New Car Issues

grumgrum

Hi All

Thanks for taking the time to read this I am after some advice please.

I bought a brand new car back in April, wont be mentioning the brand just yet or the finance companies name again just yet.

It was quite a big purchase for me the first time I have ever bought a new car and the first time it has been a considerable amount of money.

Now I pick up the car and go through checking it over for the first 3/5 days over the weekend and notice a lot of problems. None hindering the actual use of the car but lots of cosmetic and problems with trim etc. Now for a Car of £75k you would expect it to be perfect, especially as it was sitting waiting for a number of weeks while I sold my other car. Any way I digress.

I logged these complaints with the dealer and I could not get in to be seen until the end of june, which I then pushed back a couple of weeks due to them not offering a like for like car. This was all while not knowing about rejection in the first month.

After the car went in in July some of the faults were fixed not all due to parts being required etc. I got the car back in the meantime and patiently waiting for the new parts etc to arrive.

Anyways beginning of sept comes and I notice the same things breaking on the car again that were "fixed" before. I have spoken to the car company and the finance company and its agreed that the car is going in to be looked at again and my wife and I have said we are not happy we want to reject the car.

Now I want to point out I am not after a car for free for 5 months I know that's not what its worth but the PCP payments I have made should cover it plus some extra mileage charges. I consider that to be fair use for a car that's been a problem since I have had it.

The finance company should receive the whole amount back from the dealer but the finance company want to charge me £5500 for the pleasure of not having a car and having issues for the last 5 months. As I said I am not thinking its free but the monthly payments equate to £3000 plus the extra mileage I may have done say £100 should over it for a car that is still essentially broken and still waiting on parts.

I am wondering if anyone has any advice as they are saying the fee is non negotiable, I am unable to find it in my terms and conditions for the calculations provided by them. They seem like proper cowboys.

Many Thanks

Graham

BeenThroughItAll

The depreciation on that now 'used' 75K car will easily be 7.5K in five months, so the finance company will be trying to cover as much of that loss in value as possible.

m0bov

You could write to the dealer and finance, tell them you are giving them this last chance to fix it. If not, you will reject the car. I would lean on the finance company as its their car, they should have a dept dedicated to dealing with these issues, they can in turn put pressure on the dealer. Have you spoken to them? You could rather than push for refund, push for a replacement car (as per your contract). Its the finance company which has failed to perform. Ask for a loan car whilst another one is ordered? Why not call them and ask them that, then let us know.

AdrianC

grumgrum wrote: »

Now I want to point out I am not after a car for free for 5 months I know that's not what its worth but the PCP payments I have made should cover it plus some extra mileage charges. I consider that to be fair use for a car that's been a problem since I have had it.

The finance company should receive the whole amount back from the dealer but the finance company want to charge me £5500 for the pleasure of not having a car and having issues for the last 5 months. As I said I am not thinking its free but the monthly payments equate to £3000 plus the extra mileage I may have done say £100 should over it...

You are liable for the fair costs of the period you've had the car - the dealer has provided you with a loan car, even though they aren't legally required to mitigate the period issues have been experienced, especially when the issues aren't functional, simply cosmetic.

The fairest way to figure that is to look at the depreciation between the new price and a 5mo car, isn't it?

The payments you've made so far are irrelevant - depreciation is very heavy in the initial months, and slows down, while your payments are flat over the entire period. You are basically in negative equity.

for a car that is still essentially broken and still waiting on parts.

Except we're talking about minor cosmetic issues that don't hinder the actual use of the car, right...?

grumgrum

Its the whole seats and seat belts that the company are refusing to say are a fault as well really. They said they are within design parameters, which doesnt happen on my mums 7k KIA and my 15 year old Q7.

At the moment I am rejecting on the basis the dashboard keeps coming away from the main unit which is potentially unsafe. If they cant take due car in something this simple what about all the other safety aspects.

I can see where you are coming from on the depreciation front by the car company will be buying the car back in FULL? wont they?

ratrace

grumgrum wrote: »

Its the whole seats and seat belts that the company are refusing to say are a fault as well really. They said they are within design parameters, which doesnt happen on my mums 7k KIA and my 15 year old Q7.

At the moment I am rejecting on the basis the dashboard keeps coming away from the main unit which is potentially unsafe. If they cant take due car in something this simple what about all the other safety aspects.

I can see where you are coming from on the depreciation front by the car company will be buying the car back in FULL? wont they?

Q7 came out in 2005 which makes them 12 years, how did you get one that is 3 years older

I think DM is back

grumgrum

Sorry I'm running on 3 hours sleep, probably 11 years as it was a 56 plate.

neilmcl

BeenThroughItAll wrote: »

The depreciation on that now 'used' 75K car will easily be 7.5K in five months, so the finance company will be trying to cover as much of that loss in value as possible.

Depreciation cannot be taken into account when working out an amount for usage.

grumgrum

m0bov wrote: »

You could write to the dealer and finance, tell them you are giving them this last chance to fix it. If not, you will reject the car. I would lean on the finance company as its their car, they should have a dept dedicated to dealing with these issues, they can in turn put pressure on the dealer. Have you spoken to them? You could rather than push for refund, push for a replacement car (as per your contract). Its the finance company which has failed to perform. Ask for a loan car whilst another one is ordered? Why not call them and ask them that, then let us know.

Thanks for this - I was thinking down that route so far the Finance company are pretty useless to be honest have been since day dot. They are the ones causing me issues so far. The last time I put it in I was talking to the dealer direct and they were more than helpful just cant seem to get parts or things fixed properly.

My wife unfortunately now doesn't trust the car, I can see where she is coming from with it being our main car for ferrying our 4 young children about.

neilmcl

AdrianC wrote: »

You are liable for the fair costs of the period you've had the car - the dealer has provided you with a loan car, even though they aren't legally required to mitigate the period issues have been experienced, especially when the issues aren't functional, simply cosmetic.

The fairest way to figure that is to look at the depreciation between the new price and a 5mo car, isn't it?

The payments you've made so far are irrelevant - depreciation is very heavy in the initial months, and slows down, while your payments are flat over the entire period. You are basically in negative equity.



Except we're talking about minor cosmetic issues that don't hinder the actual use of the car, right...?

See my post above re. depreciation.

m0bov

Tried the FO? Might have to complain to your finance and give them 8 weeks. What about a deposit, on credit card? Have you tried the manufacture? Log a complaint with them?

You could send them a LBA to send a rocket up them, you'd need to google for the template.