serious issues with large dealer help

davito1

I will try to keep this short and sweet, I am a taxi driver and as of late have been having major issues with a local garage and also the dealer I bought my car cash from.

I have had many issues with my car that I bought from a very large dealer about a year and a half ago, anyhow many issues and I mean many 21 faults at least some major have finally been done but does that excuse the amount and the hasle.
In the last 3 months I had a major issue again with the car, I needed a clutch and flywheel but the dealer said 4 weeks and I really needed the car to work so off I went to an indy, indy did the job but there was issues, I asked for some assistance but none was given and now face taking them to small claims as I have lost nearly 3k.
I then took my car to the main dealer no option so sat it out for them to look at, the car went in and I asked them to check everything and get back to me with their findings, I mention one major issue but they said all was ok, but was not so I booked in again same issue again it went in all ok as they said but it was not, the car was shaking and rattling, again they said don't worry, 2 days later the car broke down and would not start and is now making a very bad noise, I am extremely worried as the car is my living, I called them telling them what had happened and they were going to leave me waiting another 2 weeks, but I was really persistant and managed to get it in today, I dropped the car off at the dealer, but they have not even looked at it and is still parked where I left it, they said it was an extra???.

So my question is if a main dealer or any garage have a car in for diagnosis, and they basically fob you off saying it is ok only for it to break down due to the symptom that has now become a serious issue are they to blame, I had asked time and time again for them to diagnose but they said no issue, and now looks like the engine may very well be totally broken, they are also dragging their heels and have told lies, saying the car wa not in and that I never mentioned it, pity for them I have access to the job cards. Can someone please offer some advice I am worried sick and may well be out of a job because of this, it was preventable all the signs were there. The workshop manager and service manager both said they were happy with it and was ok to drive.

keith1950

Is this car still under warranty? If it is and the current issues are related to the clutch/flywheel replacement by the indie you cannot now expect the dealer to sort this free of charge, it should be sorted by the indie.

As far as getting a diagnosis , have you demonstrated the fault/faults to them. If the computer doesn't show any fault codes and a road test does not show any unusual behaviour then there is little they can do until the fault becomes more permanent.

You cannot expect to take a car in and get it looked at straight away. An 'extra' means it will get looked at the same day only if they get through all the other work already booked in and quite often will be the next day.

They are not magicians and don't have a magic wand , they cannot repair it if they cannot get the fault to happen.

davito1

thank you for your reply, no it is no longer under warranty.

But I have to say that I am not blaming my dealer for the damage. The first garage may be at fault but time will tell.

What I was saying was that the main dealer has had the car in on 2 occasions and failed to provide a proper diagnosis, way to many garages rely on diagnostics and failing to find a fault just because a machine has not found one is a little lame, further investigation should be done on any car with a fault.

The fault with the car that I had put it in for was a symptom, any mech would have known this, but instead I was told to go on my way and now looks like further damage has been caused.

I agree they are not magicians, but the car had just been in 2 days before, personally I feel this should have been looked at asap, but of course they are more interested in servicing and the likes, poor customer service has been the order of the day from day one of owning this car something echoed by many regarding this dealer. But I do feel if a customers car had just been in and is now undrivable then every effort should be made to help.

Further investigation should have been done and not just an answer that was bordering nonsense.

Of course if the fault is found to be the other garages fault then fine, but I asked the dealer to check everything and they said they were happy, a car does not just develop a major fault within this short period and is not related to the symptom I had brought in in for.

davito1

they did replicate the fault but passed it off, as far as I know no road test was done and is the norm on any repair for this garage. I had told them the fault time and time again, I mean if saying that a car is shaking/rattling on start up is not a big enough clue then I do not know what is, sometimes faults do not show up on diagnostics.

The original garage was used as my dealer said 4 weeks for repair, and to be honest have not got the best track record to start.

The other garage caused lots of faults/problems and was unwilling to repair hence small claims, issues were pipework refitted incorrectly, broken airbox, steering out of whack, driveshafts not replaced properly, lots of items broken the list goes on and on, a bad experience, they even said that the mech who did the work was self employed and any issue would have to be taken up with him lol, erm contract was with the company not an employee, of course this was a lie. So now I am facing small claims 3k maybe more now worth of damage. I then took the car to thee best place or so I thought only to find they cant diagnose faults. At no time have I wanted free service or looking to blame them in order to save paying. The dealer has lied many times even saying I was not in on the Tuesday something I find very odd, they really are probably one of the worst something many others say too.

harveybobbles

davito1 wrote: »

The other garage caused lots of faults/problems and was unwilling to repair hence small claims, issues were pipework refitted incorrectly, broken airbox, steering out of whack, driveshafts not replaced properly, lots of items broken the list goes on and on.

So it wasn't the garage you bought the car from that did this?

i'm guessing that as a taxi driver both garages are unwilling to assist you.

We don't sell extended warranties to any car we sell to a taxi driver.

arcon5

What's the cars age and mileague?
What car is it?
What actually is the problem?

harveybobbles

arcon5 wrote: »

What actually is the problem?

Good question, really! lol

davito1

my car was playing up right after it was repaired , only a short time ago.

The fault was on starting up every now and then the car would shake badly, pointing to the clutch or flywheel, something I had just had done, but I also had the timing belt and water pump done too as a precaution.

I took it into the dealer to diagnose, but they said glowplug, no possible as it was doing it on warm start ups too.

Went in again same thing, then 2 days later the car would not start and when it finally did the car sounded 10x louder than a diesel engine should, no lack of power etc.

The other garage are not willing to help, but that is because they know they have caused major issues, they broke so much when doing the job, not because I am a taxi driver, warranty should still apply the faults were right after they did the work, some dangerous. I asked for help with this but wouldn't even look at it, so now small claims.

davito1

The car is the dreaded Vauxhall Insignia sri diesel, many people are have major issues with them, am a member on another forum all are having the same issues not this issue but all are having common issues, don't buy one egr housing leaks coolant, clutch/flywheel issues as low as 11k lots of other issues with these cars shocking really, a bad car.

mileage is now just on 90k, car is very well looked after

forgotmyname

Before going to the small claims your going to need to give them a lot more information than you gave here.

Still no mention of what (edit) or the age and price paid.

Independant garage fixed the clutch and caused issues. Can you prove it?

edit...

A clutch is one of those things. How long had you owned the car before the clutch went?

spacey2012

The Clutch and Flywheel on these set needs to have matched machined balanced bolts.
The kit is imported from Germany and takes two weeks to arrive.
The parts can be bought from independent dealers with generic bolts.
Some garages think a bolt is a bolt and put the old ones back in throwing the flywheel out of balance and it rattles itself a gap again within a few thousand at tops, in some cases a few hundred.
Even the genuine kits have to have the bolts placed in the required holes they are assembled in and some garages can not even get this right and take them all out and put them back randomly.
They are like a balanced wheel with the bolts acting as balancing weights.
The main dealer drops the lot from the sub frame and fits the kit in one go without stripping it down.
A indy garage will not have the jig for the ramp to lower the subframe, engine and box, so they will just buy the parts and split the box and shoe horn the flywheel and clutch in assembling it as they go by splitting the kit.
If they buy generic parts, they will just bolt them in hoping for the best.
Some get lucky bodging it , most don't.

However to be honest, you should have bought a Skoda for using as a taxi.
They are somewhat dull boring basic but well made cars that just do a job day in and day out, they are the new Nissan bluebird of the taxi trade.

PS : The 4 week delay would be the wait for the jig in the bay, it is a two day job