Second hand car problems - my rights

System

Damo1978 wrote: »

Thanks.

It's a 2004 Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCI, 103,000 miles on the clock .

I got an alternator supplied and fitted by my local Ford dealer for well under £200. As I recall it actually came as a surprise how cheap it was.

At 100,000 miles all the auxiliary belts should have been changed, I'm betting that they haven't which is why they're squealing. As for a back box, £90 is far too expensive.

mollycat

arcon5 wrote: »

Wow £1500 for a mk3 Mondeo!!
I've just paid fifty quid more than that for a 2008 (mk4) 2l tdci with 96k and fsh.

Good thing about those though are they are so easy to work on as everything is so easily accessible. Even with the alternator being at the rear it's still so accessible it's unreal.

The tensioner are actually really common problems on the mk3. Tensioner and alternator could be done in an hour and a half.
A banger Mondeo if the dealer refuses to pay it would be just as easy to pickup an alternator for about twenty quid from breakers then having a back street garage fit it.

My thoughts exactly.
Mine is on a 55 plate.
Bought 3 years ago for £900, private sale.
93K at the time.
Wasnt perfect, needed a wee bit of attention, much like OP's.

Damo1978

From some of the comments here I suddenly feel like I've got a bad deal I had thought it was fairly cheap. Though it is a Ghia X with all the extras (climate control, full leather climate seats, cruise control, etc.). In this weather the quick clear windscreen alone is worth half of the cost of the car!

Anyway, I have come to a deal with the seller which I'm happy with. I paid £90 for the exhaust last week, and Formula One have quoted £245 for the alternator, which I've booked in for tomorrow. The seller said he could get the exhaust for £40 + £20 labour, and the alternator (mid-range rather than cheapest) for £80 + £30 labour, so he's sending me a cheque for £170. I fully understand (and agree with) all the comments that it's not his responsibility that I live 50 miles away, so why should he be out of pocket. He's actually been really fair, especially taking into account the comments here that the exhaust and alternator wouldn't usually be covered (though a mate who is in the car sales trade did say if any of his cars had anything wrong in the first month, including these, he'd fix them anyway, but would again probably knock some off if it was done elsewhere).

Thanks once again for the advice. Just hoping the car limps down to the garage tomorrow morning without giving up altogether - I have to get it in for 8.30am as I've got meetings all day at work, and that's when they open, so rush hour would be interesting if I do break down! Unfortunately the booster kit I was given for Christmas last year, which I was hoping to restart it with if it did pack in, only works for diesel engines up to 1.6 (petrol up to 2.0). Fingers crossed...

Damo1978

Tarambor wrote: »

I got an alternator supplied and fitted by my local Ford dealer for well under £200. As I recall it actually came as a surprise how cheap it was.

At 100,000 miles all the auxiliary belts should have been changed, I'm betting that they haven't which is why they're squealing. As for a back box, £90 is far too expensive.

I looked on EuroCarParts and the cheapest I could see for mine was £129, for a Bosch it was something like £189.

The seller did say that the aux tensioner was replaced after a previous person who test drove the car complained about a noise it was making, and I can see the tensioner is new. I'd assume they did the belt at the same time, but I'm not sure. They certainly didn't change the other pulley the belt goes around. Formula One did say to me that unless genuine Ford parts were used for that then it would likely go again soon after - he's not sure why but he said that particular part only ever seems reliable if genuine Ford. I've read the same elsewhere too, as well as that all parts should be changed at the same time.

AdrianC

Damo1978 wrote: »

I looked on EuroCarParts and the cheapest I could see for mine was £129, for a Bosch it was something like £189.

Own-brand £90 (after the discount code) - http://www.mister-auto.co.uk/en/alternator/bolk-bol-b021043_g4_a999BOL-B021043.html
Bosch £96 (after the discount code, but plus exchange core) - http://www.mister-auto.co.uk/en/alternator/bosch-0-986-049-460_g4_a0300!986!049!460.html

macman

Worrying about only fitting 'genuine' parts on a 14 year old Ford is ridiculous. F1 were just spinning you a yarn to make you shell out more for the same part.
A car of that age and mileage is bound to need future work, so I suggest you find a local independent garage who can do the work at a sensible price.
And stay away from F1/Kwikfit/Halfords...