Abu Dhabi mechanic ordered to pay Dh32,139 for faulty engine repair

The Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court has ordered a mechanic to pay Dh32,139 in compensation and imposed an additional fine of Dh10,000, after ruling that a private vehicle he repaired was not roadworthy and broke down during use.

The case was brought by the car’s owner, who filed a civil lawsuit against a mechanic specialising in vehicle repairs. The claimant sought a full refund of Dh74,775, along with Dh35,998 in material compensation to cover the cost of repairing defects caused to the vehicle, in addition to court fees and expenses.

According to court records, the owner said he had handed over his car to the defendant to rebuild its engine, on the condition that he be informed in advance of all technical details and precise costs. However, when he collected the vehicle, it was unfit to drive. He reported several issues, including excessive noise, carbon emissions, coolant leaks and engine oil leakage, Al Khaleej Arabic daily reported.

The owner said the mechanic refused to acknowledge the problems or take the car back, prompting him to move the vehicle to a specialised workshop. An inspection there confirmed the presence of the reported defects.

The court heard that the mechanic later failed to provide a detailed invoice for spare parts, continued to delay, shut down his workshop and removed its commercial sign, raising further concerns. The owner ultimately repaired the vehicle elsewhere.

In its judgment, the court said it had established that the cost of repairing the defects amounted to Dh32,139, the sum claimed as compensation. It found that non-original spare parts had been installed in the vehicle, directly causing the mechanical failures.

The court ordered the mechanic to pay the compensation amount and the fine, while rejecting other claims.