Tyre Advice???

BizzleBozzle

Hi,
Long story, basically I bought a Seat Alhambra ex-demo from my local dealer (part of a huge company who has several main dealers in one place).

I had some initial problems in that they were supposed to keep the car off road from when I paid the deposit until 2 weeks later when their new demo arrived and just show it on the forecourt. However, the mileage didn't tally with this when I collected it.

They had lost one of the keys and at first told me to 'be patient' while they looked for it at home!

And they stated on the invoice that I would have 6 months road tax on the car FOC - it runs out at the end of November (6 months after it started as the demo car) and I collected it at the end of August!

I complained about all this by phone at the time (when I collected the car they were locking the doors behind me as I was strapping the children into the car so no chance to give it a proper once over before I drove away) first to the staff who came up with some real rubbish excuses e.g. well the car was taxed for 6 months, just 3 months before you bought it! The mileage is down to another department who typed the invoice!

They also said that the integrated car seat was suitable for my 2 year old daughter, who I took on the test drive strapped into it on a busy dual carriageway on a Saturday afternoon. When I read the manual after I bought the car it turned out that the seat was completely unsuitable for her and is for children at least 2 years older weight wise!

When I had no joy with the sales staff I wrote to the CEO of the company and copied in Seat Customer Services. I was taken very seriously from then on - received a cheque for the car tax, they ordered and coded a new key and sent a courtesy car to me while they took my car in to pair up the new key. And they gave an explanation of the mileage which I didn't understand but it seemed churlish to complain when they were rectifying everything else. They even installed digital scales in the showroom to ensure children are big enough for the integral car seats!

However, the other day we spotted a bulge in the side-wall of one of the front tyres. I knew I hadn't bashed any kerbs but when I rang the services department they said the tyre wasn't covered on the warranty (I understand this) and it couldn't be a fault in the tyre because the car was checked over before it was released into my ownership (ha ha!)

I decided to swallow it even though I was pretty sure I hadn't caused the damage and swallowed the £150 cost for a new tyre (the cheapest rather than the Continental it was replacing). I wasn't too keen on returning to them when I had complained about the staff as I've lost all confidence in them and couldn't be sure they wouldn't just say I'd clipped a kerb and then replace with a Continental. Also being a main dealer it would cost more from them to fit it, so I took it to my mechanic who's done all our family work for over 20 years (I'd rather give the money to him!)

When he took the old tyre off this afternoon he said he'd never seen anything like it! There was gunk inside the tyre. He said it looks as if someone has used that spray stuff that gets you through the journey as a temporary fix for punctures!

I'm now furious, I've driven a lot of miles in the last four weeks including several motorway journies with my kids in the car. I could have had a blow-out anytime.

All I want to check is that Continental or Seat haven't brought out some new treatment for the inside of tyres that is so new that my mechanic knows nothing about it. I will be getting onto the Director of the company who I was dealing with before to initially get his reaction and give him a chance to rectify (I've kept the tyre to get them to inspect it). If I get no joy I will take it further, but I don't want to look an idiot if there is something they spray into their tyres!

This is the first time I've bought such an expensive car, I've always had to struggle financially until very recently and just happened to have had some luck a few months ago that's put me in a wonderful position so I really don't like feeling like I might be being ripped off.

Hope someone can help, thanks for reading!

harveybobbles

Sounds like someone got a puncture and used the canister of gunk that was in the boot to repair the tyre.

Can't see what you are asking about really?

The puncture could have happened en route to the dealership, so they might not have known about it.

the mileage not tallying up can be for various reasons. They could have just inputed what was last shown when the last person finished driving it.

Also you took a test drive, so this would have added miles onto it. Plus they might have driven it down the road when they were doing a PDi on it prior to you colecting it.

Or as you wasn't collecting it for two weeks, it could have gone into storeage. Our storeage yard is just under 10 miles away.

BizzleBozzle

harveybobbles wrote: »

Sounds like someone got a puncture and used the canister of gunk that was in the boot to repair the tyre.
Why? It was a brand new car in a Seat Dealership, straight from the factory presumably so had only been driven by staff until that point then after that on test drives always with staff present.
Can't see what you are asking about really?
I'm asking if there is some sort of coating my mechanic hasn't heard of before I go in all guns blazing.

The puncture could have happened en route to the dealership, so they might not have known about it.
Again brand new, straight from factory to dealership - so surely if it happened en route to there they should have replaced the tyre before they let customers test-drive it? Anyway, don't they take their cars to the dealerships on a transporter lorry rather than by road?

the mileage not tallying up can be for various reasons. They could have just inputed what was last shown when the last person finished driving it.
As I've said I've accepted their explanation.
Also you took a test drive, so this would have added miles onto it. Plus they might have driven it down the road when they were doing a PDi on it prior to you colecting it.
I'm talking about the difference between AFTER my test drive and it was about 200 miles different.


Or as you wasn't collecting it for two weeks, it could have gone into storeage. Our storeage yard is just under 10 miles away.
No, they assured me it had been stored round the back the whole two weeks (remember they were still using it as a showroom car, just not driving it)

Basically I really wanted to vent and I think quite rightly so, but was asking if there is some sort of new coating inside Continental Tyres which I'm assuming you are saying no...

I'm really not complaining for the heck of it, I'm very mild mannered which means people who don't know me think they can take me for a ride and I'm trying to be a bit proactive about sticking up for myself. However, I don't want to make a complete t*t of myself i.e. they come back and say 'all Continental Tyres look like that inside! This proves nothing.'

scheming_gypsy

i don't think they all look like that inside as they're just like any other tyre. Although it sounds like somebody has had a puncture and just used the spray can instead of having it sorted properly; so it's possible the dealer had no idea.

harveybobbles

Yes brand new cars do get delivered on lorries, but some cars that are used as Demo cars like yours may have come from Head Office, so could have hit a pot hole or curb on the way up from where ever. Someone else on a test drive could have hit a pot hole or a kerb, but as it showed no sign of damage to the structure then nothing would have been done about it.

Or it could have gained a puncture on the lorry if iot had caught the side of the ramps etc. The lorry driver could have pumped the tyre back up using a gunk canister and not told the dealership about it. Who knows?

Clutching at straws really. I've seen brand new cars getting damaged at the docks or on lorries. You be surprised, plus scared at what can happen to a brand new car.

forgotmyname

I knew someone that bought a brand new car and said it just didnt feel quite right, So they paid for an AA or RAC
inspection.

Turned out it had been repaired and not a minor touchup either. Returned and rejected the car.


Sounds like you had buyers blindness. Just so eager to get a new car you didnt do your homework 1st.
If you had you would have know about the child seats.
£150 for a new budget tyre? Seen you coming springs to mind.

Does it have a spare? If not you may find the can of gunk you get instead has been used and is now empty.

You need to get that replaced.