Garage replaced engine without telling me?

Motorcheck

We received this question on the blog today and I wondered if anyone else has experienced something similiar?

Is it just an example of someone being paranoid about using a non-franchise dealer for a service or could something more sinister be going on?

"Hi, I have toyota yaris 2000. It’s been with me for 6 years. It was always serviced in a toyota garage every 2 years (last done 2008).

I had it serviced recently in a local service station and now it has started to jerk when it’s stopped as if the engine is about to cut out. It wasn’t like that before – ever! Also they were supposed to check everything for the NCT but it failed because the wheel alignment in front was out.

After a week the malfunction indicator lamp light turned on. I was thinking the engine doesn’t look the same but i’m not sure. Have you encountered someone changing the original engine to a faulty one? I was thinking of bringing it to a toyota garage and having it checked out. Perhaps ask them if some of the original parts were changed?"

djimi

It would be some job to change an engine in the time it takes to do a service, no? Id say there is certainly something going on, but I think they are being overly paranoid.

MetzgerMeister

Agreed. It could take at least 2 days of 9-5's to completely change out an engine.

Alanstrainor

Why would they? It sounds ridiculous to me.

kildare.17hmr

[QUOTE=

"Hi, I have toyota yaris 2000. It’s been with me for 6 years. It was always serviced in a toyota garage every 2 years (last done 2008).

I had it serviced recently in a local service station and now it has started to jerk when it’s stopped as if the engine is about to cut out. It wasn’t like that before – ever! Also they were supposed to check everything for the NCT but it failed because the wheel alignment in front was out.

After a week the malfunction indicator lamp light turned on. I was thinking the engine doesn’t look the same but i’m not sure. Have you encountered someone changing the original engine to a faulty one? I was thinking of bringing it to a toyota garage and having it checked out. Perhaps ask them if some of the original parts were changed?"[/QUOTE]

Firstly it should be serviced every year, even doing small mileage you should still have it done more regularly than 2 years especially after thew winter we had! Secondly, bring a 10 year old car to main dealer for servicing????? madness!! Thirdly The wheel alignment was probably done using an old alignment jig on the workshop floor and by eye if they have not installed a lazer alignment machiene. garage should sort this FOC for customer and i wouldnt imagine it would be a big deal for them.

The engine nearly cutting out when idle and the engine managment light turning on could be a few differant things but first thing to check would be the ignition coils, common problem and easy to fix! I wouldnt imagine they changed his engine and with the car being 10 years you would expect some parts may have been changed previously. my opinion go back to the garage and ask them to sort out the wheel alignment that was already paid for and while there ask them to plug it in and see what code they get off the engine managment light

agree with djimi, overly paronid!

phill106

Possibly removed some engine plastics, didnt replace?

http://www.toyoland.com/images/yaris/engine.jpg

kildare.17hmr

phill106 wrote: »

Possibly removed some engine plastics, didnt replace?

http://www.toyoland.com/images/yaris/engine.jpg

Could very easily happen, very week plastic alot of them but not sure the 2000 model had the plastic cover

corktina

If they replaced the engine wouldnt it look the same? unless they squeezed in a V8 for the craic or something....!

kildare.17hmr

corktina wrote: »

If they replaced the engine wouldnt it look the same? unless they squeezed in a V8 for the craic or something....!

Now that i could live with:D

The Real B-man

10Yr old car Things will start to go Wrong Just because it was "Serviced" Doesnt mean everything is right with it in the First Place i doubt the Mechanic did anything to cause you're the Current issues rather that he wasnt looking for anything other than doing the basic Service Oil, Filter, Fluids etc.

shaywest

anyone ever hear of engine numbers?

kildare.17hmr

shaywest wrote: »

anyone ever hear of engine numbers?

Doubt the man has the ramp in his garden to lift the car and have a look;)
engine numbers are usually very hard to read unless the engine is out of the car but a last resort option if it came to that!

johnos1984

shaywest wrote: »

anyone ever hear of engine numbers?

Agreed.

Wouldn't it of just been easier *if* they wished to do something to the engine to just loosen some wires or put in a dirty spark plug.

Sounds more like they just disturbed something while doing the service, washed the engine or an unfortunate coincidence.

vectra

Id say very unlikely
at worst they probably just swapped the plates to another car and gave you that one :pac:

mickdw

Depending on the type of people (garage) this person was dealing with, its quite likely that they swapped out something for another car of their own. Parts such as throttle body, air flow meter, any given sensor etc.
A diagnostic might show some faults starting on date of service.