Car on lease - diesel car supplied instead of petrol. Options?

bryonysimmons

Hello

We ordered a lease car many months ago on quite a good deal - it had repeatedly been delayed, but it was finally delivered last week. It is a 24 month lease.

The car has arrived, & upon taking it to the petrol station, we have realised they have supplied us with the diesel version of the car instead of petrol. We have double checked our documents & it was definitely a petrol version we signed the contract for. Strangely, even the number plate is correct (the contract states that number plate belongs to a petrol car).

Once realised we have spoken to the lease company - but they have not been very receptive (they say they are having difficulties with the dealer). They have stated our options are: i) receive our £250 start up fees back & keep the car and continue paying as scheduled (£280/month) or ii) return the car ASAP, but they are then saying we would not be able to get the new version until July, & even then, they said we will have to pay much more (£450/month). I'm not even sure the second option is legal given we have a signed contract.

Unfortunately, they have us in a bit of a bind as we have already gotten rid of our previous car & need a car for work daily. After have a look, I think we are fine to keep the diesel as it is only on lease, but think their offer of £250 back is pitiful given their error. Can any one advise on our options & what we should be asking for?

Any help is really appreciated.
Bryony

MX5huggy

Keep the diesel, it’ll be cheaper to run. I think it would have cost more than the Petrol. 

Herzlos

I think given your choice between keeping it and waiting until July and paying more, I'd be inclined to just keep it.

How important is it that it's petrol to you? I say that given you didn't notice it was diesel until trying to fill it up.

prowla

If you say you're going to return it, they might be a bit more receptive...

Username03725

What's your actual loss? Other than being a bit miffed that it uses a different fuel?

You could do a calculation of the different MPG figures for each version and extrapolate that into your anticipated mileage over the length of the contract.

Is there a difference in spec in other areas, e.g. radio with / without Bluetooth, sat nav missing or unexpectedly in place, trim level etc...?

Fwiw I'm of the opinion that a car's a car and once you've had it for a month or so it's just the thing outside the house anyway. As long as it's pretty close to what you were expecting - other than fuel type - keeping it seems to be the pragmatic response.

daveyjp

Take the £250 and keep the car.

However you need to make sure all this is documented and a new lease document produced showing the actual details of the car so the error doesn't bite you when you return the car.

Chris_English

I'd tell them that I want to return it. I don't like most diesel cars, and my own usage would tend to mean I'd be forever worrying about the DPF.

There are other lease companies, and other cars, and I;'d not want to stick with a car I didn't like just to stick with the company.

born_again

bryonysimmons said:

Hello

We ordered a lease car many months ago on quite a good deal - it had repeatedly been delayed, but it was finally delivered last week. It is a 24 month lease.

The car has arrived, & upon taking it to the petrol station, we have realised they have supplied us with the diesel version of the car instead of petrol. We have double checked our documents & it was definitely a petrol version we signed the contract for. Strangely, even the number plate is correct (the contract states that number plate belongs to a petrol car).

Once realised we have spoken to the lease company - but they have not been very receptive (they say they are having difficulties with the dealer). They have stated our options are: i) receive our £250 start up fees back & keep the car and continue paying as scheduled (£280/month) or ii) return the car ASAP, but they are then saying we would not be able to get the new version until July, & even then, they said we will have to pay much more (£450/month). I'm not even sure the second option is legal given we have a signed contract.

Unfortunately, they have us in a bit of a bind as we have already gotten rid of our previous car & need a car for work daily. After have a look, I think we are fine to keep the diesel as it is only on lease, but think their offer of £250 back is pitiful given their error. Can any one advise on our options & what we should be asking for?

Any help is really appreciated.
Bryony

What does the V5 show? 
Or when you check online.

https://www.gov.uk/check-vehicle-tax

DB1904

bryonysimmons said:

Hello

We ordered a lease car many months ago on quite a good deal - it had repeatedly been delayed, but it was finally delivered last week. It is a 24 month lease.

The car has arrived, & upon taking it to the petrol station, we have realised they have supplied us with the diesel version of the car instead of petrol. We have double checked our documents & it was definitely a petrol version we signed the contract for. Strangely, even the number plate is correct (the contract states that number plate belongs to a petrol car).

Once realised we have spoken to the lease company - but they have not been very receptive (they say they are having difficulties with the dealer). They have stated our options are: i) receive our £250 start up fees back & keep the car and continue paying as scheduled (£280/month) or ii) return the car ASAP, but they are then saying we would not be able to get the new version until July, & even then, they said we will have to pay much more (£450/month). I'm not even sure the second option is legal given we have a signed contract.

Unfortunately, they have us in a bit of a bind as we have already gotten rid of our previous car & need a car for work daily. After have a look, I think we are fine to keep the diesel as it is only on lease, but think their offer of £250 back is pitiful given their error. Can any one advise on our options & what we should be asking for?

Any help is really appreciated.
Bryony

Check the tax on the gov site and see what it comes back as. Odds on it's a mistake and has had the wrong plate put on the car meaning your vin and engine number won't match those recorded at the DVLA. 

If so you need this correcting before it becomes a problem. 

Jenni_D

Chris_English said:

I'd tell them that I want to return it. I don't like most diesel cars, and my own usage would tend to mean I'd be forever worrying about the DPF.

This. If your general usage is lots of short journeys then a diesel is the wrong tool for the job. (And I doubt you could buy a new diesel these days which doesn't have a DPF). But if you're more likely to do longer journeys (20+ in a trip) then a diesel is probably better.

Edited to ward off the pedants.

Herzlos

prowla said:

If you say you're going to return it, they might be a bit more receptive...

With the current market? They'll have it sold by the next day, so they've no reason to resist taking it back.