Bought car from garage on 8/4/11, now faulty. Where do I stand?

MrsRM

As the title states I bought my 57Reg from a garage on 8th April, and it came with a standard 1 month warranty.

Yesterday morning on my way to work it just cut out twice in the middle of the road and flashed up an error message. It re-started both times straight away and was fine coming home.

Now, I know the car is 'out of warranty' but I'm just wondering if I push for it is there any consumer rights that could help me get this problem sorted by the garage I bought it?

I've looked on this site and have seen about goods fit for use for upto 6 months and wonder how solid this would be to use in my case? I've never had to deal with anything like this before and really want to get it sorted as I feel my car cutting out on me anywhere just 8 weeks after purchase is not acceptable!


Any advice very gratefully recieved.

Tilt

Hi. First of all there is no such thing as a 'standard 1 month warranty'. Under the SOGA (which a warranty cannot reduce your rights to), a defect is assumed to be present at the point of sale if it occurs within the first 6 months of ownership. However, there is a proceedure to follow which is that you conatct the dealer who sold you the car and report the fault to them and ask them to investigate and rectify. You must give them that opportunity.

If they refuse to do a repair at no cost to you, you then put the request in writing mentioning that you are making the request under the Sales Of Goods Act and the letter should be sent by recorded delivery.

See what happanes when you ring them and report the fault first before we start jumping up and down. I always suggest in making the first contact as friendly as possible in a kind of 'these things happen' kind of way.

Please come back and tell us how you get on.

MrsRM

Thank you so much. I do want to go about this in the correct mannor, but just want to know my rights first to help stop me coming across as a bumbling wreck, lol.

I shall phone them now and let you know how I get on.

MrsRM

Just gotten off the phone to them and have been told they will only do it as a chargeable repair! I advised them I will put the fault in writing to them and also do more research on my rights as a consumer and see what happens as I feel the nature of the fault is a big issue!

Most frustrating

LandyAndy

Can you tell us the make and model? It may be a known fault with a known solution.

MrsRM

It's an Alfa Romeo 159 57 plate. I had an Alfa years ago (never had any problems with it) and adored it but had to sell it so I could save my pennies for university and always promised myself another one. So, this was my treat for completing my degree and landing my dream job and now he's not playing nice!

My husband is part of an Alfa forum and posted yesterday asking for advice but didn't get any help

LandyAndy

MrsRM wrote: »

It's an Alfa Romeo 159 57 plate. I had an Alfa years ago (never had any problems with it) and adored it but had to sell it so I could save my pennies for university and always promised myself another one. So, this was my treat for completing my degree and landing my dream job and now he's not playing nice!

My husband is part of an Alfa forum and posted yesterday asking for advice but didn't get any help

Well, I'll say it before anyone else does. It's an Alfa so it will go wrong, probably a lot.

Hope you get it sorted quickly.

You could try ringing your local Alfa main dealer and describing the problem. They'll probably just say bring it in and have it diagnosed but there's nothing to lose. I presume you didn't buy it from a main dealer?

MrsRM

Haha, thank you LandyAndy! I think the reality is whatever cars we buy these days, they are rarely reliable! I can cope with faults and expected to pay up along the years, just not 8 weeks after purchase!

I'll ask my hubby to contact dealer, I never thought of that but I'll leave the technical talk to him, haha. It wasn't from a main dealer but my local Car people garage!

Tilt

LandyAndy wrote: »

Well, I'll say it before anyone else does. It's an Alfa so it will go wrong, probably a lot.

Tickles me comments like this. Admittedly Alfa had build quality issues in the mid-90s (I know, I used to work at a Alfa dealership) but now they are no worse than most other manufacturers but hey ho.

MrsRM, can you give us a bit more info about the nature of the defect please?

s_b

Bought car from garage on 8/4/11, now faulty. Where do I stand?

at a bus stop?:rotfl:

it needs a fault code read for starters so you know where you are going,any garage should be able to do this for you from about £35 even if its a bat cave garage
this way you know whether you want to go back to seller with strong arm tactics or if it was just a blip in the life of the car because it swallowed a spider:)

MrsRM

Thanks SB! I think, lol. My bus days are done, I've got a bike incase the car won't start, I'd rather use that!

When it happens I have always being braking to stop (about to reverse into drive, stopping at a junction/traffic lights) and it just beeps as it cuts out then 2 messages pop on on the screen in front but too quick to read properly!

The first one is something along the lines of:

Radiator temp high/or full?
Turn off and re-start engine

Then the second is:

Antipollen filter blocked


Like I said, the messages pop up really quickly so what I've written probably isn't exact.


I've also just phoned trading standards who have advised me that because car is on HP I may be able to get them to pay for repairs through the supply of goods act 1973 and thay will email me a emplate out to send to HP company.

So fingers crossed xxx