Four Wheels

... or not.

I have what is, arguably, one of the ugliest cars ever designed. I found myself in need of a vehicle that would take a wheel chair, was a people carrier, travelling kennel and removal van all in one. The Fiat Multipla ticked all the boxes and although I wasn't expecting it to be my permanent solution I soon fell in love with it. An old 02 reg with little if any value at all, it is the sort of vehicle will probably continue to function as it does today, and then go straight to the nearest car cemetery.

As I drove over to Dundee from the west coast, I was aware that the car was meandering across the carriageway a little and thought the high wind was the culprit. With only a few hours left until I required to drive over to Argyll again, this morning the car clunked as I changed gear and the veered in the wrong direction. I had only one option. Find a garage quick.

I took the car straight into the Kwik solution on the Perth Road. spelling mistake not an error. The mechanic drove the car a few meters and immediately put it on a ramp. The brushes had disintegrated. No brushes in stock and unavailable until Monday but they did have the complete wishbones in stock that could be fitted in couple of hours. Panic! Agree that the work be done. Car collected and ready to go 3 hours and £260 later.

Big Bess, otherwise known as the Popemobile, was loaded to the roof with all we needed to take to Argyll including kilts, bagpipes food and bedding, plus, of course, the dogs, leaving my sisters car free to collect niece and nephew from Glasgow airport, with their baggage, at 10pm and travel up with 5 people. Leaving in the morning was not an option.

I headed off in confidence, bombing up the motorway to Perth and turning off onto the first tract of bendy roads ... through Crieff and on to Comrie. I wasn't hanging around as I had aimed to leave at lunch time. I didn't remember the road surface to be so bad. Turned off the radio. The rumble was getting worse. It felt as though the wheels were falling off. I stopped twice to check the tyres but, all too soon, I dared go no further so parked up and rang for assistance. Wandering around the car whilst waiting for the mecchanic I noticed that the front tyre had lost 2 nuts which were present a mile earlier. It dawned on me that the f***wits had failed to tighten them.

This lovely man was called out from Blackford and did what I could have done myself, 2 nuts came off the two back tyres and replaced the missing ones in front, but I had to wait 2 hours so I could have a written report. None of the nuts on either front tyre had been tightened!

I may have given the garage a car which was unsafe but... I can't bare to think what might have happened if that wheel had fallen off as I drove full speed on the motorway or, if the fault had become clear only 15 miles later, where I'd have had to stop, in the middle of the mountains with zero phone signal and not a house or car in sight!

Any suggestions as to how I should complain and take this further?