new car woes

JIreland

We bought a new car (64 plate) back September and since then it's been back 4 times for faults with the sat nav, rear parking sensors and clutch albeit the clutch has only let go once, it shouldn't have let go at all on a brand new car.

We often do 800+ miles in one day and so a sat nav that works is essential. The vehicle being a a huge 4x4 pick up, reversing sensors are also essential due to its size.

It's about to go back in for the fifth time for the sat nav and rear sensor faults tomorrow but the dealer has no idea what else to try. It's had three new systems put into it and none work properly.
Also last week the alarm started playing up.
we paid extra to get the top of the range model because it had the all singing, all dancing sat nav and rear sensors, Unfortunately we've also put 12000 miles on it since September.

When can we formally reject the car for being unfit for purpose please, the faults and problems we have had with the car are all documented and acknowledged by the dealer.

forgotmyname

Parking sensors should not be relied upon 100%. They are just an aid.

Whats the issue with the satnav?

I doubt you will be able to reject it having done 12,000 miles and it seems the only issues are to me fairly minor electrical ones.

I know you paid extra for them and they should work. But you need to give them a chance to rectify them properly.

New cars have niggles and i assume you have one of the pickups that bypass a lot of testing anyway.

Are you a consumer or a business buyer though?

JIreland

Hi,
The satnav simply doesn't work, it is usually about a mile away from where you actually are. It doesn't seem to be able to talk reliably to the satelllites.
The rear parking sensors scream when there's nothing behind you, don't scream when there is something behind you and scream constantly in the rain regardless what is or isn't about.

The problems were flagged up within 600 miles of the problems becoming apparent. The clutch let go at 2500 miles. The dealer has had the car back four times now, how many more times does the have to have it back to fix it? it's a 70 mile round trip and surely having had it back four times, it should all be workig correctly by now.

It's an isuzu d max and although it was bought by a business, it's my business.

almillar

I wonder how bus and lorry drivers are able to reverse without 'essential' parking sensors. Wise to have them, the bigger and worse visibility your car has, but they shouldn't be essential.
Anyway under SOGA (assuming you're not a business customer) you should be giving the retailer 3 opportunities to repair a fault.
You've certainly had 'use' of the vehicle as a whole even if you haven't had all the toys all the time.
You can lose the clutch because I assume that it happened once and was repaired (quickly) to your satisfaction.
That leaves you with 2 pieces of minor (they may be major to you, but think of their cost in the context of the car's price) that they can't fix. I'm not sure you'd want to reject the entire vehicle, but you'd hope that the retailer would have the manufacturer involved by this point to find the problem.
What's the car in case anyone knows of common faults/fixes?

almillar

The satnav simply doesn't work, it is usually about a mile away from where you actually are. It doesn't seem to be able to talk reliably to the satelllites.

It doesn't talk to satellites, it just listens. The more satellites it can see, the more accurate your position is. In poor weather, for example, it may be less accurate. It shouldn't be showing you a mile away from your real location though, is that the case?

(The rear parking sensors) scream constantly in the rain regardless what is or isn't about

This is a problem with rear sensors - some don't work well in the rain. You'll have to life with that aspect. You can get a Nissan Juke with a rear camera, and they're easy to fit with an aftermarket stereo, maybe this would be a better solution.

it's a 70 mile round trip

This causes you hassle, but is not the garage's concern, you chose to buy from there.
So this was a business transaction, no VAT paid? If so I don't think SOGA applies, it covers consumers, but you've still got a contract which is not being fulfilled completely on their side. You'd be looking some money back. I'd ask about getting a rear camera fitted (free of charge!) to fix problem 1, and use my smartphone for problem 2!

DoaM

I think SOGA still applies. The difference is that B2B contracts can legally exclude certain standard SOGA protections, whereas for consumer contracts they can't. (Businesses are assumed to be performing due diligence over their contract agreements).

Herzlos

almillar wrote: »

This is a problem with rear sensors - some don't work well in the rain. You'll have to life with that aspect. You can get a Nissan Juke with a rear camera, and they're easy to fit with an aftermarket stereo, maybe this would be a better solution.

That's the first time I've ever heard of that, and I'm on my 4th vehicle with rear sensors. I doubt they could be so sensitive as to detect the rain droplets. It sounds more like the water is messing up a connection. They should be usable most of the time even if they are just a back-up.

burlington6

In response to the b2b side of thing, aren't all pick ups classed as commercial vehicles? I know every one I've had has been. Handy when you can put them through the books

JIreland

almillar wrote: »

I wonder how bus and lorry drivers are able to reverse without 'essential' parking sensors. Wise to have them, the bigger and worse visibility your car has, but they shouldn't be essential.

because they don't have to reverse into and out of some of the gaps and between some of the trees that I have to.

almillar wrote: »

Anyway under SOGA (assuming you're not a business customer) you should be giving the retailer 3 opportunities to repair a fault.

so given that he's had it back 4 times and it's going back in again tomorrow for a 5th time, I assume I've achieved this element.
You've certainly had 'use' of the vehicle as a whole even if you haven't had all the toys all the time.

almillar wrote: »

You can lose the clutch because I assume that it happened once and was repaired (quickly) to your satisfaction.

nope, this issue has not been adressed by isuzu

almillar wrote: »

That leaves you with 2 pieces of minor (they may be major to you, but think of their cost in the context of the car's price)

15% was the cost of the added extras that don't work. IT's also costing me more because I'm needing to take an additional member of staff with me to act as a spotter out with me on site to see me back into and through spaces that I should be able to do if the damn sensors worked. Which, when the site is in Banff in Scotland & I've driven up from S.Wales gets vey expensive.

almillar wrote: »

What's the car in case anyone knows of common faults/fixes?

it's an isuzu d max. the reverse sensors and clutch are a common fault online in isuzu forums, the dealer afmits that the reverse sensors are rubbish. if you speak to isuzu, they've never heard of the faults. My honda CRV never had an issue with its reversing sensors in any of its 189000 miles, regardless of weather, neither did my 520 bmw

almillar

nope, this issue has not been adressed by isuzu

(Clutch) - I thought they had replaced it, and it's now fine, is that not the case?
Again, if reversing in tight spots is so important, you've actually done quite well to find a large vehicle that DOESN'T have a camera!
Does the garage have another vehicle that you would want instead of them losing the sale completely?

JIreland

Thought I'd update everybody, the finance company got involved; their representative visited yesterday and he drove the vehicle and determined that there's a huge electrical problem with the car and as it stands it is not fit for purpose. The car is either going back and we're getting a new one in May or we're getting a full refund.