Experiance of Arnold Clark Stafford

[wad2502]

I have just bought a Doblo which has been regularly "serviced" by Arnold Clark Stafford.

It has the following faults repeatedly missed by their service team.

Both Front suspension lower arms (L+R) all bushes totally knackered and hanging out.

Tracking to correct this set 15 degrees out each wheel!

Drive ability.. dangerous! It pulled constantly to the right unless coming off the power when it would snap left then hard right again.

High tyre wear reported to them was 150 miles to a set of tyres.

Their diagnosis.. new anti roll bar bushes..

Which they fitted (using old rusty knackered nuts) and of course it made no difference what so ever!

I have pictures of the lower arms but not sure if how to post them on here.

I also have qualified mechanics who saw the arms and tracked the car after I had replaced both arms and saw the front wheels pointing 30 degrees away from each other!

They also "replaced" the clutch some 40k miles ago which is now shuddering and take up at the very bottom of the pedal movement.. what's the betting they only replaced the friction plate and not the whole clutch.. I know they did not replace the flywheel (recommended by Fiat)

By the way this is a TAXI!

Yes they let a PSV out of their workshop in this condition! Not once but 3 or 4 times it had been taken into them for the same high tyre ware problem :bang:

Now do I recommend them to service a vehicle????

Yes.. so long as you are retired MP called Gordon Brown or Syrian / Libyan politician.

 

[wad2502]

Update.. just part serviced the car at 111,750 miles (oil flush, new oil, oil and air filter, also new gearbox oil).

Found reason for my 35 mpg.. think the air filter had been in since new! Totally blocked!

Test drive after service and yes much more zip and its starting to feel like it might have 100+ bhp instead of the 60 it felt like before the service.

I was not planning on Servicing it today but last night I went through the Arnold Clarke invoices and service history and could not see a new air filter being fitted ever!

I say "Part" serviced because the brake fluid is a manky dark brown colour (never replaced) which I have not had time to do today but will get done tomorrow, I think the pollen filter has never been changed either.. its not in any of the invoices so assuming its not been done either.

Found Arnold Clarke invoice for replacing front anti-roll bar bushes.. states steering rack needs replacing (not done).. they missed both (L+R) front lower arm bushes (front and rear) hanging out and front wheels tracked 15 degrees out each! They also did not find reason front tyres were wearing out in less than 1,000 miles.. and the fact that even after fitting new anti-roll bar bushes it still handled like a pig! DOH!

The O/S/F wheel had so much movement it could touch the wheel arch! There is a slight play in the rack but I think its just the track control arms (£7 each) as opposed to the whole rack.. I wonder what Arnold Clarke would have said after the rack had been replaced and still the car had handled as badly?

The last job they did was replace both front wheel bearings.. I cannot understand how with the drive shaft out, and bottom ball joint detached from the arms, they could have missed the lower arms flapping about like two broken birds wings?

It was really dangerous when I got it with less than 2 miles on it after the wheel bearings had been done.