Problems with brand new Vauxhall Corsa

glauber_berti

I think we've gone off the point a little bit here but I'll try and answer everybody's questions:

I didn't lease the car directly from a Vauxhall dealer. I leased it from a private company. As part of this lease, I got a new Vauxhall Corsa with a mileage limit of 10,000 miles per year. I never expressed any preference for a Diesel car and remember specifically saying that it wasn't a deal breaker that it was diesel.

However, I figured it would come in handy as I have some big trips coming up over the summer so should save me a bit of cash on fuel. As I also mentioned, it was also the cheapest of all the 5 door cars I had seen by some way.

It is worth saying that I did research the cars in a reasonable amount of detail and didn't see a single thing about DPF including on Vauxhall's own site.

Nobody mentioned DPF at any point. The first I heard of it was when it got delivered and was mentioned in the reading material that came with the car. It basically said 'read the manual' which consists of a couple of paragraphs about what to do if the light comes on, all of which I followed to the letter.

Anyway...

The dealership where my car was taken to by the AA wasn't the place that I leased it from. It was the closest Vauxhall workshop to where I broke down in Stretford near Manchester. Vauxhall has the lifetime warranty which I'm entitled to (and I checked both on the phone at the breakdown and when I handed my keys in).

It was only after they had my car for 3 days that they said that it was a DPF related issue so I would have to pay for repairs.

I had to pay yesterday so I could pick up the car. I'm in London on business the rest of this week and then need the car so I can get to my own wedding next week (which I mentioned in the first post).

The dealership basically said it's not their problem. They just get told by Vauxhall that DPF issues aren't covered under warranty. As a result, I'm now trying to claim the costs from Vauxhall's own customer service team. I got in touch yesterday and they said they will get back to me today.

Finally, with regards to what it says in the manual, the answer is not a lot! If light comes on drive it for 15 mins over 2000 revs is pretty much all it says. One of the staff at Vauxhall said that this has to be done every week as a matter of course which I find really hard to believe is a) true and b) a reasonable expectation on any driver to ensure that a car can function properly!

glauber_berti

Sorry IanM, think I wrote my post at the same time as yours so a couple of bits might not make sense.

AdrianC

glauber_berti wrote: »

I didn't lease the car directly from a Vauxhall dealer. I leased it from a private company.

Did you view, test-drive, discuss your choice with a Vauxhall dealer at any stage before purchase, or only deal with the lease company?

I never expressed any preference for a Diesel car and remember specifically saying that it wasn't a deal breaker that it was diesel.

As I also mentioned, it was also the cheapest of all the 5 door cars I had seen by some way.

Lease costs for diesels will be lower than for petrols, partly because of the cost of the VED (if it's included), partly because of better residual values - so if you were choosing based on lease price alone, you were choosing a diesel.

It is worth saying that I did research the cars in a reasonable amount of detail and didn't see a single thing about DPF

That really does surprise me. But, since I don't for a minute believe this really IS a driving style issue, it's irrelevant.

The dealership basically said it's not their problem. They just get told by Vauxhall that DPF issues aren't covered under warranty.

And, where the issue is a clogged DPF due to excessive short journeys, that's absolutely correct and fair. But that isn't your issue. Your issue is clearly down to a manufacturing issue, which certainly should be covered. Nor would a clogged DPF cause a hose to burst (by "hose", I presume by the sound effect that it's part of the boost-pressure intake plumbing, between turbo/intercooler/intake).

glauber_berti

Hi Adrian,

1) Only discussed with the leasing company and I didn't test drive the car as we already have another Corsa (admittedly, a petrol) which has always been excellent.

2) I genuinely, hand on heart, did not see any mention of DPF. It wasn't mentioned in any of the reviews, on the lease site or Vauxhall's own site. As I've read probably 100 sites over the past 2 days on DPFs and their issues, this seems hard to believe now but it is absolutely true.

3) It was the sensor pipe that burst. I didn't find this out until I read through the documents when I picked the car up yesterday. It was just described as "a hose" on the phone.

AdrianC

glauber_berti wrote: »

1) Only discussed with the leasing company and I didn't test drive the car as we already have another Corsa (admittedly, a petrol) which has always been excellent.

So Vauxhall's dealer chain are certainly off the hook as regards any accusations of mis-selling.

IamNotAllowedToUseMyName

AdrianC wrote: »

So Vauxhall's dealer chain are certainly off the hook as regards any accusations of mis-selling.

but Vauxhall, the repairing dealer and the lease company are not with regards to the failure to honour the warranty.

AdrianC

IanMSpencer wrote: »

but Vauxhall, the repairing dealer and the lease company are not with regards to the failure to honour the warranty.

Vauxhall and the dealer, absolutely.
I don't see how the lease company are a party to the manufacturer's new car warranty, though.

glauber_berti

I don't either. The only way the lease company is at fault is if Vauxhall come back and say "This car is completely unsuitable for the type of driving that you do" which means I could argue it was missold.

However, as others have said, it would be completely mental if that car isn't suitable for the type of driving I'm doing. Nobody's buying a Corsa to drive 300+ miles per week.

jcb208

How the hell can a faulty sensor/hose be caused by a blocked DPF,this is a 100% fault that should be paid by Vauxhall.I would keep at them until you get refunded.I had an astra with DPF for 2 years and never done really long trips but this never caused me problemsat all,just now and again it would do a regen


put a message on there facebook page and some one from customer services should take it up for you https://www.facebook.com/vauxhall

IamNotAllowedToUseMyName

AdrianC wrote: »

Vauxhall and the dealer, absolutely.
I don't see how the lease company are a party to the manufacturer's new car warranty, though.

Lease company are the seller so the buck stops with them if their supplier doesn't honour what was sold. Clearly the warranty is a significant part of the contract.