Man made pot hole / trench destroying my suspension!

Ben1030

Hi guys

Go easy on me as its my first post.

I’m wondering if I have any right in claim compensation for the daily battering my beloved Alfa is taking (I do understand that Alfa’s and moneysaving don’t normally go hand in hand lol).

It all started around 2-3 years ago, I owned an old fiesta, my missus owned an old ka, which had had new suspension the previous year. Some road works were carried out on all three roads around our house, some pipe must have been dug up. Once the road works finished, the trenches were filled in with what can only described as black paper machete! The soft material wore away instantly, several months later there was three 4-6 inch deep trenches. A few times a little patch here and there was added, were again used tissue paper and it wore away in weeks. With no alternative but to go over these (slowly), the suspensions on both cars development the same squeak and rattle. In both cars this was the final straw at the MOTs, the Ford ka was scrapped, the fiesta was traded in for an Alfa 147!

The trenches carried on with small patched being added and wore away while all three gradually got deeper. The alfa was bought in January 2009, by march it developed a squeak, the front suspension was replaced in July 2009. By February 2010 the front suspension was squeaking again! During July 2010 service the garage said it needed changing AGAIN! I wasn’t susing it during the summer so changed it in September. One side of the front suspension is now starting to squeak a little already!

The trench is now the worse its ever been! I had my MOT last month (council MOT centre, passed again, thanks MSE!), however on the advisories it stated my rear bushes starting to go (prob normal wear and tear), my steering rack is damaged (surely not normal), and also the front tyres. Oh and now my dash is starting to creek.

Do I have any chance of a successful claim, has anyone else ever claimed

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

Ben

forgotmyname

How many times have you reported the road surface? I doubt you would have any claim its not really
damage sounds more like wear and tear. Work done 6 months previously and started to make a noise
again, Should be under warranty.

When they roadtest new cars in design they drive them thousands of miles on cobbles. Even over small raised
kerbstones.

A squeak could be just a dry bush or bit of rust on an antiroll bar. You dont mention how many miles the car has done.

As it passed the MOT it sounds like something silly and nothing serious.

Rack is damaged in what way, They do wear and seals do fail.

Ben1030

I haven't reported it, However they have had over 10 inadequate repairs so they must b aware Of them.

Wear and tear? Suspension should lasting 3-4 years before giving in to wear and tear not 6 months. Unlike things like exausts etc... I don't think it's possible to get ant sort of warranty on a moving part like suspension. The suspension was changed as they were wrecked, the squeak was just a indication of what's to come.

As you say cars are tested over curbs etc... So you would expect a little longer from new parts. As with 99% of Alfa owners I treat my bella better than ny first born, the car never goes over any avoidable bump or curb, just smooth motorway...till I get home :-(

I do around 9,000 a year, 90% of that is motorway miles, I have to go over the trenches at least once a day.

forgotmyname

You dont mention what parts have actually been replaced, If a garage replaced a suspension part on my car
and it failed a 6/7 months later i would be taking it back to get it repaired properly.

How old is the car and what milage? My car was 5 years old when a spring snapped. I was crawling in a queue
to a carpark and i heard the bang. I knew what it was, Quite common these days.
Had done 148,000 miles on the original spring so not that bad. Should i expect the cheap replacements to last as long?

So what part keeps failing and what age/mileage is the vehicle? All work should come with a warranty.

Less than 12m for a suspension part is not acceptable unless i had done a lot of miles. I would assume
12m or 12,000 miles.