Vauxhall Corsa & Bristol St Motors

johnsons_baby

Evening everyone,
Hope you are all well.

I bought a Vauxhall Corsa 1.3 CDTi Ecoflex in July 2012, it had 36k on the clock when I purchased it from Bristol St Motors. I paid on a Lloyds TSB credit card for the full purchase amount. I was given a 3 year warranty as part of the sales package (in actual fact it's probably not a freebie, more hidden in the price of the car). It was 42k on the clock now.

The car was from stock and had to be brought from one site to the site I bought it from. I was told the car would have a 140 point check before being handed over to me. The car arrived 2 days later, I test drove it, all seemed fine. I heard a rattle and the sales exec said they would get into the workshop. The mechanic came back and said it was the jack in the boot as this model had a spare wheel, not to worry, it would be fine, there was nothing untoward going on. Reassured, I eventually paid the full £6500.

The rattle continued and I took it back in August for them to check it. The said it was just the spare wheel jack, even though I said I was convinced it was coming from the front of the car. They said no issue & I believed them.

In September, the car had a warning light come on 'InSP4' water in the diesel filter. I booked it in and asked they look at the rattle again. They could not find a fault with the InSP4 code at all nor any evidence of a rattle.

Then the car started developing intermittent faults including:
InSP4
DPF light coming on and off when driving
Emissions light coming on when driving/ Service light (car with spanner through coming on at same time
Losing power in traffic (genenrally above 2500 rpm)
Bad fuel consumption
Car feeling like the clutch was engaged all the time (free-wheeling my driving instructor called it)
Smokey start up
Smell of diesel in the car
4 new tyres needed even though according to BSM service sheet said 4 new tyres when received as a fleet part ex (car was owned by BT before- serviced in house bang on time every year) when I had done 3k
Not starting
Radio dying, then coming back on a few days later
The rattle which was there from the start
Poor tracking, wheels forward, steering wheel on angle.

The car went to BSM every month between late August and now, sometimes it was in 3 or 4 times a month. Both I and they are getting fed up of it.

I have paid for tracking and 'laser wheel alignment' in February.

BSM say their mechanics cannot find nor replicate the fault.

However, they have just found and repaired faulty drop links to both sides, which has cured the but I am told now I need 4 more new tyres as all are at 1.7mm. They have said as a 'goodwill' gesture they will re-do tyres at cost price. Unfortunately, the drive of the car has really changed and it is awful!

The service manager, who I have quite a good relationship with, has said the following:
*They did not check the vehicle before delivery
*They are unsure if the previous site did either
*They are responsible for the drop links issue, they believe they were broken from point of purchase
*They are aware of defects on Corsa's with InSP4- told there is no fix for this issue.

They initially suggested the following to remedy:
*Send the car away for 4 weeks to the dealer it came from for diagnostics/fix
*Part ex the car at a value of £3900

I initially agreed to have the car sent away, then they rescinded on that within an hour of suggesting it.

They then sent me to the used car area and gave me the part ex value and told me to look at other cars, I did have a look but couldn't afford anything they had, which they weren't happy about but I am not in a position to take on finance at the moment (which they wanted) I've paid off my credit card in full now and I don't particularly want to debt myself up to the hilt again as I want to try to save for a deposit on a house.

They left it by saying that they were aware of issues on the car's model (not my car specifically). They told me to drive it back if the faults recurred within a week, they specifically asked me to give them a weeks grace to talk to 'managers'. However, whilst on the forecourt, the car wouldn't start but by the time the manager came over, it had started! This evening the car won't start again, the AA have been out, it didn't start initially with them but then it did but no fault codes are being stored and the patrol man said 'I've seen this on these models before but I've not discovered the fault, I don't know where you go from here, sorry'.

So, plan of action tomorrow, ring BSM again. Have e-mailed and been on twitter to them. Have put the above in a more concise e-mail.

After that, where do I go? I don't feel safe nor confident in the car, it still loses power intermittently when driving, sometimes it won't start, leaving me at it's mercy or having to get the AA out (they have been out 6 times- can't find the fault, even though they see it happening.

BSM want me to buy a new car, that much is clear, I don't really have the funds to do that. They say I have had 6k out of the car! I say they've admitted they sold it with a defect and we keep going round in circles.

I need to go away with work on a regular basis with my job throughout April & May, so I want to get this sorted out. How do I start?

Any advice on legislation or points to help me get it sorted. I don't mind them taking my car in for repair, it's been in 14 times so far with no result. I don't mind them taking it to another dealer, I don't mind them keeping it until it's repaired, I don't mind them offering to swap the car. I'm open and flexible but I need to get somewhere with them as I'm rapidly losing flexi time taking the car in all the time!

ANY help or advice appreciated please!

Apples2

Why on earth did you buy a diesel if you drive so few miles?

No matter what they do to this car, it will always be a problem for you, you will be throwing money at it until the day you sell it.

Got shot of it and buy a petrol car.

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

Being conservative, the car has down about 12 miles a day since you bought it, that would assume a 6 mile journey. My deisel Ford Focus will take about 10 miles each trip to warm up.

I am sfraid, deisels run more effeciently when warm, wuthil they are warm, they are about as much use as a lead weight.

As for doing only 6,000, and it ios possible only 6 miles to work, a cycle or bus pass would be considerably cheaper.

JJ_Egan

Rattle remove spare and jack would be an easy way to test.

Smoky start-up etc sounds like the diesel filter is dirty from low usage .


I would be talking to Trading Standards reference the multiple faults .

Re warm up my Citroen CS3 takes about 3 miles to warm up . But diesel warm up is very variable on different engines .

johnsons_baby

I used to drive a lot for work (Bristol-Flint) twice a week. That's stopped temporarily for 'commercial reasons' in work but anticipate that I will be doing that trip 2-3 times a week from May.
Would go for a petrol but would ideally like to hang on to a diesel because of doing these amounts of miles for work