Bought a used car from a garage and the cambelt has snapped.

rankin108

Hi,

I wonder if anyone can help. I bought an 03 reg Peugeot 307 from a garage a couple of weeks ago, it came with a 3 month warranty. The cambelt has snapped. I am asking for my money back but the garage wants to look at the car with a view to repairing it. The cambelt had been done previously (according to the service book) and was not yet due another one. I appreciate the garage could not have foreseen this happening but surely I have some comeback being I have only had the car a very short time. What are my rights?
Thanks

GlynD

I'm no expert but speaking practically; if the garage is prepared to repair the car then that should be the end of it in my opinion. It might be worth a call to Trading Standards to see how the land lies, unless one of our more informed posters comes along.

fortgrange

I'm no expert but I think the garage is quite within it's rights to fix it before you get your money back.

What damage has it done? If it's bent some valves and needs major work expect them to throw every excuse in the book at you as any profit margin they may have made will soon be eroded.

But if they don't sort it the law is on your side, but as we all know the law can be an !!!!! Good luck.

rankin108

Thanks, so you think the garage has to repair it? If there has been too much damage to the engine and it is not economical to repair, what happens? In your opinion, is this item covered under the warranty? I have been looking on the CAB website and fear the law is NOT on my side as this was not a fault when I bought the car and to be fair, the garage could not have known this would happen.

GlynD

rankin108 wrote: »

Thanks, so you think the garage has to repair it? If there has been too much damage to the engine and it is not economical to repair, what happens? In your opinion, is this item covered under the warranty? I have been looking on the CAB website and fear the law is NOT on my side as this was not a fault when I bought the car and to be fair, the garage could not have known this would happen.

You were given a three month warranty however and, according to your opening post, the garage has already said they would fix it. So you don't have to worry about anything.

maninthestreet

The cambelt snapping is likely to be considered fair wear and tear, and probably excluded from a warrantly claim.

GlynD

maninthestreet wrote: »

The cambelt snapping is likely to be considered fair wear and tear, and probably excluded from a warrantly claim.

The garage has already said they will fix it FOC.

cb1979

It might pay to contact the local dealer and see what the recommended Cambelt change period for your model is.
Some cars are now changed on mileage and or age. ie 40000 miles or 4 years, so a car that had its belt changed 5 years ago and has only done 25000 miles would need changing on age, or a car thats done 50000 miles in 3 years would also need changing on mileage

In my experence with used car dealers they are reluctant to change cambelts and take a chance it will last more than 3 months

Good Luck

GlynD

cb1979 wrote: »

It might pay to contact the local dealer and see what the recommended Cambelt change period for your model is.
Some cars are now changed on mileage and or age. ie 40000 miles or 4 years, so a car that had its belt changed 5 years ago and has only done 25000 miles would need changing on age, or a car thats done 50000 miles in 3 years would also need changing on mileage

In my experence with used car dealers they are reluctant to change cambelts and take a chance it will last more than 3 months

Good Luck

Hardly relevant when the dealer has already said they will change the cambelt.

fortgrange

maninthestreet wrote: »

The cambelt snapping is likely to be considered fair wear and tear, and probably excluded from a warrantly claim.

I don't think a couple of weeks could be considered 'fair wear and tear' and falls well inside a 3 month guarantee they have to give you.

The car is supposed to leave the garage fit for purpose, it hasn't so the garage needs to sort it.

redux

Not all cambelt breaks are equally disastrous. If there are bent valves or holed pistons it's going to be expensive, but I've read that on some engines just the rocker arm fingers break, which is a simpler job.