Any recourse?

WolfSong2000

I got a 2001 Polo (automatic) from a local garage just over a year ago...lovely little car, but it had a few niggles at first including two fault lights that kept coming up on the dashboard. Over the next few months I sent the car back to the garage at least 5 times about these faults, and each time I was told it had been "fixed". Except the lights kept coming back...car also had a nasty (though thankfully rare) habit of having the engine cut out without warning.

Eventually the guy where I bought the car from told me that it was simply an electrical fault that was causing the warning lights to come up and that nothing was wrong.

Earlier this year car had its MOT...took it to a different garage and a few things needed sorting (e.g. horn wasn't working), though from memory no mention was made of the lights.

Last week I sent car back to the garage where it got its MOT as it wasn't changing gear reliably and the engine was cutting out more and more and it was becoming dangerous. Got car back today and told that there were two issues, both pertaining to the warning lights that kept coming on. Car has been fixed (at a cost of £400) but I was wondering whether I had any recourse against the garage where I bought the car, or for the second garage for not picking issue up when doing MOT?

arcon5

An MOT is a snap shot safety check, that's all. There are so many issues relating to so many components it wouldn't pick up on.

As for the garage, well you've bought a banger, a 12 year old car with god knows how many miles so you should expect some issues, possibly even some major issues, as a result of wear and tear over the years.

colino

You don't have any case against initial trader or MOT station for that matter unless you actually spell out what the fault was that was fixed. Bear in mind a lot of faults (though VAG, unlike say Vauxhall, tend to wait until something really is damaged before throwing up a warning light) it could have been a wiring or sensor fault that has been inexpensively repaired for a mere £400.

Exemplar

Dear Nike, I bought a pair of trainers from you a year ago. When purchased the laces were faulty and I went back to the shoe shop several times where they replaced said laces.

Now, after a year, I am shocked that the soles are wearing through.

Who do I sue?

WolfSong2000

Thanks for the advice guys...the faults which I have just had fixed pertain directly to the warning lights which have been coming up persistantly for over a year. Also, the car itself is quite old, but it had been fairly well looked after and had around 30k miles on the clock, so barely used.

The initial explanation was that it was faulty wiring causing the warning lights to keep coming up, but it transpires that this is not the case - the original garage just never fixed the actual issue!

I will take a look at the invoice I've gotten to see if that explains what the faults were.

Many thanks for your advice

arcon5

Low mileage on an old car isn't necessarily a good thing - i'd worry about its service history, severe wear from short journeys and of course the possibility of components starting to seize or rust.

Got to ask though, have you checked the MOT history to verify the mileage?

WolfSong2000

arcon5 wrote: »

Low mileage on an old car isn't necessarily a good thing - i'd worry about its service history, severe wear from short journeys and of course the possibility of components starting to seize or rust.

Got to ask though, have you checked the MOT history to verify the mileage?

It's been a while since I checked but from memory service history, etc, was in order...the garage the car was bought from "claimed" that it had belonged to an old gentlman and was being sold by his son, but I don't trust the owner of the garage at all. As I said, car has had minor niggles since I bought it...some fan or something was blocked, causing car to overheat (?) a few weeks after I bought it...then the issues with the warning lights. Last MOT a few months back found the horn wasn't working, a long with a few other bits and the brake lights have had to be replaced. Tires are also needing replacing...well, one is. 3 tyres were new when bought, the other one practically worn out - seems that's the spare tire as car currently has no spare tire!

And last but not least the braking capabilities of the car are shocking - I got them double checked as I was worried it was dangerous, but apparently they're okay.

Generally, though, car seems to be okay (she says). No rust that I can see/that MOT brought up...as for wear...well, since car came back from garage today the steering seems to be "tighter" and the brakes are more responsive (not sure if all that is in my imagination, though) so I am guessing the mechanic gave it a proper looking over...at least I hope he did. He did tell me he could understand why I was reticent to drive the car as the engine cut out on him, too. Hopefully all fixed now, though. I am more annoyed by the fact he was fixing faults which have been around for 18 months and I was fobbed off being told it was an "electrical fault".

Strider590

arcon5 wrote: »

An MOT is a snap shot safety check, that's all. .

That's just not true........ I took my car in for MOT, I told them it was struggling to reach 88mph, they phoned me later that day and said the flux capacitor was worn out, I got them to fit a new one and who woulda thunk it, everything was fine again!!!!!

I even went back to thank them for the fine job they did, but they looked at me a bit weird and claimed never to have seen me before



:rotfl:

scotsbob

Strider590 wrote: »

That's just not true........ I took my car in for MOT, I told them it was struggling to reach 88mph, they phoned me later that day and said the flux capacitor was worn out, I got them to fit a new one

Sorry but it is true. Testing electrical connections is not part of the MOT.

In addition to doing the MOT the garage also looked for the fault you described and fixed it.

Strider590

scotsbob wrote: »

Sorry but it is true. Testing electrical connections is not part of the MOT.

In addition to doing the MOT the garage also looked for the fault you described and fixed it.

arcon5

Op - have you actually checked the MOT history though, not just the service history.
It's free & instant, see here:
http://motinfo.direct.gov.uk/internet/jsp/ECHID-Internet-History-Request.jsp

As for your problems, most of what you have said can pretty much be apportioned to wear and tear imo. Not what you wanted to hear but it comes with the territory of buying an old used car - I know it sucks.