Upheld: poor repairs by approved repairer; failure to investigate concerns about repair quality complaint against UK Insurance Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Miss I claimed under her car insurance policy after her car was damaged while parked in September 2024. The approved repairer's repairs included steering rack and suspension work. In January 2025, the car was damaged again in the same area, and the second AR identified a suspension issue from the first repairs. Miss I reported steering concerns in June 2025, but UKI failed to investigate promptly. In August 2025, the car broke down on a motorway with steering failure. The ombudsman found the August 2025 incident was likely caused by the inadequate initial repairs and upheld the complaint, requiring UKI to remove the August 2025 claim from Miss I's record and pay £500 compensation for distress and inconvenience.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that while significant mileage (approximately 9,677 miles) had been travelled between the first repairs and the August 2025 incident, this alone was insufficient to exclude a causal link. The ombudsman considered: (1) the timeline showing concerns raised by both the second AR and Miss I within months of the first repairs; (2) the geometry test showing a red caster reading indicating misalignment; (3) technical evidence that NSF repairs can affect OSF steering and that steering axis issues can persist over extended mileage with accelerated wear; (4) the specific nature of the August 2025 failure (steering rack over-adjustment and wheel rubbing) matching the issues identified in January 2025. The ombudsman concluded that on balance, the first or second set of repairs were inadequate and likely caused the August 2025 incident. UKI failed to investigate Miss I's and the second AR's concerns promptly, causing avoidable distress and worry over several months.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website