Vehicle advice needed

[turkish14]

Can anybody help or advise please 🤞

 

We have a Vauxhall Mokka that in recent weeks has developed an intermittent clicking/rattling sound that we believe comes from the front driver side, but we cannot be sure. We usually only hear it when gradual acceleration and we believe when on a straight road.
 

Anyway we booked it in to a reputable local garage last Friday. They didn’t observe anything obvious as they inspected underneath, diagnostics didn’t highlight anything, but they believed the ball joints need repairing and that they are the likely cause of the rattling/clicking. The staff member stated as the ball joints were worn and lacking lubrication this indeed was the likely (and in her words) the only possible cause for the clicking/rattling noise that I had described, in the location I believed it was.

 

Today the car was dropped in, (it was due to be repaired Friday 10th October) but they had a late night slot this evening Thursday 09th October. The repair has  cost me £341 to replace the ball

joints. When I received the call to say the car was ready, I was told I’d subsequently also need to have tracking done elsewhere as this garage cannot provide tracking, this was not mentioned to me beforehand. This will cost another £40-£50 she informed me.

 

As I drove from garage, I heard the clicking/rattling noise again, and once more across the 2.5 mile drive home.

 

My questions are:

 

Does anyone have any idea what this noise is? 
 

As the garage has not repaired the fault, what (if anything) can we do? 
 

should they have done the tracking or at least made me aware when the quote was given that I would have to have tracking done elsewhere post repair? 

 

it’s to be noted when I received the quote, the lady said that the parts had already been ordered. 
 

Any advice is greatly appreciated. 

[Trav Le Bleu]

1 hour ago, turkish14 said:

Can anybody help or advise please 🤞

 

We have a Vauxhall Mokka that in recent weeks has developed an intermittent clicking/rattling sound that we believe comes from the front driver side, but we cannot be sure. We usually only hear it when gradual acceleration and we believe when on a straight road.
 

Anyway we booked it in to a reputable local garage last Friday. They didn’t observe anything obvious as they inspected underneath, diagnostics didn’t highlight anything, but they believed the ball joints need repairing and that they are the likely cause of the rattling/clicking. The staff member stated as the ball joints were worn and lacking lubrication this indeed was the likely (and in her words) the only possible cause for the clicking/rattling noise that I had described, in the location I believed it was.

 

Today the car was dropped in, (it was due to be repaired Friday 10th October) but they had a late night slot this evening Thursday 09th October. The repair has  cost me £341 to replace the ball

joints. When I received the call to say the car was ready, I was told I’d subsequently also need to have tracking done elsewhere as this garage cannot provide tracking, this was not mentioned to me beforehand. This will cost another £40-£50 she informed me.

 

As I drove from garage, I heard the clicking/rattling noise again, and once more across the 2.5 mile drive home.

 

My questions are:

 

Does anyone have any idea what this noise is? 
 

As the garage has not repaired the fault, what (if anything) can we do? 
 

should they have done the tracking or at least made me aware when the quote was given that I would have to have tracking done elsewhere post repair? 

 

it’s to be noted when I received the quote, the lady said that the parts had already been ordered. 
 

Any advice is greatly appreciated. 

First port of call, go back to them and see if they're willing to investigate at no extra cost.

Genuine errors happen. I always think that a willingness to correct them is the epitome of good service.

 

On the plus side, you don't need to worry about your ball joints for a while. Which, for what it's worth with limited info, I believe was a reasonable assumption (which has proven wrong).

[Jon the Hat]

I tend to think they have done work that needed doing anyway, even if it is not the cause of the noise.  Take it back in ask them to jump in for a quick drive to demo the noise.

Get the tracking done - tracking gear is expensive I understand, so a lot of smaller garages don't have it as it is usually done after new tyres.  They could find a local place to do it, but then you pay for their labour cost to take it instead of doing it yourself.

Garages pretty much always order the parts before you confirm, otherwise you would be waiting longer.  They can send them back.

Edited 10 October 2025 by Jon the Hat