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Is it normal for service people to drive vehicles they are working on?

I recently purchased four new tyres and had a wheel alignment check. On collection of the car the odometer showed my car had been driven 4kms.

One week later and at a different service provider, I had a regular service carried out and my car was returned with scratches around the drivers door handle, steering wheel shimmer and another 4km clocked up.

Rosie

From the "Ask Jack" archives - 12 May 2010

Yes it is quite normal for a car to be driven after a service and wheel alignment.

A distance of 4km I think is acceptable depending on the exact nature of the work done.

After a wheel alignment it is important to ensure the car is tracking correctly and the steering wheel is aligned in the straight ahead position to name a couple of reasons for a road test.

Often it can take a couple of kilometres to get to an appropriate stretch of road to carry out these checks.

Same but different for a service, the mechanic needs to check the car for engine / transmission performance and often noises from wheel bearings as an example are picked up better on a road test than on a hoist.

Provided the road testing is done for the right reasons I have no problem with it.

The scratches around the door handle and the steering shimmy need to be discussed with the garage owner/foreman.