Problems with used car bought from garage

ftbworried

Hi Guys,

I'm looking for a bit of moral support and/or advice from anyone who's had experience of this. I MAY be going down the small claims route over a car I bought.


Short version-->

• Bought a car (52 reg mercedes slk) end of Nov/early Dec 09
• 6 days later (<100 miles), engine management light comes on
• The garage (xyz motors) tell me to take it too their mechanics (abc centre), who diagnosed "oil on the wiring loom".
• They clean off the oil and erase the fault code. "But surely the oil is coming from somewhere? i.e. a leak?" i ask, "Nah, its just 'misting' oil from the engine bay. No further action required" says abc.:mad:
• 11 days later (<200 miles) engine light back on....same diagnosis. I do a bit of internet research to find its a common fault on this model and its a leak from the cam sensor.
• Take it back to abc centre (17th Dec) who read my internet print out, take the car away and give it back saying "it's fixed". I asked if theyd fitted the new part to fix the leak to which they said "yes".

..... fast forwards to 1st April and the engine management light comes on again. I call an independant merc specialist who think that we still have oil on the wiring loom and it could now need a new O2 sensor and new wiring loom to the tune of £1100:eek::eek:

Since this is,

a) a fault that's been there since i bought the car and,
b) gotten worse due to the unsatisfactory repair of the defect in the first place

I think that this cost should be covered by xyz motors. I rang trading standards who advised me to write to xyz requesting a repair/refund and am going to take the car in for a report from the independant merc specialist tomorrow. I also bought the car on a credit card, which has now been paid off so will be sending them a copy of the letter too.

I rang xyz as a courtesy to inform them what has happened and that i'm requesting a repair/refund and will be putting it in writing. He was very reluctant to comment and just said he'd "read my letter and reply". I expected him to be more helpful and to try and rectify the issue but it looks like he's ready to fight me on this.

Anyone been through a similar diagreement with a car garage, and even took it as far as court?

I hate to sound all "girly" but locking horns/standing your ground with car salemen/mechanics can be quite daunting for a girl.

Thanks for reading,

cyclonebri1

I'm no expert, but you seem to have done all the right things, give them every chance to rectify this issue before you threaten, but if they can't/won't go for the jugular.

Yes, you have every right to expect a car of this calibre to actually work, :T

Good luck.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

sounds to me as if you have done things correctly. the xyz garage will probably not want much more to do with you in respect of this and will either not reply to your letter or will just send letter of acknowladgment that they have recieved a letter from you. seeming as it was a present fault that wasnt repaired (do you have letter reciepts from abc garage stateing they had repaired it?) besides attempts to in my opinion they should fit at least half if not all the bill for the independant repair, if they fail to come to this agreement then i would suggest small claims as long as you have proof to back up i.e reports reciepts etc. someone should be allong shortly with links to submit to small claims etc and more info

ftbworried

atrixblue.-MFR-. wrote: »

(do you have letter reciepts from abc garage stateing they had repaired it?)

Nope I dont. xyz garage were paying abc garage directly as they accepted that it was their problem, therefore I didn't get any receipts. Damn.

It seemed like they had some kind of "arrangement" on repairs for their cars... the only receipt I ever saw on the counter was "mercedes SLK for xyz cars" scrawled on a piece of paper on the counter.