Secondhand car faults - ideas on what to do now?

totallytech

Hi All,

To give you a little background....

I found a car that I liked online, emailed the garage and arranged to go over the following day with a plan on buying the car if it was as described. I asked the seller if there was any warranty and if everything was ok - as we were planning on driving to Spain on Boxing Day. He replied saying

Yes, we do have it. Tomorrow is fine – if you give us a call (xxxxxxxxx) when you’re on your way I’ll make sure there is someone there and the car is out and ready.

The car is ready to drive away. We’ll cover you for anything major (engine, gearbox etc.) for one month or 3000 miles on a car of this age/mileage/price range.

It’s a nice enough car which we can’t find fault with. We can do you 24 hours insurance if you want to drive it away.

On 19th December I got there, test drove etc and everything was ok. He said it needed 2 new front tyres, which he would knock £100 off, but other than that it was a great car etc...
I paid for it, drove it home etc - its a fab car....

On 22nd I took the car in to the garage for a health check etc (to make sure it would be OK for the journey to Spain) and they said it needed a N/S Lower Ball Joint and a N/S Outer CV Joint which cost £342.64.

On 22nd Dec I also took it for the two tyres which we talked about but they actually cost me £168.00 for the two front tyres not £100 which he said they should cost.

I drove to Spain on Boxing Day, and came home 3rd Jan 2017.

On about the 11th Jan I then started hearing a knocking noise so I took it back to my normal garage and they checked - the O/S Outer CV Joint had failed and was "clicking". They've replaced the O/S outer CV Joint today and it cost me £211.28.

At this point it was less than 3 weeks and 2,992 miles of owning the car ,I've already paid £721.92 of garage costs.

I emailed the garage a couple of times with the message below but heard nothing...

I just wanted to drop you a message to let you know I've had to have the car in the garage for a couple of repairs.

I'm just wondering if the warranty covers the Outer CV Joint or the Lower Ball Joint.

On 22nd I took the car in to the garage for a health check etc (to make sure it would be OK for the journey to Spain) and it needed a N/S Lower Ball Joint and a N/S Outer CV Joint which cost £342.64. I also took it for the two tyres which we talked about (and I know you knocked off £100 so I can get them done), but they actually cost me £168.00 for the two front tyres.

Over the last few days I had been hearing a knocking noise so I took it back to my normal garage and they checked - the O/S Outer CV Joint has failed and was "clicking". They've replaced the O/S outer CV Joint today and it cost me £211.28.

So far in less than 3 weeks and 2,992 miles of owning the car ,I've already paid £721.92 of garage costs.

I'm just wondering if you would be able to assist me in covering some of that cost.
I would also like to let you know I don't think for a second that you were aware of any of these issues - but it does just leave a fairly horrible taste in my mouth.

Obviously I have the receipts from the garage etc if you needed to see them

Yesterday I noticed another clicking / knocking noise on the N/S front - I've not had it checked yet, but also the heat shield over the exhaust has fallen on to the exhaust and now makes a hell of racket - I've looked at it and the heat shield has rusted around the bolts that hold it up - I can fix this myself but its just something else...

Is there something I can do - Can I prompt him to respond? Is there an official letter I can send etc?

Billy_Bullocks

The time to get any warranty work authorised was before it was repaired not after.

Mr.Generous

3k miles and a fault develops? If it was a £25k used car I'd be very hopeful, but if it was more than about 5/6 years old and sub about £8k I'd say you dont have much chance. What car is it? if its an old 3 series that's in really good condition ....

BeenThroughItAll

I'm guessing a sub-3K Mini.

totallytech

It's a 2008, 110k, Renault Laguna. I paid £1900. I was planning on swallowing the first invoice but I just think to have spent £800 in first 3 weeks after spending £1900 on a car with warranty seems a bit crappy. I'd expect to spend cash on a £500 motor but not on a £2k motor.

BeenThroughItAll

Ah, that explains it then. A sub 2K Renault is always going to be a gamble.

Don't forget, once the dealer's margin and costs are taken into account, that £1900 Laguna was probably a £1000 purchase if that.

arcon5

What tyres is it sporting?

Your prices all seem very high.

totallytech

arcon5 wrote: »

What tyres is it sporting?

Your prices all seem very high.

So far the work done has been:

2 x 215/50/17 95W Yokohama AE50 XL
Inc Vat - £168

N/S Lower Ball Joint
N/S Outer CV Joint
Labour
Inc VAT - £342.64

O/S Outer CV Joint
Labour
Inc VAT - £211.28

I've developed a new knocking noise on the steering and so took it in to KwikFit yesterday (instead of my normal garage) who did a check on the car and listed a couple of issues:

O/S/F Droplink Play
N/S/F Strut Top Mount (Said the bearing was the clicking noise)
O/S/F CV Boot has leaking grease - may not be sealed correctly

I've not had a quote to do the work yet but no doubt its going to be a couple of hundred ££... Just seems either an expensive garage or a nightmare car lol...

AdrianC

It's a 9yo, 110k car with age-and-mileage-related wear. No more, no less.

You could have checked the price of the tyres very easily before agreeing a £100 discount for them.
You should have authorised the work first, if you wanted the warranty to cover it.

The warranty was 1mo or 3k miles. You've now owned it nearly two months, and had exceeded the mileage within the first three weeks.

You emailed the garage - but did you phone them? Did you follow up your phone call with a letter?

totallytech

I've not called the garage, I was asking if it was worth following up mainly before getting started etc... Everything I said in my message to the garage was within the 1mo / 3k mileage - He didn't explain I'd need to call him before the warranty work etc - I've never had to claim on a warranty so I've got no idea how that would work. Even if he just replied and said sorry - you needed to call me first etc, but just to ignore my message etc... Its not a great way to deal with a customer...

forgotmyname

If you bought a toaster from a shop and it didnt work when you got home you wouldnt have it repaired then contact the shop to ask about the warranty would you?

Its the correct way to deal with a customer that claims to have had repairs done without any proof the parts actually needed replacing.

CV boot leaking grease, probably caused by the other work you have had done.

I wonder if the garage owner (where you have the repairs done) upgraded his holiday to first class since your visits?

Im sure he will want you to visit again sooner rather than later.