Arnold Clark Peugeot 207 SW £20 Faulty Washer Pump leads to £2100 Repair Bill

mrsolrak

Sharing this account to:
(1) see if anyone else has had a similar experience and how you resolved it and;
(2) to alert other Peugeot / Citroën drivers to this issue if you are unaware.

The Problem
The washer pump has leaked water into the supply wiring and has been drawn via the wiring loom by electro-osmosis to the fuse box.

Corrosion now exists in the central maroon coloured module of the fuse box leaving the front sidelights, rear brake lights, speedometer, odometer, power steering, ABS and airbags inoperable, with numerous warning lights on the dashboard - serious safety issues!

Total quote for Arnold Clark to repair this is £2100. They have offered me a 50% reduction as ‘good will gesture’ claiming this is there “best offer” due to me not purchasing an Extended Warrantee. I have contacted Peugeot who - as I type - have failed to respond within the promised 48 hours.

Although the car is a 60 plate, I think it is unreasonable to accept the washer pump seal to failing within 11 months from purchase, when the car was put through several used car pre-sales check, serviced and MOT'd. The car (and its components) must remain of satisfactory quality for a reasonable amount of time, whatever the length of the warranty (sixty days in this case).

A quick Google search shows this is an issue across the Peugeot / Citroën range (shared parts - identical fuse box across many models) with the repair bill ranging from zero to 100% funded by Peugeot / Citroën. These are unlikely to be isolated incidents, but caused by the same inherent design fault.

Have you had a similar issue? How was it resolved? Feel free to comment, repost, link to this article.

motorguy

mrsolrak wrote: »

Although the car is a 60 plate, I think it is unreasonable to accept the washer pump seal to failing within 11 months from purchase, when the car was put through several used car pre-sales check, serviced and MOT'd. The car (and its components) must remain of satisfactory quality for a reasonable amount of time, whatever the length of the warranty (sixty days in this case).

After 6 months the onus is on YOU to prove the fault was there at the time of sale. I think you will have difficulty proving that.

The car is 5 years old. It is NOT unreasonable for a washer pump seal to fail after 5 years.

It is NOT reasonable to expect a seller to inspect every washer for potential future failure.

I think the 50% offer is fair. I'd probably push with Peugeot to see what they will do to increase that.

straighttalker

I doubt you're going to have any joy with Arnold Clark. No PDI, pre purchase check, MOT or major service would really involve checking that a seal in the washer pump has perished or is going to perish.

That fact that it's failed 11 months after you purchase it is neither here nor there. It's failed 5 years after the car was made. Whether that's reasonable or not is up for discussion.

If you want to pursue someone for this, I suggest it's Peugeot not Arnold Clark.

Johno100

A quick google shows it's a known problem and some owners have been successful in getting Peugeot to foot the bill.

The OP may be best to post on a / some dedicated Peugeot forums for the best way forward.

AdrianC

Goodwill from Peugeot is not going to happen without a full dealer service history.

mrsolrak

AdrianC wrote: »

Goodwill from Peugeot is not going to happen without a full dealer service history.

Thanks for your reply. It has main dealer full service history.

straighttalker

AdrianC wrote: »

Goodwill from Peugeot is not going to happen without a full dealer service history.

I've said this in the past too. It's all well and good going to your backstreet garage for servicing and quoting block exemption blah blah blah but once you're out of warranty and need your local dealer to exercise discretion or goodwill, it's always best to have a full main dealer service history.

dannyrst

If you found horror stories after a quick google, did you not research this before buying?

worried_jim

dannyrst wrote: »

If you found horror stories after a quick google, did you not research this before buying?

One more reason to avoid all and any French cars.

mrsolrak

motorguy wrote: »

After 6 months the onus is on YOU to prove the fault was there at the time of sale. I think you will have difficulty proving that.

The car is 5 years old. It is NOT unreasonable for a washer pump seal to fail after 5 years.

It is NOT reasonable to expect a seller to inspect every washer for potential future failure.

I think the 50% offer is fair. I'd probably push with Peugeot to see what they will do to increase that.

Aware of this but I think this is in the area of a design fault - so inherent at point of purchase, particularly with so many others having this issue. Had I seen these horror stories before purchase, I would have had them check it. If it is a fairly well know fault among dealers (and I believe it is, although does not qualify as a recall due to not being officially a safety issue), there is an argument to say I should have been made aware at the point of purchase.

straighttalker

Try suing Arnold Clark then. You won't get anywhere.