Bought a car from dealer with issue with brakes

EvanA

Hi

I am not great with cars, so I decided to buy a car from Citreon on their Approved Used Scheme.

All was well except there was a loud squeak coming from the front brakes. I took the car in with my snag list and they told me it was dirt on the pads and they had cleaned it up. I drove out the garage after picking it up just before closing time and the brakes we squeaking still!! I had to be somewhere so called the next day to complain. As I was (and still am) waiting for a new spare key they said they would deal with it when I was next in.

I checked everything that I knew to check when I picked it up. This was around 3 months ago.

I got a puncture and took my car to my friend who works in National Tyres and he had a look around my car for me. He told me my brakes were screwed and had been for a good few thousand miles!!

Is there anything I can do?!

Cheers

He told me my brakes are screwed

Pete*G_4

ask him to produce a report, detailing who he is, his qualifications, and where he works. Ask him to specify how worn the brakes were i.e. as you've told us "a few thousand miles". This will pass as an "engineers report" if required. Take a copy of it into the dealership you bought the car from, and ask to speak to the manager. explain the situation, say you've had an independant qualified mechanic/engineer look at it and it's clear the brakes were faulty well before you bought the car. Take the invoices/receipts etc with you from where you took the car back before and for any work you had done to replace the brakes. Present them with all the evidence, and point out that you are prepared to take the matter to court if they do not at least cover the costs incurred by you getting the brakes done.

of course, if any of the documents when you bought the car say "sold as seen", then you don't have a leg to stand on.

EvanA

Thanks Pete

None of the documents have sold as seen on them.

I shall do this!

Anihilator

Sorry but brakes are consumables. You would have to show they were illegal/unroadworthy to have much recourse.

Nothing wrong with selling a car that may need new pads etc imminently unless they stated otherwise.

Tbh I wouldnt believe national for a second. These are a bunch of 20 year old technicians who can change tyres, exhausts and brakes and receive handsome bonuses for doing so.

Also how are the brakes "screwed".Whats wrong with them?

Let us know what he suggested and his price for this,

pendulum

What is wrong with the brakes exactly. A squeek usually isn't serious, it could mean the pads are getting low, or that there's some dirt that's got in, that's all. I seriously doubt the brakes have been "screwed for a good few thousand miles", as if they had you'd know about it. It sounds like a statement from an idiot who likes to talk like he's an expert in order to sell you something you don't need, and to be honest, those types of places are well known for that kind of practice - scare tactics to get you to buy. Maybe he's not as good a friend as you think.

I took an MoT failure sheet into National Tyres once and said "What's this going to cost to get this fixed?". He quoted me about £300, I still have the printout somewhere. I got it done elsewhere for £6.00 parts and about £40 labour. It was just a balljoint needed changing. National Tyres idiot wanted to change a major part of the suspension as well as what was needed, and he made out the job needed to be done ASAP as well, to try and get me to part with my cash there and then.

If your brakes were screwed that badly, I'm sure the dealer would have spotted it. Although even they do not necessarily employ the best mechanics, the average dealer mechanic is still far better than the Kwik-Fit/National Tyres average! Most of their training seems to be in sales!

4743hudsonj

Lets simplify - does the car stop abruptly enough? if so your friends a liar, if not then carry on with advice above.