Refund on new car

Setterl

Has anyone had so many problems with a new car that they has succeded in getting aither a replacement car or full refund. I bought a new VW in July this year & have had to take it back 5 times for sorting 3 major diffing faults(still not fixed) :mad:. I have a claim in place from VW but really dont want this car back.

hewhoisnotintheknow

exactly the same thing happened to me with vw, it had spent more time in the garage than it did with me owning it

you've had it lightly, they really are an awful outfit, marketing dept is good at telling you how good they are though

wuckfit

Is this a brand new car as of July?

What you need to do in the first instance is to write to the garage to inform them that you are rejecting the car under the sale of goods act, detailing all the problems you've had with it.

How did you fund the car? if it was through finance then the finance company might be jointly liable as with credit cards, though I'm not sure about this. Others may be able to advice further on this.

I successfully rejected a 14 month old car under SoGA, but I'd only had it 3 days.

Lemonade_Pockets

When you say major faults, what do you mean?

Having dealt with a few perspective rejections (none of them successfull) when i worked for a french company. Their guidlines where basically only serious engine or gearbox failure within 6 months or 1000miles meant an automatic refund or the paint falling off. Everything else was disputed and ultimately the customer got palmed of with some "goodwill vouchers" or something. I assume the customers in question had taken advice and determined it wasn't worth persuing.

I'm not sayin this is right or wrong, just if its had a dicky CD player don't expect them to roll over because the CD players packed in.

In a nutshell you should formally reject the car to the dealership, who should then reject it to VW. These are technically seperate issues as your contract is with the dealer not VW.

In practise the dealership will short cut and find out first from VW if they are likely to accept the rejection and either accept or refuse based on what they say.

Edit: This is if you are the first owner. As a second owner the guidelines where slightly different.

Hintza

Think Lemonade brings up a good point. What is wrong with it?

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/faq.htm?id=43

Setterl

Yes the car was bought new from a VW dealer - cash no finance. The faults have been 1) Computer in German (not major) 2) Electronic parking brake failure (major) 3) Electronic handbrake hold (major) 4) Alarm going off repeatedly (major). The problem with the alarm is that I have to leave the car unlocked as not to arm the alarm. If the car gets stolen my insurance is void. The brake problems are obviously major safety probs. I think that these faults (the car is still at the dealers who are trying to fix the alarm problem - 3 attempts now). I think I am entitled to my money back, but dont know if that possible. BTW the car only has 2300 on the clock!

Lemonade_Pockets

Setterl wrote: »

Yes the car was bought new from a VW dealer - cash no finance. The faults have been
1) Computer in German (not major)
2) Electronic parking brake failure (major)
3) Electronic handbrake hold (major)
4) Alarm going off repeatedly (major). The problem with the alarm is that I have to leave the car unlocked as not to arm the alarm. If the car gets stolen my insurance is void. The brake problems are obviously major safety probs. I think that these faults (the car is still at the dealers who are trying to fix the alarm problem - 3 attempts now).
I think I am entitled to my money back, but dont know if that possible. BTW the car only has 2300 on the clock!

On a personal level i agree, and i would be thinking about it too.

However objectively they aren't major faults, as in they don't render the car un-useable. A three year warranty is provided to cover exactly things like this. Hopefully given the trouble you've had and more importantly the repeated attempts they've had at repairing it will help persuade them.

However prepare yourself for a fight, as i said before MFR's don't take cars back unless its absolutely necessary. So if your serious get some proper advice and be prepared to take it all the way.

On a different note are you sure you cannot lock the car with the alarm disabled. Most cars have an override where at the very least you can turn of the movements sensors on the inside.

Another thing to do is if you get free AA cover or equivalent every time you have a problem and if its not too inconvenient get them to come out. This helps generate a record for all the trouble you are experiencing, quite often another criteria for an automatic acceptance for a rejection will be a specified number of call outs within a set time period.

Lemonade_Pockets

Hintza wrote: »

Think Lemonade brings up a good point. What is wrong with it?

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/faq.htm?id=43

This is a good link. OP if you haven't already read it.

hewhoisnotintheknow

i had all of those faults and a lot more

the particular high light was the brakes failing totally on the motorway as i was approaching a queue of traffic, thank god for the clear hard shoulder. Best bit was when i stopped the hazard lights had stopped working again:rotfl:

Setterl

No Lemonade cant overide the alarm (only the internal sensors). But I think the brake probs are very serious. I do have VW assist brakdown cover, but this is only when the car breaksdown. Gonna push for the refund, or at least a new replacement, I think thats only fair. I'll let you all know the outcome!

Anihilator

In your dreams will you get a refund or replacement for them.

You describe them as major problems. I wouldnt.