Returning a faulty car on PCP

MarkC91

Hi everyone,

I have read a lot of posts on the forum and there have been a lot of helpful responses but haven’t managed to fully answer my problem so I have signed up to see if you can help !

I bought a ford car on PCP 18 months ago and after approx 2 months of having it the car just lost all power and died in the middle of the road. It went back to main dealer they did something it was fine for a couple of months then it did the same thing again, driving along lost all power and died. Went back to main dealer again they changed something else then had no problems for several months then it done the same thing again , it went back they said they updated the car software this time a couple of months passed again and it did it again . Every time exactly the same symptoms and always starts up after a minute or 2 as if nothing had happened .

On the last time it happened about 4 weeks ago ford said there is no more they can do unless the problem happens to them which I can’t be sure it will because it can go weeks/months without the problem but it’s dangerous and not knowing when it could happen could be fatal as the last time it did it was in the outside lane of the motorway at 70mph in the rain I lost all wipers the lot .

We decided enough is enough and asked Barclays partner finance to return the vehicle after weeks we finally had a reply saying I had to get an independent diagnostic check done and the case would be closed until I come back with the report . I have had that done which I have had to pay for but there is no fault codes . The mechanic did say that doesn’t mean there isnt a problem it means the computer isn’t picking it up or may not be functioning properly . Barclays have said if the report comes back with no fault codes there’s no more they can do? This cannot be right the car is dangerous and my young children have to travel in the car and who knows when it will happen next ? What if it stalls on a roundabout and a lorry doesn’t see in time .

foxy-stoat

Have you had this problem for 16 months and its still not been identified or fixed after all this time?

What work have they actually done each time it went back?

MarkC91

Thanks for the reply,

Yes we have had the same problem for 16months it is very intermittent but has occoured 5-6 times in the 16 month period . At first they thought it was a one off blip then they thought it was fuel related, then they updated the computer and now they can!!!8217;t find the problem. I will contact ford and request a copy of all works carried out but Barclays Partner finance have basically said because they can!!!8217;t locate the problem due to no fault codes then there is no further action ? Does that mean I!!!8217;m stuck with a car that could break down at any point or do I have a case to fight ?

forgotmyname

ANY car can breakdown at any point with little or even no warning. Thats the risk when you slap hundreds of moving parts into a box.

Lost the wipers then its an electrical issue.

MarkC91

This is the problem I am having, if it is an electrical fault the computer may not be picking it up ? Leaving me with a car that keeps cutting out and a finanace company that don’t want to know

Paul_DNAP

You could ask the diagnostic center to fit a OBD logger to the onboard diagnostic port and then wait for the fault to reoccur and use that log of the event for their independent report.

poppasmurf_bewdley

When you said the car lost all power and the wipers stopped, I immediately thought 'battery'.

Have the battery, and all its connections, checked by an auto electrician.

MarkC91

Ford have said they have checked everything and I am not prepared to keep paying out for an issue I have had since the vehicle was under warentee. Hence why if the vehicle manufacturer cannot find the problem I don!!!8217;t want the vehicle any more so the main reason of this thread is to see if Barclays are right and they aren!!!8217;t obliged to help with the matter or not

fwor

The general principle in consumer rights law is that if the item is more than six months old, it's down to you to prove that a problem exists. To quote the Which? guide on the subject:

"If a fault develops after the first six months, the burden is on you to prove that the product was faulty at the time you took ownership of it. In practice, this may require some form of expert report, opinion or evidence of similar problems across the product range."

So you will need to provide evidence of the problem, rather than just telling them that the problem exists. Note that it may be sufficient just to demonstrate that this is a known, common problem with your make/model of vehicle.

MarkC91

Thanks for your reply

I can prove the problem started before 6 months of ownership as it was sent to the main dealer within the first 2 months ? And the same problem is still occurring

fwor

MarkC91 wrote: »

Thanks for your reply

I can prove the problem started before 6 months of ownership as it was sent to the main dealer within the first 2 months ? And the same problem is still occurring

Sadly that doesn't ~prove~ that the fault you have now is the same one that you had then. Perhaps it is, but just asserting that it is won't be good enough.

You need to have an expert assess the problem and provide a report that (in their expert opinion) there is an underlying problem with the vehicle.