Problems with a car

Devientenigma

Hi, sorry think it’s my first post or at least first in a long time! My daughter has a car on finance, she’s had it for about 2 year. She came to us to say she thought the brakes need done, so when hubby looked one of her tyres were worn too. She was due to go on holiday from Manchester Airport the same day. We live Newcastle. We sourced the brake pads and tyre but when it came to do this, there was no locking wheel nut to remove the wheel. We showed her what it was and she said she never had one.
We phoned the dealer, who’s paperwork states the car came with one, however the sales checklist the dealer also has, said it didn’t need one.
She now has a car she can’t use, it’s cost extra in transport and all the dealer is offering is a new set of wheel nuts if I take it to a garage, which really the car should not be driven.
What can I do? Or what should I do? Thanks.

a.turner

Any decent garage or tyre fitter should be able to remove the locking nuts.

Bald tyres are nothing to do with the dealer unless she's just bought it. Down to the driver to check em and change before they're illegal.

shaun_from_Africa

Was it a new car when your daughter bought it?
If so then the locking nuts should be manufacturer supplied and there will be details of the key needed to remove the nuts somewhere in the vehicle's documents.

A good mechanic shouldn't have too much of a problem removing the locking nuts if a key or key number can't be found.

After 2 years from buying it it will be impossible to prove one way or another if a key was supplied.
Unless the tyre is so badly worn as to be below the legal limit or damaged to make it illegal to use then a short drive to the garage shouldn't be a problem and if it is illegal, this should have been addressed before now.

Devientenigma

Thanks, the car is on a 66 reg, I know the baldy tyre is her fault/responsibility but the lack of wheelnut and conflicting paperwork the dealer has, isn’t. I’ll see if someone will drive it to a garage for them to deal with but it’s taking over a week in emails to get anywhere. I feel like they admitted fault then done everything to turn this back on her, they have me exhausted!

a.turner

Devientenigma wrote: »

Thanks, the car is on a 66 reg, I know the baldy tyre is her fault/responsibility but the lack of wheelnut and conflicting paperwork the dealer has, isn’t. I’ll see if someone will drive it to a garage for them to deal with but it’s taking over a week in emails to get anywhere. I feel like they admitted fault then done everything to turn this back on her, they have me exhausted!

Do make it clear they risk a fine and points on their licence if caught.

RichardD1970

What's happened in the last two years when it's needed a new tyre or brakes or been serviced?

Devientenigma

a.turner wrote: »

Do make it clear they risk a fine and points on their licence if caught.

It’ll end up being me! I just feel it’s all rather unfair, if the garage had of provided the wheel nut, we would of had everything sorted, due to lack of wheel nut, it’s leading to bigger problems and costing more money, yet they admitted she never got one. Hey ho, guess it’s a learning curve for her and us (us to stop keep bailing her out lol)

Devientenigma

RichardD1970 wrote: »

What's happened in the last two years when it's needed a new tyre or brakes or been serviced?

I’m unsure what she’s done. I think her exes dad sorted it for her as he owned a garage. One wheel did blow on her on a motorway, the AA dealt with it but nothing was said about needing wheel nut. The dealer admitted she never had a wheel nut for it.

shaun_from_Africa

Devientenigma wrote: »

One wheel did blow on her on a motorway, the AA dealt with it but nothing was said about needing wheel but.

I would be very surprised if the AA removed a wheel with a locking nut without the key/adaptor at the side of the motorway and if they did, not advise your daughter of this.
Are you 100% sure that the car was supplied with the locking nuts and these aren't something that your daughter fitted at a later date and has subsequently lost the key?

Aylesbury_Duck

Devientenigma wrote: »

It’ll end up being me! I just feel it’s all rather unfair, if the garage had of provided the wheel nut, we would of had everything sorted, due to lack of wheel nut, it’s leading to bigger problems and costing more money, yet they admitted she never got one. Hey ho, guess it’s a learning curve for her and us (us to stop keep bailing her out lol)

Absolutely. She needs to learn how to carry out regular checks on the car which I suspect she doesn't do, and to check that everything she might need is present. Does she have a spare wheel, does she check it's inflated, does she check the tyre pressures regularly, the oil level, etc etc.

She can't blame the garage for all problems arising from the lack of a wheel nut she should have checked was present when she bought the car.

a.turner

Devientenigma wrote: »

It’ll end up being me! I just feel it’s all rather unfair, if the garage had of provided the wheel nut, we would of had everything sorted, due to lack of wheel nut, it’s leading to bigger problems and costing more money, yet they admitted she never got one. Hey ho, guess it’s a learning curve for her and us (us to stop keep bailing her out lol)

What's caused the extra cost is not dealing with the problem at the time and expecting the dealer to sort it two years later.