New car ... problems with car and problems with garage

Legacy_user

Hi all,

I'm new here so if I'm posting in the wrong section, I'm sorry! I've signed on for some advice regarding a car I purchased a few weeks ago.

The car was purchased from a local garage not far from my house. I knew at the time of sale that the garage did not yet have the V5 logbook document. From previous experience I know this is not a problem as it can be applied for (plus I did a full gold HPI check so I knew it wasn't stolen). The garage promised to sort out the V5 for me (they said they'd try the previous owner otherwise they would apply for one for me). I went to initially look at the car on Friday 20th July and I got the car early the week after. When I got the car the oil pressure light started to come on when the car was ticking over. I was not happy with this so I took the car back to the garage to show them and they said that it would be fine, and that they couldn't get me in the garage for another week (they use another garage miles away).

Besides this, I found the car to be OK until a few days later when the car started to sound very very loud (like an old diesel). I had also noticed that leaving the stereo on for 2-3 mins after turning the engine off would kill the battery. Again I told the garage this straight away and they said they would book it in the garage as soon as they could.

Fast forward through many weeks, through phone calls telling me that the car will be going into the garage ASAP and through visits to their premises. I was also trying to chase the V5 during this time as the car needs taxing at the end of August. Eventually I could not get in contact with them. They open the garage "for viewings by appointment only" but I could not contact them on their main sales phone number.

I eventually managed to get in contact with one of the members of staff (who sold me the car) by phone, following a visit to the premises on Friday 10th August when they were closed. At this point he then informed me that my car was due into the garage on the Monday. He also told me they'd applied for a new V5 (and I told them this can take up to 6 weeks to come through) I asked if he could lend me a car whilst mine was in the garage and he told me this was fine (a small Ford KA). I told him that my car going into the garage on the Monday was an issue as I was working all that weekend and that I would not be able to collect the courtesy car. As I called him from their premises he informed me where he leaves the keys but they were not there. I asked him to leave the keys in this place on the Sunday night so I could go and swap the car when I finished work.

Long story short, he did not leave the keys out. I got a phone call on my way to work on Monday morning when he told me he was going to bring up the KA and swap the cars round at half-9. I was waiting with my car at half-past 9 but he didn't turn up until closer to 10am, not good when I am meant to be at work. When I got the car it was in a discusting state, I don't think it has ever been cleaned inside or out and it had a really really unpleasent smell. The car was so bad I thoroughly cleaned it myself (as I had to take family members out, I would have been too embaressed otherwise).

I recieved a letter the other day from the DVLA telling me that my application for V5 was being processed and that it will be sent on 28th August (but the car needs taxing on 31st).

The car has been in the garage since. My car insurance policy clearly states that I can only drive a car lent to me by a garage for up to 7 days (dispite the garage telling me I'm covered through their insurance, I'm not). I am now on day 8 and had to purchase insurance as the garage informed me it would be another week until my car is ready. I was forced to purchase a week's insurance through my current company which has set me back £36 (expensive due to my age).

I simply cannot see how I should have to be lumped with the bill for this. I purchased the car just a few weeks ago and I've driven the KA more than my new car!! I'm having to drive a guzzling (clearly faulty) car, I'm having to pay for insurance for it on top of paying the payments on my new car and the insurance for that that I can't even use.

My aplogies, rant over. My ultimate question then, is can I invoice the garage for the insurance policy charge of £36 ... and if the V5 (logbook) does not arrive in time to tax my car, do they have an obligation to lend me the KA again (although I really hope this doesn't have to happen )

Many thanks

Sgt_Pepper_2

Yes and no.

Tilt

Few questions... make/model/age/price paid/purchase date/how long have they had the car now and have they told you what is wrong with it?

forgotmyname

How do you know your not covered under the garage's policy?

We used to have cover for customers using a loan car. Ours was only 3rd party but the cars were usually cheap but reliable old cars. So making a claim for it wouldnt be viable anyway.

You can invoice them for anything you like. Getting the money is a different matter. They could just say you were covered and thanks for not trusting us.

As thats your attitude we are fitting 90% worn parts to your car just to make you go away but we are hoping they fail the day after we change our company name.

They have the obligation to sell you a car that is as described. Yoiu knew they didnt have the logbook. This sets my nose tingling these days with logbook loans not showing on the HPI check.

in_the_Cotswolds

Plus the engine oil light on at idle suggests low oil pressure or level and possibly resulting in internal engine damage.

The problem is once the light comes on it's normally to late.

System

Sgt_Pepper wrote: »

Yes and no.

Hi there,

I really do appreciate all of your replies. My question would be to you, what exactly is there that obliges the garage to pay the invoice?

My second question would be, if you look at the dates, 20th July + 6 weeks would have given him enough time to get me the logbook if he'd have sent off for it straight away, so is this not an unavoidable issue? If he'd have sent off for the logbook when I purchased the car (as he should have done) I'm sure I would have the logbook now.

Tilt wrote: »

Few questions... make/model/age/price paid/purchase date/how long have they had the car now and have they told you what is wrong with it?

Hi,

Again thanks for your answer!

It's a 2006 Vauxhall Corsa C SXI+, the purchase date was 20/07/12. I paid a far amount for it at £3000 with 60k miles.They had told me the car had had some work done in the garage prior to them putting it up for sale (but I expect that is normal of every car). He had the car up for sale for just a few days before I snapped it up

forgotmyname wrote: »

How do you know your not covered under the garage's policy?

Hi

The garage tried telling me that I am covered on their policy "as long as I (myself) have fully comp insurance. I informed him that I do have fully comp insurance but that it clearly states I can only drive a car lent to me by a garage for 7 days. It's not for him to tell me I have insurance when I actually didn't, not sure PC Plod would take excuses. My only option at this point was to privately insure his car (my age means I cannot drive other vehicles besides cars lent to me, but only for 7 days).

mechanic wrote: »

Plus the engine oil light on at idle suggests low oil pressure or level and possibly resulting in internal engine damage.

The problem is once the light comes on it's normally to late.

For me, that's their issue rather than mine, the garage were informed of it straight away but told me that it was fine to carry on driving. They've got the car and they can get it right, no matter what that takes!

Many thanks all

fivetide

Do you know where the car came from?

Perhaps they got it from an auction without the V5 being present hence the delay? Did you see an old V5 at all?

Re the insurance, that does sound strange. You'd expect their car to be covered for any driver when it actually sounds like they are relying on the driving other cars extension of your policy. Doesn't seem right to me.

5t.

System

fivetide wrote: »

Do you know where the car came from?

Perhaps they got it from an auction without the V5 being present hence the delay? Did you see an old V5 at all?

Re the insurance, that does sound strange. You'd expect their car to be covered for any driver when it actually sounds like they are relying on the driving other cars extension of your policy. Doesn't seem right to me.

5t.

Hi there

It was a part-ex they took in from someone who bought a people carrier from them. The garage said they could go and get the V5 as he does have it but the person has gone on Holiday which is fair enough, hence the decision to send off for one.

Regarding the insurance thing, 99.9% of traders policies don't allow anybody under 21 to drive, sadly being a young driver makes life difficult (and expensive).

Many thanks

fivetide

That's a long holiday and a bit of a failing on behalf of the garage really. they should have got it at change over.

You are lucky in that your policy does allow you to drive other cars 3rd party. A lot of them have removed the privilage for younger drivers. The £36 for the temporary cover isn't a disaster as the price of this has rocketed since the continous insurance came in (I found it was cheaper to start a new policy and cancel it than buy temporary insurance on a car I was selling, that's how bad it is) but you are out of pocket for no fault of your own so I'd hope you have a good claim. Not entirely sure what legislation might enforce it though.

5t.

psychic_teabag

lukechris wrote: »

The garage tried telling me that I am covered on their policy "as long as I (myself) have fully comp insurance. I informed him that I do have fully comp insurance but that it clearly states I can only drive a car lent to me by a garage for 7 days.

But wouldn't that be 7 days cover that your own policy provided for the garage's car ? The garage policy wouldn't be conditional on you driving their car on your policy, merely that you have full cover on your own car.

If your policy was comprehensive for your own car, but didn't cover driving any other car at all, then the garage's requirement would still be satisfied. I can't see how your policy having additional flexibility would reduce the cover of the garage's policy. (But it could also mean that there are two separate policies in force for the first 7 days, which might cause confusion over which policy would pay out over a claim.)

wba31

psychic_teabag wrote: »

But wouldn't that be 7 days cover that your own policy provided for the garage's car ? The garage policy wouldn't be conditional on you driving their car on your policy, merely that you have full cover on your own car.

If your policy was comprehensive for your own car, but didn't cover driving any other car at all, then the garage's requirement would still be satisfied. I can't see how your policy having additional flexibility would reduce the cover of the garage's policy. (But it could also mean that there are two separate policies in force for the first 7 days, which might cause confusion over which policy would pay out over a claim.)

I second this. A garage may give you a loan car, but they dont have open insurance for people to drive the loan car, so need you to have the cover on your own policy, which is 7 days.

In this case the garage has it's own insurance, their only requirement is that you are fully comp on your own policy to cover you on theirs, so the time frame you are covered for is irrelevant, if you had an accident, you'd go through the garage's insurance, not your own.