DISSATISFIED CUSTOMER : Mr P M R PRINSLOO TEL: O76 *** VEHICLE : TOYOTA COROLLA 1.6 GL GLS REG NR : HMB639MP

COMPLAINT AGAINST MR AUTOWRENCH SERVICES SHOP NO8 BA*****T RIVER CRESCENT WITBANK 1035 TEL: 013 – ********** FAX: 013 – **********

DISSATISFIED CUSTOMER : Mr P M R PRINSLOO TEL: O76 ********** VEHICLE : TOYOTA COROLLA 1.6 GL GLS REG NR : HMB639MP

COMLPAINT: On the 27 September 2017 we took the motorcar to Autowrench Services for a major service. Attached the tax invoice of R 3 481.32. On Friday the 29 September 2017 we went on vacation to the Kruger National Park and on our way at Belfast we saw that the temperature gage was reading below the lowest mark and then it jumped higher than the average reading. We then contacted Autowrench Services and the office lady, Me Annetjie Locherenberg told us that she will ask the mechanic, Martin who serviced the motorcar to contact us as he was not in the workshop at that moment of time. We waited for about 30 minutes when we received a call from the mechanic. My wife explained the problem to him. He then told us to drive on and when we stop the engine has to cool down before we can look whether there is enough water in the radiator. This we did in Nelspruit and contacted the mechanic to inform him that the water level was fine. He told us that the radiator cap which they replaced could be faulty. He said we could carry on driving to the Kruger National Park but we needed to check the water level when the engine cooled down. This we did every afternoon and morning but did not need to add any water. The temperature gage kept on rising and falling during our trip in the park. We travelled back to Witbank on the 03 October 2017. When we drove through Machadodorp the motorcar started losing power and we slowed down to about 60 km not wanting to stop. After about 20 km we heard a loud bang, it sounded like something that broke, but the motorcar then started picking up speed and the temperature gage dropped to the bottom showing no pressure. We carried on driving to our destination in Witbank. The next morning on the 4 October 2017 we took the motorcar back to Autowrench and asked them to have a look to see what the problem was. The owner Mr Flip Locherenberg promised that they will have a look and let me know later that afternoon. We heard nothing from them and then contacted Autowrench before five and were told that they will only have a look the next day. The next day 5 October 2017 at 15:00 we drove to Autowrench to find out what the problem was. The owner Mr Flip Locherenberg informed me that there was a problem with the cylinder head as the car had overheated and that it needed to be reconed. I asked him what the cost will be and he said that he sends the cylinder head to Ermelo as the people in Witbank were not reliable. The Thursday afternoon 12 October 2017 we went back to find out what it would cost, and they showed us the cost of the recon as they received it from the engineering firm and his daughter worked out their cost, which amounted to about R 8 619.20 in total. I then told Mr Flip Locherenberg to carry on with the work so that the engineering firm from Ermelo could come and fetch the cylinder head as we needed our motorcar as soon as possible. I asked if they could give me a written quote, and he promised to let us have it the afternoon before closing time. When my wife went to fetch the quote the same afternoon, nothing was ready and she had to go back the next morning. Again she told them to repair the motorcar. On the 19 October 2017 we did not hear anything from them with regard to the vehicle and decided to go to the workshop to find out how far they were. What a surprise finding out that nothing was done to date. I then asked Mr Flip Locherenberg whether they were going to fix the car or must I take it to someone else, he then rudely told me that I can take the car as it is. I told him that he must reassemble the engine so that I could fetch the car to take elsewhere to be fixed. He then said that I must take it as it is, they will not assemble the engine and that I must pay R 5 000 for the work they have done. I then told him that I needed the car fixed and agreed to go home and sign the estimate we received on the 12 October 2017 and I will pay 50% so that they can start doing the repairs as shown on the estimate. My wife took the signed estimate and paid R 4 309 so that they could start doing the repair work.

We got a call on the 24 October 2017 that the motorcar was ready and we could go and fetch it. When we arrived at the workshop to collect the motorcar the owner Mr Flip Locherenberg did not talk to us at all he left his office and walked to the back of the workshop. The receptionist Me Annetjie Locherenberg then told us that she will call the mechanic Martin who worked on the motorcar, to inform us on the work that was done. The mechanic showed us the thermostat of the motorcar that was broken into two which they had to replace. It seemed that the problem with the motorcar during our trip to the Kruger National Park was a broken thermostat and not overheating. We paid the balance of the estimate. (Proof of payments included).On the 26 October 2017 we had to take the motorcar back to Autowrench as it was beginning to leak oil which was fixed previously on the 1 June 2017 by Autowrench. On the 27 October 2017 we had to go back again as the motorcar struggled to start, and again we had to talk to the mechanic Martin. He then promised to fix the problem and to date the motorcar has struggled to start or idle when we stop. We decided not to return the motorcar to Autowrench as it seems that Mr Flip Locherenberg is not at all interested to assist us in trying to solve the problem. At the moment the motorcar is still leaking oil and on the 30 December 2017 the motorcar failed to start, we had to push start it. On the 2 January 2018 we took the car to Battery Centre and had the battery checked, but it was fine. We then took the motorcar to Lu****’s who had to recon the starter, and asked them to have a look at why the motorcar is struggling to start and they informed us that the problem was due to the engine not properly assembled and tuned after the cylinder head was reconed. We feel that it cost us a lot of money and that Autowrench and Mr Flip Locherenberg should be kept liable and pay for the repair work needed to be done after they failed to give the motorcar back in good working condition to me as owner after we trusted them and have been using their services for quite some time to date. They failed to deliver and should be kept responsible for their failures.

We hope that you will be able to help us to correct the matter as soon as possible or else we have to take the matter further. This same letter is also sent to the E-car franchiser as Autowrench is one of their franschisees. Regards

P M R Prinsloo **********

E K Prinsloo **********