Lawyer exposes engine scam at local auto workshop

TDT | Manama

Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

A lawyer uncovered a case of fraud at a local auto workshop while repairing a relative’s vehicle.

Taqi Hussein Taqi discovered that the garage had carried out improper work and replaced functional parts with damaged ones. He documented the violations and proceeded with legal action, ultimately convincing the court, which ruled in favor of the vehicle owner and ordered the workshop to pay compensation.

Repair

According to Taqi, the vehicle driven by the first plaintiff — and owned by the second plaintiff — had broken down, prompting them to hand it over to the defendant for repair.

After inspection, the workshop claimed the vehicle required a replacement engine, engine mount, and alternator base, quoting a repair cost of approximately BD 500.

After collecting the vehicle, the first plaintiff discovered that it continued to experience significant issues and was not operating normally.

The workshop later claimed that additional parts had burned out or stopped working, including two mounts, the fan motor, alternator guard, integrated electrical converters, and injectors.

Replacement

The defendant then alleged that the vehicle’s computer system was also damaged and needed replacement, yet continued to delay returning the vehicle.

Taqi added that the plaintiff eventually received the vehicle without the problem being resolved. Further inspections revealed that the main issue lay in the transmission.

Multiple specialized workshops informed the plaintiff that the defendant had replaced good parts with worn-out, used components while falsely claiming they were new.

The lawyer explained that his client filed a criminal report and a complaint with the Consumer Protection Directorate at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.

A technical expert was appointed to examine the vehicle and review exchanged messages and voice notes.

For additional verification, the vehicle was sent to an independent workshop to assess the replaced engine.

The expert concluded that the installed engine was in poor condition and required replacement, confirming that the workshop had not carried out the repairs properly.

As a result, the workshop was deemed responsible for refunding the paid amount and returning the vehicle’s original engine, which it still had in its possession.

In its ruling, the court stated that it found the expert report credible and based on sound technical grounds.

It dismissed the workshop’s objection regarding the expert’s specialization, noting that the expert had relied on a certified workshop’s assessment, which detailed the engine defects and recommended a full replacement.

The court therefore ordered the defendant to compensate the plaintiff for the cost of the replaced engine.