Problems with my car after JCT600 already wiped their hands of me?

Jlawson118

I'm 20 and well I got my first car in August. It's a Corsa Limited Edition, 2011 model and cost £5700 from JCT600 in Bradford.

The day I got it, the engine was filthy and the gutters were covered with leaves to a point where it was blocking vents and things. I cleared them out and the next day, the dealer emailed me asking if everything was alright, I told him it was apart from the cleanliness of this. He said they don't jet spray them due to electronics but bring it in and they'd clean it. I understand that these things get dirty easily and that wasn't the issue, but to sell a car like that was disgusting.

A few days later, I found a chip in the windscreen, when calling them up, they pretty much wiped their hands of me, said it was more than likely my fault and to get it sorted out myself. My mum suggested it could have even been caused by them racing it around the yard when cleaning the engine out.

Anyway, once I felt comfortable driving the car myself, I was running it on the motorway and noticed the steering wheel was shaky. I didn't really think anything of it, but then I had a motorway lesson with my instructor in his car just for some extra help and tips. He asked me if his steering wheel was shaky and that we had to check the tightness of the wheel nuts after so long due to him just having some new tires put on. I told him his steering wheel was fine, but my own was shaky, so he told me to go get a wheel balancing done.

I then took my car into Kwik-Fit and had them balance the wheels. The guy there noticed the front drivers side wheel was warped and was really bumpy on the machine, he told me I needed a new alloy on there because this has been caused by somebody curbing the wheel at high speed. I'd only had the car about two or three weeks at that point, and so it wasn't me, so I contacted JCT600 and they agreed to service the wheel. They told me that the wheel was absolutely fine and Kwik-Fit just wanted to make them look like cowboys, but they've rebalanced the wheel and that was that. I got the car home and straight away noticed that there was an entirely new alloy on there, scuffed to death, the air pipe was sticking out compared to the others. But I didn't bother kicking up a fuss with them. I was done with the hassle.

But now I'm running the car and I'm having a few speed difficulties with it. It's lacking power in first gear. Sometimes it's absolutely spot on, others I have to over-rev it before going into second. On another thread I posted to MSE, a few suggestions was to get the oil and filters changed, others was the fuel pump I think. Somebody suggested to run premium fuel through it for 3/4 tanks, well I'm on my third and it's made no difference. The oil I was thinking of having changed, but according to my service book, it was done on a service back in March.

And sometimes I can even smell fuel or oil when I'm running the car. I turned my heaters on yesterday when driving down the motorway and I could just smell burning. It smelt like burning clutch.

I was so happy with the car when I got it, but now it just feels like it's falling apart. I don't want to bother with JCT again as they'll just tell me it's nothing to do them, despite me having a years warranty with them.
Although am I within my rights to kick off? Or what should I do?

JJ_Egan

Windscreen chip it could well have been you .
Likewise kerbed could well have been you .

Pointless kicking off without evidence on a five year old car.
You need to pay for an independent report on the car
How many miles on the clock ??
If you don't want to deal with the vendor again how are you going to proceed ??

societys_child

I could just smell burning. It smelt like burning clutch.

Hmm, could be something to do with this:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5556055

I was pretty much holding in position using revs and clutch without using the brake on a gradient a few days ago but I didn't realise that the traffic lights were going to be so long winded, and well by the time I moved off, my entire car just stank of burning clutch.

NotRichAtAll

Your 20 and its your 1st car.
I am sure you would of noticed a chip in the windscreen when you looked at the car, so that could of happened anytime day or night.
Leaves and dirty engine, i would of asked for a full FREE valet again this is something YOU should of mentioned at point of sale "Oi i want this car cleaned"
Steering wheel shaking, your instructor gave you some sound advice and get the wheel balanced, did you just get the one wheel balanced or all of them? then did you go one step further and get the tracking done, both fairly cheap to have done, i personally would of gone to my local indy garage rather than kwik fit.
My son's girlfriend bought a 2015 corsa new from vauxhall dealer and its got absolute rubbish acceleration so your not alone on the other hand my son had a 2004 corsa and it went like **** on a shovel. Maybe look into getting a pedal box which may solve your acceleration response issues.
Smelling fuel is not unusual in a corsa it could be that you are smelling fumes from the exhaust which is right under your tailgate.
You'd know if your clutch was burning or on its way out, heater matrix's can give of some weird smells when they have not been used for some time.
Also holding a car at lights by using the clutch and revs would suggest to me that you have probably caused all the problems yourself, 20yr old boy racer i do hope you don't wrap yourself round any trees in bradford, do you have trees in bradford?
Did you see them racing your car round a yard, i very much doubt it...........

Personally you should of bought an old banger for the 1st year and get some experience under your belt as it goes i hope you get your car sorted.

bris

societys_child wrote: »

Hmm, could be something to do with this:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5556055

Looks like you caused your own issues, it's hardly something to complain about when you admit causing the problem.

Jlawson118

societys_child wrote: »

Hmm, could be something to do with this:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5556055

bris wrote: »

Looks like you caused your own issues, it's hardly something to complain about when you admit causing the problem.

Yeah but I've had the problems before that incident. And when I talk about I feel the biting point has moved, I also realised I've been wearing new trainers.. :rotfl:

So my other post doesn't really mean anything, especially when these problems were there initially

NotRichAtAll

especially when these problems were there initially

Prove it

My guess is you got the car, and you went into Lewis hamilton mode. Matbe you should wear old trainers and the car may feel normal

societys_child

So my other post doesn't really mean anything

Of course it means something.

No matter what condition the clutch was in originally, even if brand new, holding it at the lights for so long that "my entire car just stank of burning clutch" will have taken years off it.
Could even explain why you're experiencing difficulties moving off in first gear and why you're having to rev it. Maybe the clutch is slipping.

If it is that, revving it hard to get it going, will cause clutch failure in no time at all . .

waamo

Never, ever, ever use Kwik Fit. Ever. Not even once. At all. Ever.

You've also probably knackered your clutch.