RECURRING Vauxhall Insignia Computer Bug

MattJohnMurphy

In May last year i purchased a 2013 reg Vauxhall Insignia, everything seemed fine until i ran into a major problem that made the car unusable until the on board computer was reset. I was told by the AA that this was a know problem with Vauxhall but was supposed to be fixed with a software updatem, which my car has. This malfunction has happened twice now. My garage has told me to keep driving until it fails and have it brought in with the issue or give it to them to drive about and try an fail... I have written a letter to Vauxhall which i wll paste below as i feel this is a terrible and unfair suggestion, i can't trust the car. I was wondering if anyone else had had this problem? Link below to the coomplaint outlined and images.



Complaint letter outlined below....

---

I am writing to you as I feel I have a case that has been left unresolved by the dealership
that I purchased my Vauxhall Insignia from, and feel this needs a higher level of attention.
In May/June 2017 I purchased a 2013 Vauxhall Insignia, licence plate XXXXXX from Perry’s
Vauxhall Dealership in Broadstairs (Westwood Road, Broadstairs CT10 2NP). It was
purchased through a salesman names Harry. I signed up to a Hire Purchase plan and put a
£4000 deposit on the car. I was overjoyed, the car was great, until…


On a long trip down the M4, some 200 miles from home, the car dashboard lit up, “Engine
overheated, pull over immediately” This was only 3 MONTHS after I purchased the car. I
pulled over onto the hard shoulder, stopped the engine. My wife and I got out, I checked
the engine and unscrewed the water cap with a rag, expecting there to be a problem, but
nothing seemed out of place. I tried to start the engine again, but it sounded horrendous!
Clanging and running rough, I switched it off immediately. I then got us to a safe area and
phoned the dealership, we weren’t with the AA but the car was still under warranty. I was
given the number for Lantern Recovery, as they were the associated partners of the garage.
I phoned Lantern and they said that someone would be on their way…. It took 2 hours for
them to arrive. The man that met us plugged in his equipment and told me that there was
something wrong with fuel injector 1, and I would need to be recovered by a tow. He left us
and we waited a further 2 hours for the Lantern recovery vehicle, which never actually
arrived after countless calls. However, we were lucky enough to be approached by a man in
an AA van, who asked us if he could have a look. He had been driving the other way a few
hours ago and spotted us. I gave him the keys and smirked, sure go ahead, thinking that by
the sounds of it, the engine is in a bad way, mechanically. After sitting in the car for a couple
of minutes, he turned the key and the engine started. I could not believe it. Now, here’s the
most interesting part…


The AA driver informed us that he pulled over because he had a feeling it was the “recurring
problems” he has had to fix with these vehicles, and it was a computer error. He had reset
the computer on board and it had fixed it. “Vauxhall are aware of this”
I was completely shocked. I left and carried on with the trip and tried to enjoy my weekend.
I phoned the garage Monday and booked in for it to be looked at, at the same time Iexplained the problem to one of the managers. I got the car back, and surprisingly there
were no problems! Everything looks ok, most likely because it was fixed on the roadside by
the AA with a simple reset. A few months and one £300 exhaust temperature sensor
replacement down the line and I’m driving along in my local town, and the overheat
indicator light comes on AGAIN, the car tells me to pull over and stop the car immediately. I
COULDN’T BELIVE IT. Again, the same problem. Luckily I was closer to home. But
unfortunately, I wasn’t a member of the AA, but I knew that they would fix it on the road
side, as this is something they are likely used to! I phoned them and paid the £107 to join
and they came out. I had a longer chat with him this time, and actually took a photo of the
error codes on the screen, P247A P2428 P2084 P2101



I’m going to go ahead and presume you are familiar with these error codes. The AA driver
fixes the car again and I’m on my way. I phone the garage to have it looked at again but
couldn’t get an appointment for 3 weeks. I wait. In the meantime….
I look in the drivers manual and service book and to my HORROR I find an old AA slip for the
car, date one year before I purchased the car, WITH THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM! Someone
from the AA was called out for the previous owner to an “Engine overheat pull car over
immediately” warning. I have attached an image below of the AA receipt (following page).


So this lead me to believe that I WAS SOLD THE CAR WITH AN OBVIOUS PROBLEM. I was
shocked and felt lied to, to say the least.
I took the car to the garage, they kept it for 3 days before getting back to me. I went in and
spoke to the service manager. He’s informed me that the problem I’m having was INDEED a
known old issue that was supposed to be fixed by an update a few years back. However
when he plugs the computer into the car, the software is UP TO DATE!? So, where to now?
The response I received from the garage was, in my opinion, unreasonable. I was told…


“The garage needs the car in a failed state, I have 2 choices –
a) Take the car in, and give it to them to run extensive road tests on it until it fails. This
means, taking the car out as much as they can until the error occurs again or…
b) Take the car, carry on using it, and WHEN it next happens, have it towed to the
garage instead of fixing it on the roadside.”


I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. So in scenario –
a) I am without a car as I would not be allowed a curtesy car whilst the garage runs the
miles up on the car indefinitely until it fails!!????..... NO.
b) Drive the car around until it fails. The problem here is I am now completely
untrusting of the car. I refuse to take the car on any long trips in fear of this problem
occurring, including a south of France holiday I was planning in the summer. The
thought of being hundreds of miles from home and the car faulting and then having
to try and orchestrate getting it to a Broadstairs garage by being towed is just
insane! That is IF the AA will allow it, I can’t imagine they will be happy to tow a car
all those miles when they can just fix it with a simple reset.


I really enjoy driving the car, I want to be a good customer, but I feel that I have been
stranded by your company. I feel I have also been miss sold the car, and find it unreasonable
to change the way I drive and use/not use the car for a computer error that should be fixed.
I am paying every month for this car, I look forward to hearing your ideas for a swift
resolution.


Yours Sincerely
Matthew John Murphy

AdrianC

You wrote this letter to Vauxhall? What do you hope to achieve? Apart from you having no contractual relationship with them, it's a 5yo car.


There's not much hope of anything from the dealer, either, given that you've owned it for 14-15mo.

MattJohnMurphy

Well considering it seems to be a software issue, nothing to do with parts, i can't see how they can ignore it?

chrisw

What do you want them to do?

They've checked it over, it's got the latest software and there is nothing wrong with it at the moment so nothing to investigate.

They seem to be being helpful and playing ball so far.

MattJohnMurphy

A reuccuring software bug that causes the car to breakdown, seems acceptiable for the manufacturer to let me carry on like that? Knowning I could be stranded, miles from home, IF i pluck up the courage to take the risk and actually drive the car somewhere far, like a holiday? Doesn't seem fit for purpose in my opinion.

AdrianC

How many Insignias did GM sell across the world?
Is yours a diesel? How many cars have been sold with that Fiat 1.9 diesel engine across various brands?

Hundreds of thousands, if not millions.


How many of them are sulking at the roadside every ten minutes?

A tiny handful.

Come to that, how many times has this car had a sulk with you in the year and a bit you've owned it? How many times has it done it in the tens of thousands of miles it's covered in the five years it's been on the road?

MattJohnMurphy

I'm not sure your point, but if you're looking for actual answers, twice in 10,000 miles. But is that the point? People on other threads have spoken about how this has happened to them and left them without power in potentially dangerous situations... from a software bug.


PS It's a Diesel 2.0 TDCi

custardy

MattJohnMurphy wrote: »

I'm not sure your point, but if you're looking for actual answers, twice in 10,000 miles. But is that the point? People on other threads have spoken about how this has happened to them and left them without power in potentially dangerous situations... from a software bug.


PS It's a Diesel 2.0 TDCi

Yes but manufacturers (like most companies selling to the public) have limited liabilities.
You may not agree,but at your cars age it is well out of warranty.
You talk of being a 'good customer' to VX. The good customer was the person forking out the price of a brand new car.