Van Warranty

lauraeast23

Hi

I am hoping that someon may be able to give me some advice. My partners 05 plate van broke down and had to be towed home by the AA.

When he bought it from the dealer he paid for a warranty that covered up £1,000 of costs.

The conculsion is that the CAM belt has snapped and the warranty company are refusing to pay up stating it is wear and tear and not an engine breakdown...

No I am no mechanic but the thing snapped and the van brokedown....

Do we have any feasible grounds to fight this ? Is a CAM belt snap really considered wear and tear ?

Thanks
Laura

bod1467

What was the mileage? Cam belt is usually changed at a certain mileage per manufacturers service guidelines.

Has that mileage point been exceeded? If yes, was the cam belt changed at the appropriate service interval?

If no then warranty is void; if yes then the claim should stand. (Warranty company may be able to counter-claim against whoever supplied and fitted the cam belt).

If the mileage is less than the cam belt change requirement then the claim should stand.

scheming_gypsy

bod1467 wrote: »

What was the mileage? Cam belt is usually changed at a certain mileage per manufacturers service guidelines.

Has that mileage point been exceeded? If yes, was the cam belt changed at the appropriate service interval?

If no then warranty is void; if yes then the claim should stand. (Warranty company may be able to counter-claim against whoever supplied and fitted the cam belt).

If the mileage is less than the cam belt change requirement then the claim should stand.

aren't they just recommended figures though?

lauraeast23

Thanks bod1467 - I will find out this information

Laura

bod1467

scheming_gypsy wrote: »

aren't they just recommended figures though?

Perhaps. But warranties will use this as a get-out if they can. Example:

I had a Citroen C3 with a warranty (Warranty Direct). I missed a service interval by 500 miles (because we'd gone on a holiday in the UK and I forgot to get the service done beforehand; I got it done as soon as we got back). A few months later the water pump failed - Warranty Direct refused to honour the warranty because I'd missed the service interval.

lauraeast23

scheming_gypsy wrote: »

aren't they just recommended figures though?

Probably - but I am guessing that the company will use this as reason to not pay

lauraeast23

OK so I have just found out that it is every 90k miles which is inside when it was chanegd last time, however when it was done last time the tensioner was not fitted properly and this has caused the CAM belt to snap.

the garage have said that judging by the last bill, the previous garage didn't drop out the engine to do it (which they said it is virtually ner on impossible to fit without doing so)

So I think we are stuffed pretty much and are looking at a nice fat 2,500 bill for a van that only cost 3,500 to begin with !

So can I try to claim against the previous garage ? How would i go about this legally ?

scheming_gypsy

I wouldn't pay £2500 and have it repaired..
If your garage said that the engine needs to be dropped out to replace the cambelt then let them drop it out and stick a second hand engine in instead. Most of the cost will be on repairing it but you'll probably be able to pick a replacement engine up for a couple of hundred quid and then it's just labour charges.

visidigi

I wouldbe going back to the garage who 'fitted' it and point out the problem they have caused.

bod1467

If you can get a written report confirming the cause of failure then you may have a claim against the people who fitted the cam belt at the last change. Would probably mean a Small Claims though.

Edit: SNAP! :rotfl:

lauraeast23

bod1467 wrote: »

If you can get a written report confirming the cause of failure then you may have a claim against the people who fitted the cam belt at the last change. Would probably mean a Small Claims though.

Edit: SNAP! :rotfl:

That is what I thought, but I would be willing to go to this if necessary as

a. I don't see why they should be allowed to get away with it
and
b. It's a LOT of money !!

Sorry but I have never done this before, how would I go about starting this.

Should I write to the company first with the claim and then go from there ?

How do I start a small claims proceeding ? - EDIT: I will google this - thanks

Thanks