, including the Cartrack report and the damaged/glued component. I am sharing our experience because vehicle repairs are not simply about money. They are about people's safety and lives. My advice to anyone considering using Autobox in Koedoe****rt is: Please do your own checks. Ask questions. Have the vehicle independently inspected after major repairs. And make sure that the work carried out on your vehicle is safe before you or your family drive it. I would much rather share this warning now than remain silent and have another family experience something potentially far more serious.