RAC Warranty Refusing to Pay

suffolkboy_

My car is currently at my local garage for repair after going into limp mode.
The garage called the RAC warranty company this morning to make a claim after the discovery of a Cracked/Leaking Inlet Manifold.

I have been informed that they are refusing to pay for these works. My policy wording states that the following is included:

“Engine: Cylinder Block head bolts (excluding cracks and porosity), cylinder bores and liners (excluding cracks and porosity), crankshaft, crank bearings, big end bearings, oil pump, head bolts, con-rods, gudgeon pins, small end bearings, pistons, piston rings, cylinder head (excluding cracks and porosity), rocker shaft, rockers, hydraulic lifters, camshaft and cam followers, push rods, camshaft bearings, inlet and exhaust valves, valve springs, valve guides, cylinder head gasket, inlet manifold, timing gears, timing chains, timing belt/chain tensioner, solid flywheel or flex plate”

They've claimed that the failure is due to 'wear and tear' ie. the heating up and cooling down of the manifold over time has caused it to crack, and isn't subject to a 'mechanical breakdown'

My policy wording states that a mechanical breakdown is "The sudden and unforeseen failure of a component, not by wear and tear, normal deterioration or negligence. We are not liable for parts that have reached the end of their normal working lives
because of age or usage"

Do I have a case here? The bill i'm looking at is about £1,200!!

Thanks in advance.

missile

What car, long have you owned it, how old and mileage?

suffolkboy_

missile wrote: »

What car, long have you owned it, how old and mileage?

Jaguar XF 3.0l Diesel
I've owned it just over a year
2010
122,000 ish

k3lvc

suffolkboy_ wrote: »

Jaguar XF 3.0l Diesel
I've owned it just over a year
2010
122,000 ish

In which case 'ouch' - it's a known wear and tear issue - if you've an approved used Jag under their warranty with FSH then in my case they replaced FOC but I can't see you having any joy with a 3rd party or outside of the dealer network


Mine was an 3.0DS and it went at 87k miles so yours has done well

motorguy

suffolkboy_ wrote: »

Jaguar XF 3.0l Diesel
I've owned it just over a year
2010
122,000 ish

I would say wear and tear. Cant see it being classified on a fault at 9 years old and those miles.

TBH, a third party warranty at those miles and age is really unlikely to be worth the paper its written on.

motorguy

k3lvc wrote: »

In which case 'ouch' - it's a known wear and tear issue - if you've an approved used Jag under their warranty with FSH then in my case they replaced FOC but I can't see you having any joy with a 3rd party or outside of the dealer network


Mine was an 3.0DS and it went at 87k miles so yours has done well

Yeah the only hope would have been with a Jaguar Approved Used / Extended warranty, but as its not and at those miles its W&T

suffolkboy_

OK, curve ball which has just been pointed out to me. The manifold was replaced on the car in March 2018 (before I owned it) for the exact same problem, so the one that has cracked would appear to be only 18 months old. The work was completed by a Jaguar specialist, not a main dealer.

k3lvc

May be a curve ball but doesn't change the position you're in

suffolkboy_

k3lvc wrote: »

May be a curve ball but doesn't change the position you're in

Why not? If the part is only 18 months old surely that can't be described as wear and tear? Otherwise one would reasonable expect to replace an inlet manifold every 2 years which of course isn't right.

motorguy

suffolkboy_ wrote: »

OK, curve ball which has just been pointed out to me. The manifold was replaced on the car in March 2018 (before I owned it) for the exact same problem, so the one that has cracked would appear to be only 18 months old. The work was completed by a Jaguar specialist, not a main dealer.

You might have some recourse against the original manufacturer of the replacement part, but thats fairly tenuous after 18 months of use and given you didnt buy the part.

Also the manufacturer will only cover the replacement part, not the cost of replacing it. I suspect a lot of your bill is labour.

oldagetraveller

"The manifold was replaced on the car in March 2018 (before I owned it) for the exact same problem, so the one that has cracked would appear to be only 18 months old. The work was completed by a Jaguar specialist, not a main dealer."
I would suspect they will have fitted a cheap none oem manifold too. Maybe a Chinese "special" because a "genuine" Jaguar manifold will, no doubt, be priced equivalently to being made from solid platinum!