Warranty

ladyblueyes_uk

Hi wondered if anyone can help. I bought a renault clio be two weeks ago this Sunday, I didn't test drive it the other half did, I didn't drive it until the next day which is when I noticed the service light was on! I also noticed that there seemed to be a pulling on the steering wheel to the right hand side. I decided to book it into a garage for a service, and thought I will also ask about the pulling, as the car is covered by a 3 month warranty for all major mechanical faults(I thought the pulling might be the steering rack) Anyway the car has been for a service today, and the guy at the garage has said the cam belt should have been changed at 70k and it hasn't and needs replacing and that the brake discs are very corroded and also need changing. He said because the cam belt needs this change (it's a strip down) it and the brake discs will be about £1000.
I just wondered if these things will be covered by my warranty or will they not be counted at major mechanical faults? And if not would the garage I bought it from be liable in anyway, as really they should have had the cam belt or service done before they sold it?

I would really appreciate any help with this. Thanks.

unholyangel

Just to confirm, you werent made aware of possible work needing done when buying the car, you did receive a receipt/invoice from the trader and from what you've said, i'm deducing its 2nd hand?

ladyblueyes_uk

Hi, no I was not made aware of any work that needed doing, and yes the car is 2nd hand from a garage.

ladyblueyes_uk

Sorry, yes I did get a receipt! and also wondered the car cost me £2300 and I paid £1600 on my credit card and the remaining from ny switch, if they won't pay for the work needed would I be able to claim anything from my credit card? as I have bought something that really won't last without major work for a reasonable amount of time? Thanks

4743hudsonj

Brake discs are consumable, they wont be covered in all likelihood unless they warp(rare) or fracture(extremely rare).

Cam belts, again consumable, they need replacing and are not mechanical faliures. IF they snap then you will have mechanical failure as its most probably and interference engine so dont let this happen! It will depends if the garage sold the car saying it had a full service history or not, it so then you should have recourse, if not then again, its probably your responsibility.

Finally, have you considered getting a simple tracking and balance check? 99% of the time this is the source of the problem. Some place offer to check it for free and to correct it for £10 upwards. (even if it doesnt solve the issue its worth doing)

Have you read the terms of your warranty? thats the only way to tell for sure but these things your are listing are not mechanical failures, they are fair wear and tear that are associated with buying a car of its age.

Id also get another quote. 1k is ridiculous for a timing change and disc change. Belts cost less than a tenner, a tensioner if needed £30, discs £30-£40, pads £20-£30, labour for belt £200 - £400, labour for discs £100 ish. (prices are if you bought yourself from motor factors)

unholyangel

ladyblueyes_uk wrote: »

Sorry, yes I did get a receipt! and also wondered the car cost me £2300 and I paid £1600 on my credit card and the remaining from ny switch, if they won't pay for the work needed would I be able to claim anything from my credit card? as I have bought something that really won't last without major work for a reasonable amount of time? Thanks

Have you contacted the dealer to make him aware of this and has he offered a solution? Not sure the brake pads would be covered as they can be worn down prematurely on a basis of things.

adam.mt

Agree. The pulling could be a number of things, including wheel alignment, tyre wear and uneven pressures (for the inexpensive fixes).

Cambelt will be down to whether the vehicle was advertised and sold with a full service history; you might even find a prior servicing garage claimed to change it and didn't!

Brake discs are also consumables; what did the last service say? Should they have been replaced? What mileage has been done since the last service?

The age of a car affects it's value and obviously also what you can expect from it. If you paid below 'market value' or the vehicle is old you can't expect it to be entirely fault free. It's up to you to check before purchase!

I'd also agree to read the warranty statement to see what it does and doesn't cover.

If you paid a fair retail price and faults were discovered soon after purchase then you may have a case against the garage. First port of call should be with them though to see what they say or offer.

Do bare in mind to not go paying for a fix elsewhere with the intention of trying to claim it back - that could land you in a lot of bother and weaken your chance of cost effective resolution. You need to give the seller a fair chance to resolve the problems first.