Do Not Use Orchard Motors In Newport!!!

[K Simmonds]

Right I'm officially fuming.

To be brief I had my alignment done by 'Orchard Motors in Newport South Wales' last Friday morning ready for my trip to Scotland. They did what I thought was a great job.

Last night on the return journey the offside front ball joint to wishbone bolts worked free causing all hell to break loose. If I didn't have the mechanical knowledge I have it's highly likely I'd be dead, as I had to stamp on the brakes or accelerate flat out to regain control of the car.

This happened at speed on the A75

I checked the nearside ones and they were about 20 NM whereas they should be 65 NM and by rights replaced, which gives them a get of jail free card as I didn't supply new nut's. That said I've never replaced them before on any of the car's I've worked on (dozens) and it's never happened before.

It's quite simple the guy doing it didn't tighten them up properly.

I just phoned the garage and politely explained what happen to be called a liar, I'm so angry that if they were closer I'd be over there now and in the cells tonight with GBH charges.

The guys who runs the place attitude stinks.

Please broadcast this on as many forums as possible.

I'm going to find a version of 'trip advisor' for garages and give them a review from hell.

[ColonialNomad]

Not sure about the policies on here, but on my forum naming and shaming businesses can be frought with risk unless claims are supported by independent and expert evidence.

[Mikes2]

I've seen this before when they were tightened on a lift and not on the ground

[mike74]

You're lucky to still be around to rant about it! Very shoddy workmanship (& attitude) indeed

[Vorsprung durch Technik]

Initially i was surprised to hear you entrusted you steed to the oil rags in the first place Kit.The i realised why,we all have to for 4 wheel alignement. That is shocking,the problem you had and the way they treated you.

Tell the world mate. Stand outside with a plaque protesting.

Barstewards!!

[Rusty]

I can recommend a very good place in Bristol, who did the custom job on mine

Glad you're still in 1 piece. Shame that they didn't show some remorse but not suprising really...

[Chris5044]

http://newport-newport.cylex-uk.co.u...-13272380.html

you can review it too

[Chris5044]

or this one - just google them and review them as much as you can in the various websites -- i just reviewed one in yell for you.
If its life threatening - they must pay for their actions. I would have left it - except their attitude / reaction means that they wont change and will kill someone one day.

http://www.yell.com/biz/orchard-motors-newport-229918/

[UrS4boy]

I had a similar experience back in 2011. After I did the front end of my 93 S4 (down to subframe off and new mounts, new LCAs, etc, etc), I had it into a shop that I had used years before for a 4 wheel alignment. I told him that the subframe bolts had been torqued but not stretched because I assumed that he would want to move the subframe around to get things parallel (the only way you can adjust caster on a C4). Picked up the car the next day. Seemed fine. I thanked him for his work.

Two days later off to a big UrS get-together 700 km away (lots of high speed and twisty roads). As I arrive, I start to hear strange noises when I back up. Tin-can kind of metal popping sounds ("oil canning"). Upon inspection I discover 2 of the 3 rear left subframe mount bolts are gone, only one left. Not good. Luckily I brought my tools with me (including a torque wrench) and the solution was to steal a bolt from the right side rear subframe mount and use it on the left (so now both sides are equally compromised). The trip back (after a great weekend) was quite subdued as a result.

When I took it back to the shop, he claimed it wasn't his problem that he had torqued and stretched all the subframe bolts and didn't know how that could happen.

LIAR.

So now I tell all the local UrS folks to NOT use him (and why).

[K Simmonds]

Cheers for all comments guys.

Rusty, I was going to take the car to the chap you recommend in Bristol but was short of time and as Orchard did a good job of my Coupe I thought I'd use them as their a fair bit closer. It will be going to your chap once I fix the damage caused by Orchard motors and also replace some other components that wore out naturally over the course of the trip.

Got the car over the pit and had a proper look, the offside ball joint bolts are all knackered, the threads worn flat on them and after the hammering they took yesterday I'd be replacing them anyway as a matter of course.

Just wait till you see the little video cardcrash is going to post up of the FINGER TIGHT offside tie rod adjuster.

To be fair the car did take a hammering as I've blown the nearside front shock and the bottom ball joint that side also has a fair amount of play now. These faults can't be attributed to the garage so I'd have to get it redone anyway, but that IS NOT THE POINT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Charlie and I will be visiting them first thing tomorrow morning unannounced.

[K Simmonds]

or this one - just google them and review them as much as you can in the various websites -- i just reviewed one in yell for you.
If its life threatening - they must pay for their actions. I would have left it - except their attitude / reaction means that they wont change and will kill someone one day.

http://www.yell.com/biz/orchard-motors-newport-229918/

Cheers for that and the links Chris

They'll be getting a review all right and I'm going to be in touch with Trading Standards as well as any local guilds they may or may not be members of.

It's what the guy said to me on the phone that boiled my piss, lets see what he says to me face to face

[K Simmonds]

I had a similar experience back in 2011. After I did the front end of my 93 S4 (down to subframe off and new mounts, new LCAs, etc, etc), I had it into a shop that I had used years before for a 4 wheel alignment. I told him that the subframe bolts had been torqued but not stretched because I assumed that he would want to move the subframe around to get things parallel (the only way you can adjust caster on a C4). Picked up the car the next day. Seemed fine. I thanked him for his work.

Two days later off to a big UrS get-together 700 km away (lots of high speed and twisty roads). As I arrive, I start to hear strange noises when I back up. Tin-can kind of metal popping sounds ("oil canning"). Upon inspection I discover 2 of the 3 rear left subframe mount bolts are gone, only one left. Not good. Luckily I brought my tools with me (including a torque wrench) and the solution was to steal a bolt from the right side rear subframe mount and use it on the left (so now both sides are equally compromised). The trip back (after a great weekend) was quite subdued as a result.

When I took it back to the shop, he claimed it wasn't his problem that he had torqued and stretched all the subframe bolts and didn't know how that could happen.

LIAR.

So now I tell all the local UrS folks to NOT use him (and why).

Jesus Christ Dave that's as bad if not worse!!

Glad you were able to make it back safely, nice 'solution' to the problem to get you home.

Just goes to show you can't trust other people to work on your cars, unfortunately I can't quite justify purchasing a four wheel alignment rig.

[cardcrash]

Here it is... one dodgy track rod end:

https://youtu.be/Gal3qdXyY2Y

[kulster]

We do wheel allighnment at my work place if any one ever needed it done with no added ******** as a bonus....we bought our own hunter machine because reputable companies sucked and tried to make excuses for not doing the job correctly. We're based in Birmingham City centre

[bluequattro]

Had my disco tracked this morning.
Going out now to check nuts n bolts