My Nissan Navara D22 pickup developed con rod problem and engine rattle sound. Saw ad on ebay: £1, 695.00 RECON ENGINE SUPPLY AND FITTED INCLUDES COLLECTION OF YOUR VEHICLE (12 months warranty unlimited millege) from a company called engines international in cambs.

At the time they seemed legit so I called (01603 857770) them to pick it up (it had sat in driveway for months and wouldn't start up by this point. A week later I called to check progress. They told me they'd have to check, then gave me a mobile to call 07525 900 129, they had passed it on to their colleague at Universal Engines (without consulting me).

Simon/Dennis eventually called me telling me what a mess it was in, how he'd be unsure how long, 'waiting for ball joints/diagnosis from nissan', etc. Several weeks passed where I called /texted every day. I agreed to a new clutch (£100 s&f) and additional work 1850 plus 250 mot, 250 pump, 150 diagnostics +vat = £2937. By this time I was para I'd never see the truck again. What could I do?

Finally it was complete £700+ over budget/9 weeks on. I withheld payment til completion and took a day off to get the train to Ely, then a cab to Chatteris where I was picked up by Simon/Dennis and taken to the small carpark at PE16 6RL.

Navara appeared fine (oily prints inside/swapped gearstick head – but these were minor issues, so I paid £2937-cab fare as promised in cash. For a computer print out receipt & 12 month warranty. Yes I was suspicious but I just wanted my livelihood back. Drove back fine, but on closer inspection realised they’d swapped my new offroad tyres for old (barely legal ones) and called to give opportunity to ‘fix this mistake’.
Sure enough I drove back to meet & swap, arriving at the small carpark at PE16 6RL on pound lane early I had a look for the yard but its a residential cul-de-sac. Met Simon & he took Navara to their site on nearby farm while I waited in his white van (reg NC02 RWY). Navara returned valeted with new offroad tyres/original gear knob. When asked where the site was he said they don’t give it out as ‘once some guys came down and kicked–off’. I wonder why. Btw - they’d taken my spare wheel and a trusted mechanic told me the engine was dodgy, they’d probably stolen as much from inside as out. 6 months later it throws a piston through the block. I call 01603 857770, ask for engines international/universal engines. Same young man I’d spoken to all those times in the past... He got a bit defensive, only thing he said was universal engines went bust but theyd been taken over or some other bs. Tried calling Simon but disconnected. All I have is the office number above as a tenuous link, so don’t call it!

Now its at Reconditioned engines, Southall. They just sent me an invoice for £3k from Bray Engineering Ltd, when I googled this I found rogue reviews on this website. Don’t know what to do now...