I’ve had a pretty expensive few days thanks to the largest pothole known to man behind Chillingham Road in Byker.
Saturday night driving down there to turn around, my front N/S wheel goes into the pothole (I didn’t see it) and the weight of the Passat appears to have sheered the lower suspension arm off at the hub. It was probably ready to go, but looks like someone put an angle grinder clean through it. The wheel went up into the arch and it was stuck flat on the ground.
Cue an hour for the recovery truck to get a skate to move it, and us two in -8 at 10pm trying to figure out how to jack the car up when it’s sitting on the ground. We figured it out in the end. So I get it recovered to a garage in Byker , ERB Services / Newcastle Auto Centre. I’ve used them for 6 years, and removed my valuables from the car.
Fast forward to Monday morning and I’m up sharpish to get to the garage. They’re told straight away the car is immobile without a skate or some other way of moving it. “Not a problem” – I book it in for Tuesday morning and leave it in their care.
Early Tuesday afternoon I call for an update, by this time my bank have supplied a free Golf 1.4 TSi courtesy car as part of the package. Boy is it a beauty. Supercharger and Turbo on a 1.4 – thumbs up.
Anyway, back to the garage and I get through to the manager there. She advises they can’t move the car so she will not let her guys work on it. I tell her they said it wasn’t a problem and she bluntly gives me the “tough luck if you can move it we’ll fix it”. It ‘might’ get fixed in January she advises, an excuse regarding snow is also given. Instantly getting my back up I tell her to kindly take a walk and arrange a different garage – and with that another flat-bed recovery booked (£40) to get it shifted.
Wednesday morning, withheld number calls. It’s the Police. Some scumbag has screw-drivered the door and then smashed the window and had a good rummage around. Nothing missing (including radio) as I emptied it out. Turns out 7 cars were done over. Great. The manager at the garage reasserts nothing to do with them. I slowly boil over at her complete lack of any sort of humanity.
So anyhow it’s been sorted by Bonello Auto Services. Newcastle Auto Centre seemed to not care in the slightest they were loosing a 6 year customer. Their loss. Expensive Christmas for me though. Hopefully I’ll be able to put a good set of pictures/damage/costs and pass to Newcastle City Council – might even probe some parasite no-win-no-fee solicitor-company if they reject as it’s costing a bomb so close to Christmas.
Damage
Screwdriver around door.
Nice shiny inside
The damaged arm
Sat waiting for Autoglass
