Audi A2 1.4 SE (51 Plate) Cam Belt Snapped - who's liable for cost?

Mr_Friendly

OK here's the situation,

The vehicle has done circa 32000 miles. It has a full MOT and service history.
I've owned it for less than 6 months and this happens.
No warning or anything, then yesterday the engine cuts out after seeing the EPC light come on the dashboard briefly then go off again.

It doesn't fire up or tick over. Today I got home start to come out (managed to tow the car back with some help) and they looked it over and simply pulled out a very worn and snapped cam belt.

Not sure what to do now as affording this repair is going to be tough.
What are my chances of getting Audi to accept some of the liability giving the age, condition, service history of the vehicle?

anewman

I think VAG usually recommend every 4 years or 60,000 miles, whichever comes sooner. But with the service history I'd say it is worth a try, as they should have changed the belt had it needed doing, and also inspected it regardless.

System

a dealers/man warranty usually only covers the 1st couple of years, a mot only states the car is safe to drive on the day it is tested,unfortuately i suspect you will have to pay for this.

Mr_Friendly

So even though the vehicle is not due for service for another 2000 to 3000 miles and it has been serviced correctly to this point, it has done only 32000 genuine miles (HPI checked) you think Audi don't have a duty of care to their customers to ensure that the vehicle is fit for purpose?

darich

Mr_Friendly wrote: »

So even though the vehicle is not due for service for another 2000 to 3000 miles and it has been serviced correctly to this point, it has done only 32000 genuine miles (HPI checked) you think Audi don't have a duty of care to their customers to ensure that the vehicle is fit for purpose?

Fit for purpose?
Hasn't the car done 32k miles? and isn't it around 6 years old?

i was in a similar situation with Volkswagen and problems with ABS and the gearbox - all below 45k miles. (my polo was 3.5 years old and had 35k miles when my troubles began)

First off - your problem isn't with Audi - it's with whoever you bought the car from. Even if it's an Audi dealer - your problem is with the dealer not the manufacturer.

Secondly - Why should Audi be responsible? You could try contacting the dealer in the first instance, and the Audi if the dealer is useless but to be honest, any help from Audi would be, i imagine, a goodwill gesture.

As VW told me, it's the responsibility of the car owner to maintain and service the car and ensure it's in a "fit for purpose" condition. Audi will say exactly what VW told me - they cannot guarantee that every part will last forever.

If your car has a full Audi service history then you may have a stronger case but i still think Audi could easily say "sorry, it's your car, not ours" and wash their hands of it.

VW did with me.

Best advice i can give - buy toyota or honda - i've heard of Honda replacing a power steering unit "because we've never had one fail and want to know what caused it" at a cost of around £1500.

Mr_Friendly

It wasn't a dealer purchase, it was a private sale.
Well I would argue that a cam belt should do more than 32k miles and I think any mechanic would say the same.

The vehicle has been serviced regularly (service history reflects this) and it's not due for another 2K or 3K (or Feb 08). If the cam belt wasn't faulty at the time then I would again argue that Audi have a case to answer since they are selling equipment they know is not fit for a normal life purpose of approx 60k miles.

If they're selling under performing equipment in the vehicle they sell to the public then they should stipulate within their user manual that the components (such as a cam belt) should be replaced at an earlier time. Without stipulating this then they should be prepared for their customers to go with the standard practice of replacing them at 60k miles.

If they wash their hands of the situation then I suppose it would be up to me to mention the failings of the vehicles they're putting out into the general population with hope that I at least put one customer off buying an Audi.

If that happens they will have lost more than the cost of repair to my vehicle and I will at least feel much better in doing so.

We'll see what happens I guess.

I'm sorry but I can't just accept what Audi/VW or any other car manufacturer has to say by washing their hands of it. The vehicle has been properly looked after and maintained. I have done (and the previous owner) all that is required to ensure it's kept in great condition. As far as I'm concerned the cam belt should last way longer than it has.

Lorian

Two important questions:

1. What is the service interval for the belt on your model car
2. When was it last changed.

If the belt that snapped is older than the recommended service interval then no one will help you. If its younger you might try asking the garage to contact the manufacturer for a contribution, but frankly you'll be more than lucky for them to be interested on an '01 plate.

On my (not VW) car the service interval for the belt is 40K miles or 4 years whichever comes first.

Mr_Friendly

This information specifically for the cam belt is not held within the documentation for the vehicle. The only think I have to go on is a standard cam belt longevity and replacement timescale of 60k miles.

The vehicle has done just over half of this amount.

Happychappy

I do have sympathy for your argument, however if it is based upon mileage, my aunt has a cracker against Nissan, she has a 1993 Micra with 23000 miles on the clock and the car has been serviced by Nissan since new, sometimes with only 180 miles between service.

Your car is 6 years old now so you can't really have it both ways, I have an A4 petrol but had the belts changed and tensioner at 50000 miles way ahead of its 80000 purely as I had experience of a belt going before.

So really dont hold your breath and the public will never buy one once they have heard my story wont bother them or the public, had it been less then two years old with 30k then possibly, but the 6 years is stacked against you, bit like most parts dont last the miles if they are in the elements for a greater time.

Best of luck and let us know how you get on.

Oopps just thought I would have a check of the Autodata service schedule for a 51 plate Audi A2 1.4 Audi have it as a service item at 90000 Kilometres or 56250 miles or on the 72 months service interval, so although under the miles it is over the service interval unless you have proof at 72 months it was checked or is the 72 month service the one just coming up ?

dunstonh

It wasn't a dealer purchase, it was a private sale.

So, Audi didnt sell you the vehicle and therefore had no guarantees or protection in place you could benefit from.

The vehicle has been serviced regularly (service history reflects this) and it's not due for another 2K or 3K (or Feb 08). If the cam belt wasn't faulty at the time then I would again argue that Audi have a case to answer since they are selling equipment they know is not fit for a normal life purpose of approx 60k miles.

Is the service history a full dealer service history? I am going to assume not because you didnt buy from a dealer so that year alone probably didnt get a dealer service. Audi would change the belt after 4 years normally but they cannot if they dont service it.

If they wash their hands of the situation then I suppose it would be up to me to mention the failings of the vehicles they're putting out into the general population with hope that I at least put one customer off buying an Audi.

The car is 6 years old. Its bound to have bits go wrong with it at that age.

What you could do is look at the 4th year service stamp and see if that was a dealer service. If it was, you could ask them to check if the cam belt was replaced. If it wasnt, there is nothing you can do about it as the car hasnt being serviced in accordance with its requirements.

**Patty**

Had you considered the possibility that the previous owner was advised to change the cambelt? And this is why he parted company with the vehicle?

I drive a Saab & believe me.....you have to remove the top of the engine to change the cambelt.....the job isn't cheap. Maybe the last owner had a quote & decided he'd rather have a newer car........ it happens.


Oh & very few car manufacturers nowadays advise 60k for a cambelt change ...........for most mass-produced cars, it's 40k.