Urgent advice needed

CardinalWolsey

If the battery is a consumable item, are the garage liable for its replacement? Presumably the car started fine at the garage for the test drive, and then the subsequent drive home. The garage could argue that the owner may well have sat in their car, with the engine off, but with lots of electrical items running, that first drained the battery - and at that age fully draining the battery has killed it.

foxy-stoat

Its probably sat on their forecourt for weeks/months not being driven and they have used a booster pack to get it started. The battery needs to be replaced.

Get them to check the voltage when running with all the electrics on, if the voltage is 14v+ you should be fine - if its wildly over or under then the alternator is brokened.

parking_question_chap

All the things you have mentioned point towards it being a battery issue at 4-5 years old and having possibly been sat for a while its not unreasonable for it to need replacing. Just charging it up will not solve the problem.

For a top spec battery on a car like that it must be £100 tops, then just find someone that knows how to fit it. Job done. Even with a Peugeot I doubt the alternator will be failing after that short amount of time.

You will never be able to prove the knew the battery was faulty. No chance whatsoever.

And regarding the fact it happened 30 days after ownership. Thats totally irrelevant, all that matters is the age of the battery and its perfectly reasonable that a 4 or 5 year old battery might need replacing. The onus falls on the owner to replace it.

daveyjp

Most batteries have some sort of health indicator. If it is sealed it may be a small area of clear plastic which has a green indicator when all is OK.

If it is a 'proper' old school battery it will have covers on each cell you can remove to check the level of the fluid.. It only needs one cell to have low fluid level. Topping up with distilled water can solve the issue.

However, like most basic car maintenance it never gets done, they run low for too long and what should have cost boiled tap water ends up being a new battery as the cell dries out.

Soph1988

Hi -

So the dealer took the car, and they changed the battery and said that their was an issue with the throttle sensor and they would sort it out. Less than 3 hours later they had ‘fixed’ the problem, replaced the battery also and returned it to me on the same day, 17/9.

Drove it yesterday, seemed ok, today on my journey the engine light and DSC and tyre pressure lights came back on. I’ve asked to reject the car and the dealer is refusing the rejection, saying they won’t refund and the only option I have is to have the car taken to them and they will get there’s garage to have a ‘proper’ look at it and sort it out.

I’m fuming. TODAY is 30 days since purchase. I’ve spoken to consumer standards who’ve advised that I have 7 days after the car comes back to me to reject if I’m unhappy.

I just want to reject the car for a full refund which I believe are my rights to do so. It clearly has something wrong with it which I shouldn’t have to deal with less than 30 days after purchase. They’ve already had one chance to sort it. I’ve had to have my breakdown recovery collect the car today and take it to them, who knows when I’ll get it back.

I’m absolutely devastated.

mollycat

Soph1988 wrote: »

Hi -

So the dealer took the car, and they changed the battery and said that their was an issue with the throttle sensor and they would sort it out. Less than 3 hours later they had ‘fixed’ the problem, replaced the battery also and returned it to me on the same day, 17/9.

Drove it yesterday, seemed ok, today on my journey the engine light and DSC and tyre pressure lights came back on. I’ve asked to reject the car and the dealer is refusing the rejection, saying they won’t refund and the only option I have is to have the car taken to them and they will get there’s garage to have a ‘proper’ look at it and sort it out.

I’m fuming. TODAY is 30 days since purchase. I’ve spoken to consumer standards who’ve advised that I have 7 days after the car comes back to me to reject if I’m unhappy.

I just want to reject the car for a full refund which I believe are my rights to do so. It clearly has something wrong with it which I shouldn’t have to deal with less than 30 days after purchase. They’ve already had one chance to sort it. I’ve had to have my breakdown recovery collect the car today and take it to them, who knows when I’ll get it back.

I’m absolutely devastated.

Haven't read something on the forum that has annoyed me so much in a long time.

Get some perspective!!

You have a car that doesn't work correctly; what will your reaction be when the truly devastating things in life come along?

Sorry if this sounds unkind, I know you must be frustrated but this kind of over reaction to a transient, minor, easily fixed issue makes me shake my head in disbelief.

facade

Reject it if you can, and get something with a VIN number starting with a J.


The tyre pressure warning may be simply the cold morning, mine has been claiming that I will die any minute as it has "lost" 3psi, bearing in mind it was correct when the air temperature was 30 degrees and it was 6 this morning I'm not surprised.


The ones that work on the tyre diameter are quite good at spotting that one side of the car has been parked in the sun apparently...