Be warned about D & J Workshop

My vehicle broke down and I contacted Danie for help. He advised me to bring the vehicle to his shop, as he could not tell me what was wrong based on my explanation that the vehicle was cutting out and not starting.

I took the vehicle to D&J Workshop and again explained the symptoms, so an estimate could be made on what repairs /fault-finding needed to be carried out. I didn’t want to be in this situation again (broken down on the side of the road without any apparent reason, as the car kept cutting out ).

Danie insisted that the carburettor had to be sent in for a service to an outsourced company as he was not sure what the problem was. As I have experience with carburettors, I suspected this was not the problem. I suggested that they do a normal service on the vehicle and fault-find while doing this to find the problem. Danie agreed to this and I supplied the parts, as I normally service the vehicle myself.

On collecting the vehicle, I asked the staff (Danie was not there) if they found the problem. They said no. The vehicle wasn’t cleaned either. I drove the vehicle out and it stated cutting out almost immediately. I took it back and they fiddled with the engine and said it was fine now. No explanation given.

The next day I had the same problem and, once again, took vehicle in. This time Danie was there and he looked at the vehicle. They again fiddled with the engine and said it was fine. No explanation or apology given. Two weeks later I broke down again on the side of the road and needed a recovery truck. I contacted Danie and informed him of what had happened. Danie became very defensive, claiming that it was not his problem, that I only paid for a service, and that because I supplied my own parts (all approved and bought as a Toyota service kit), he could not guarantee the work. He further insisted that I had to send in the carburettor and that he was doing me a favour (I paid R1200). He then told me I will need to leave the car with him for 3 days, as he would need to find the problem. I informed him that 3 days was not possible for me, and I needed to find a solution to the problem ASAP. When I asked him if they tested the fan while the car was in their workshop (I suspected the problem was the cooling system, and wanted to potentially rule it out), the situation escalated out of control. I eventually hung up the phone, as I realised the 5-star service, as advertised, isn’t worth anything.

I had another breakdown and had a completely different experience. The problem was quickly identified as the fuel pump, I got assisted and immediately taken to the workshop. The car was fixed and delivered in less than 2 hours- that is 5-star service! The cost from another workshop for roadside assistance, towing, parts and repair was less than what I paid D&J Workshop for their incompetent service. I was correct in following my instinct on not having the carburettor sent in as per their advice. This saved me a lot of money.

Please be warned about this establishment. A true indicator is how they treat you when the job is not done properly and you ask for them to honour their guarantees.