Fair wear and tare on a second hand care

KathR20

its pretty much 8 months to the day of purchase but this is my worry even though the mechanics  said they would confirm  this in a letter.  They are adamant  that it should of shown  on the 2019 mot ( that the car dealer got) the  mechanic  i used today said if it had shown on that mot  then i wouldnt have a leg to stand on but that damaged  isnt caused in a year without  significant  corrosion  beforhand. He said my arguments  with the break discs  isnt wear and tear if i wasnt told new discs had been put on in july again i couldnt take issue but as i was told they were replaced and only done 2000 miles its just not possible  to be counted as wear and tear and the absolutely  could not have replaced  them

KathR20

The mechanic i use while i no them as i always get my mot done at the same garage yearly we are not friendly  so i cnt see why they would say this if they didn't no it to be true they have nothing to gain in fact they could of just said we will do the repairs  and get the buisness  of me. If the dealership refuses  to come to a satisfactory  agreement  it could be worth me seeking another independent mechanic to get his opinion  on the matter before going to trading  standards 

Goudy

From your images the corrosion is clearly an MOT failure as it has excess corrosion within a prescribed area of safety, ie the subframe mounts.
You trouble is, was it obvious to the tester when it was tested in 2019, that would be impossible to tell.

MOT testers can only test items within guidelines set by DVSA.
For items like your subframe these guidelines mean they can, if they see fit, tap with a approved assessment tool or use thumb/finger pressure to test the suspected parts. they also cannot remove parts to access other parts, so often if there are covers and guards under the car, these parts don't get tested at all.

If they can access them this means it can be covered in rust, but if it passes these tests at the time, it passes the MOT.
It maybe obvious that it will only get worse at a later date, but they aren't testing it then, just at that moment.
I know it sounds crazy, but they aren't testing it to see if it's fit for the next 12 months, just at the time of the test.

If the dealer is willing to repair it, even with a second hand part, I would very tempted to allow them, your chances of proving the subframe was a reason for failure a year ago is non existent. 
If it is secondhand, I would also try to negotiate the part is properly prepared and treated before it's fitted, say a bead/shot blast and then primed and painted properly. The factory have obviously skimped a bit on this in the first place.

AdrianC

KathR20 said:

He said  it should/would of shown on previous 2019 mot

In his humble opinion. He didn't see it last summer, of course.

Eight months ago, it may just have looked a bit scabby. That's not a "minor", so whether a tester advises on it or not is up to the tester's discretion.

I have never had to deal with a issue like this so i wasnt sure what is acceptable regarding them replasing it with a second hand part.

If they hadn't rotted, you'd be happily driving around on 11yo rear suspension.

I wasnt demanding they put new on.

Well, that's the alternative to used.

But i wouldn't have no issues paying the diffrance between  a 2nd hand part and a new part for piece  of mind alone. 

I was going to say "I suspect you will when you see the prices" - but I'm surprised to see they don't appear too bad at all. Which suggests this is a common issue...

A very quick look finds that rear arms are widely available as a consumable - £60+ ea. New subframes are also available from about £135. Of course, you're going to need to add bushes and the like into that, plus some kind of protective painting. Looks like the shell itself's going to want some cleaning, painting and protective wax injection around the mounts, too - hopefully, the metal itself's still solid.

KathR20

Thank you for your advice  and opinions  about the sub frame what are your thoughts on the brake discs failing ehen they told me new was put on in july? 

AdrianC

I think it's generally better to satisfy yourself about what you're buying before purchase, not 8 months later.

But while the back end's apart, it's trivially easy to lob new discs on. But worn discs won't cause "knocking" - that's knackered bushes, which would be replaced anyway while it's apart.

Look, it's an 11yo car that was originally built to a lowish cost. The average car in the UK is just under 14yo at scrapping. Reset your expectations.

roddydogs

Are 2nd hand subframes readily available, then?

AdrianC

roddydogs said:

Are 2nd hand subframes readily available, then?

Breakers.

Goudy

New subframe around £200 for a pattern one.
Used from Breakers/Ebay around £70.

I suspect the rear brake discs have rusted up also, it's common as the rears don't work as hard and generate as much heat so low mileage cars tend to suffer more than usual.

Does/has this car lived by the sea?

ElephantBoy57

KathR20 said:

As far as im aware the business  are not connected  the Mot place is in a different area but the man said he uses the same Mot and mechanic all the time. 

So your issue is with the garage that did the MOT, unless they are linked in some way.