Mechanic Issue

[lowlevelhell]

Took my POS E70 in for a new alternator today. Long story short, he calls to tell me that it's all done, but that I have a severe coolant leak from the reservoir. He asked if I'd been putting coolant in, because it was "running like a faucet." I assured him I had not. He then said that they hadn't experienced any coolant leaking when they moved it inside this morning to work on it, and they found this after the post-alternator swap test drive.

So, of course, they expect me to pay for a new coolant reservoir (and I'd imagine the labor, too). Something just isn't sitting right with me here, not the least of which is that I took a car that (by his own admission) had no coolant leak to the mechanic, and it now has a coolant leak.

Mind you the chain of events with this car was...
1. Water pump went bad
2. Had water pump replaced by this shop
3. Less than a week later, starting having electrical trouble, which now appears to have been alternator (alternator is obviously near the area they were working.
4. Had alternator replaced.
5. Same day they were under the hood, reservoir gets mysteriously broken.

Anyone experience something like this before?

[Pierce330]

These are actually common issues on the 3.0 X and 3 series sedan...however, does your mechanic have experience with BMWs?