Car nightmare - help needed please!

liberty10_2

Hi
Please be gentle - this is my first thread after having the weekly emails for the last few years!

We have a Citroen Picasso and in January this year we were told that the turbo charge needed replacing - a cost of £1800. After two weeks it failed again and the garage replaced it, it went a third time and the garage asked us to go halves with them on the cost of trying work on the engine and replacing the turbo charge - which we agreed to as they said that we would have a 12 month guarantee.
Now it has failed again and the garage said that the engine needs replacing £4000. They say that as we didn't have the car serviced at a Citroen garage we are to blame for the engine failure.

We are left with a car that we still have finance on and a possibility of having spent £6500 on repair bills.

the repair bills so far have been paid for by credit card.

TonyMMM

How old is the car, what mileage has it done and what servicing have you had done (and where ?)

Flying-High_2

Guessing it one of the HDIs as its a Turbo. Were the Turbos they replaced at £1800 new?....

And is the £4k for a replacement engine a new or recon engine.....

skiddlydiddly

£1800 to swap a turbo is a lot.How long were the turbos lasting before going again and what damage did the turbos have to need replacing?
If the engine needs replacing then I am guessing the compressor broke up and went through the engine?

skiddlydiddly

Engine inc turbo and gearbox here for £200.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2-0-hdi-turbo-diesel-engine-and-box-/140441228794?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM

cyclonebri1

liberty10 wrote: »

Hi
They say that as we didn't have the car serviced at a Citroen garage we are to blame for the engine failure.

That bit is total garbage, you do however have to prove that the car was serviced in accordance with Citroens shedule and used parts/fluids to the required specification, not neccessarilly Citroen OEM :money:

INT1

How old is the car?

How many miles

Was it main dealer purchased?

You will only get good will off the manufacture if it has been either:

Bought from a Citroen dealerships

Serviced by main Citroen dealer.

I am having the same sort of problem with a known ABS Pump failing on a Seat. As I didn't buy from a Seat garage and it wasn't serviced at a Seat garage, they won't cover it as goodwill as it is outof warranty now. My car was serviced as per guidelines and serviced in a Skoda dealerships where they use the same parts :mad:

Good luck with your claim.

cyclonebri1

INT1 wrote: »

How old is the car?

How many miles

Was it main dealer purchased?

You will only get good will off the manufacture if it has been either:

Bought from a Citroen dealerships

Serviced by main Citroen dealer.

I am having the same sort of problem with a known ABS Pump failing on a Seat. As I didn't buy from a Seat garage and it wasn't serviced at a Seat garage, they won't cover it as goodwill as it is outof warranty now. My car was serviced as per guidelines and serviced in a Skoda dealerships where they use the same parts :mad:

Good luck with your claim.

Not true. The dealers are simply caniving, stealing scrotes, without being too offensive. They are just as willing to rob the benefactor as the customer. They know all the wrangles.

They know when a waranty claim can be pushed through and do not give 1 iota wether they, or any other Citroen dealer has serviced it, they want the payment for waranty work. Period.


If it's out of waranty thats an entirely diff fish kett

andygb

The main "stealers" are still trotting out the old line, that you need to have the car serviced at a main "stealer" garage - absolute rubbish.
They all rely on people being intimidated/frightened/ignorant.
The OP now has valuable knowledge on their side.
Unfortunately, when things go wrong with your car, you almost have to be ready to do combat with garages to get them fixed.
Added to that, they can invent stories, which make you believe that repairs will costs £1000's.
From what the OP has said, they would be better off selling the car/taking it to an independent garage.

liberty10_2

TonyMMM wrote: »

How old is the car, what mileage has it done and what servicing have you had done (and where ?)

Hi
Thanks for your response - the car is a 55 plate - Jan 06 and has done 66k - we had it serviced at a local reputable garage but not at the dealership

liberty10_2

skiddlydiddly wrote: »

£1800 to swap a turbo is a lot.How long were the turbos lasting before going again and what damage did the turbos have to need replacing?
If the engine needs replacing then I am guessing the compressor broke up and went through the engine?

Hi - Thanks for your reply
The first turbo lasted 3 days, the second around a week and the third one lasted around 2 months.
The first one was replaced free of charge and the third one the bearings needed replacing - we had to pay around £800 to go halves with the garage on the next replacement and they said that they would offer a 12 month warranty with the turbo.
If the compressor has gone through the engine we haven't been told that!