Problems with car dealership service department

Princess826

HELP!!! Please can someone give me some advise, my car started loosing power last Tuesday, it was drove to Evans Halshaw, Peugeot, Leeds on the Wednesday and yesterday I had to have it removed from there on a tow truck!

When it went in there was a warning saying “Total depollution failure” I was told this was a common fault on Peugeots and the dealers replaced a sensor, I was then told on the Friday that the car was running better but was still not 100%, so they were going to fit a new high pressure fuel pump which would be in on Monday and I would get my car back then.

On Monday, the dealers called me to say that I car had been run on unleaded fuel (it’s a diesel) causing major damage to the fuel systems and possibly the engine and it was going to cost over £1,800 to fix it. When asked why they had only just found this out, they said that the car had diesel running through the engine until Monday morning and now it had petrol and it must have only just mixed!!

I am not an idiot and I know that if I had of put unleaded in my car then it would have mixed straight away, I have the receipts of every time I have filled the car up and have not put the wrong fuel in. I have even checked with the garage to see if there has been any cross contamination there, which they said no. Plus I had done over 200 miles since last filling up, surely the car would have not gone this distance and run ok on the wrong fuel?

Yesterday I got fed up of the conflicting stories I was getting and got the car towed out of the garage, there is also now something wrong with the electrics as the windows don’t work and the battery light is flashing! When I asked if there was any outstanding bill they said I owed them £800! My partner then got on the phone to them and the bill was reduced almost immediately to £117.50, which I paid reluctantly to get my car back.

My car is now at a local garage, which I trust, they seem to think there is unleaded in the car but I have not put it in! Of course this is now my word against theirs. I have complained to Peugeot who were very helpful but as the dealer is a franchise are only able to get the dealer principle to call me, I am not holding my breath!

The dealership was full of complaining customers, if anyone has had the same problems please let me know.

Is there any professional body or trade association I can complain to, can anyone point me in the right direction here, PLEASE HELP!!

markelock

find the receipt when you last filled up. go to the forecourt and ask them to help. they should be able to tell you what your money was spent on, even if it only proves you right.

Reducing the bill significantly seems a little odd. How much fuel was in the car when you dropped it off? How much was in it when you collected it? Is there a fuel point at the garage, that they may have used?

smcaul

Sounds like they fixed the first fault, then used it for a run around whilst "test driving" and thought they had better top the fuel up - got it wrong and are now trying to make you pay for it!!!

Did you happen to record the mileage when you dropped it off? Or did they put the mileage down on the job sheet, this will give you an idea if any extra miles have been covered etc.

dreamypuma

I'm a company car driver so fortunately I have never had to pay for Evans Halshaws incompetence. I've had to use Evans Halshaw Vauxhall in Holbeck, Leeds and they were terrible. They had my car for 5days to carry out a job which took 30mins. When returned the trim was refitted badly and the steering was lopp sided with the indicator stalks barely moveable.

The car was returned for remedial works, and they then had it for a further 3days.

After all this the original problem was never resolved. I now insist that my car is taken to any Vauxhall dealer other than Evans Halshaw. They are a complete waste of time.

Avoid Evans Halshaw like the plague.

Princess826

I've just heard from my local garage, they have flushed the engine and the car is now running with no engine management lights or apparent problems, cost of a new tank of fuel and a hour in labour and Evans Halshaw wanted over £1,800!!!

Will check the mileage when it comes back, I did check the fuel and it had exactly the same as when it went in, you would have thought some would have been used.

Battery was also flat not sure how that happened.

I am not letting this drop, they would have ripped me off if I had let them, am considering legal action or trading standards and I want the £117.50 back I have paid them to wreck my car!

markelock

try trading standards, or citizens advice bureau, for some free advice and direction to take on this.