New Car Issues - Where do I stand?

weejangus

Hi All,

Long time guest on this forum but joined today in the hope that someone out there can help confirm my position.

On the 22nd January, I picked up a 3 year old BMW 5 series from a well known Used Car Establishment... lets call them Arnie Clerk. The car came with a full 12 months MOT in which the 2 rear tyres were replaced (this is important). After leaving the premises, I joined the motorway approx 0.3 miles from AC and got up to cruising speed of 70mph. I noticed that there was a vibration through the cabin of the car, almost as if the wheels weren't balanced. This made sense as the car had 2 new tyres and I figured they just hadn't balanced them correctly.

I called the dealer the following day and expressed my concerns. I was assured it was likely a balancing issue and they (or any other AC branch) would sort it for free. I took it to AC BMW near my work on the 28th January. Upon collecting the car, they advised that the rear wheels were damaged and needed to be replaced. AC declined the request as "the wheels are not a safety issue"!! I know, unreal!

I called the dealer that supplied the car and told them what was going on. They asked me to bring the car back and they will check it themselves (the sales manager told me he didn't believe BMW and thought they were at it). The car was booked in for the 9th February and has been there ever since.

I was called on the 13th February and told that the rear wheels were cracked. I went to the dealer the following day (14th) and the sales manager showed me the damage to both rear wheels. Both had a large crack on them. Now, he also looks at the tyre and says "You see where the tyres badly damaged here too? Well, we put 2 new rear tyres on this car before you picked it up so the damage MUST have been caused by you". I then pointed out that yes, that would make sense, however there is NO visible damage on the tyre whatsoever. He calls over a technician who inspects both tyres before stating "These tyres are fine, no damage anywhere". So the sales manager backs down and offers me a set of alloys from another 5 series in stock. I declined this as the other alloys were 17 inch and my alloys are 18 inch (they look miles better!).

Now, I'm not an unresonable person and I agreed with the sales manager that I would be happy if they could repair my alloys (i'm not expecting brand new as the car is 3 years old).

I received a call today from the service dept stating that the wheels are not repairable and the sales manager has authorised a brand new set of wheels however they would not be BMW wheels. I declined this offer as (in my opinion) it would detract from the overall look of the car and also de-value it.

So, apologies for the essay above, but can someone out there confirm where I stand with this? I've had the car less than 1 month, AC have confirmed that the damage was there at the point of sale, and the car is covered by a 2 month warranty on all mechanical parts etc.

Can I realistically demand that the 18 inch alloys are replaced like for like? Or can I refuse the car based on it being "not fit for purpose" (or "not as described" if the alloys are replaced with aftermarket parts)?

Thanks in advance.

Jay

DUTR

I'm sure the wheels on the car are not unique, why can they not source two replacements ?

colino

Did you do any homework before buying a 5 series or AC?
If you are getting grief now on expensive and blatantly obvious faults(never mind it's a well known alloy cracking problem on BMW alloys 17 inch and over) what warranty work in the future will be to your satisfaction?
Speak to the dealer principal and get replacement (not new, they costs hundreds) alloys or reject the car.
Incidentally Harry Fairbairn, that once gentleman dealership of BMWs is now just part of the AC empire.

weejangus

Thanks for the replies chaps.

No the wheels are not unique however they are harder to come by than the standard 17" wheels. I've had a look at similar stock on AC's website and only one of these cars has the same 18" alloys as mine. To be honest, I don't think the dealer has actually tried to source replacements. He didn't even notice that mine were 18" and the other car had 17".

I did tons of research before buying the 5 series. One or two minor things to look out for but mainly advised to check the service history is complete. My car has twice the service history I would have expected so it seems to have been very well maintained. I've purchased from AC before and, being honest, I've never had a problem with them.

Just wanted to make sure I still have the right to reject the car if it comes to that. I would rather have my one back fully sorted but will have to wait and see if that's an option.

If I reject, I don't know what will happen regarding my trade in car. I was given £1200 for it but realistically it was worth £2000+ looking at similar cars on Autotrader. I wouldn't want to accept a £1200 cash refund as I cant get the same car again for that price.

weejangus

Looks like we're onto a winner!

Called AC based on reply's here. Advised that I would reject the car if the two damaged alloys are not replaced like for like.

Just had a call back to say they will be putting 2 brand new BMW alloys on the car and it will be ready for collection on Monday.

Great result, thanks for the help!