A month wait to book my SEAT lease car in for a repair, do I have any rights?

NibblyPig

I have an EV lease, it's coming up to one year. It developed a fault before, where it stopped charging. I phoned the SEAT care number, they sent an engineer out, he did diagnostics, said it's buggered and needs to go to the garage, booked in next day I drove it to the garage, they gave me a courtesy car, and a week later it was fixed and all was well.

This time, it has developed another fault, first when I drive it beeps every 5-10 seconds saying e-sound fault drive with greater car, continuously over and over. Now, when I turn it on it beeps like crazy saying "electrical fault - car can still be driven". Yesterday, I drove it out of my garage and when I pressed the brake, the car lurched around a bit and the brake wouldn't press in properly, then it beeped and said brake error (missed the full message) regenerative braking disabled.

I had to be somewhere so I decided to drive it and it drove OK apart from no regen braking on the way there. Regen worked on the way back. Beeping the whole time.

So I phoned the seat folk again, they sent someone out, supposed to be the AA but the AA phoned and said they had no vans in bristol so they subcontracted to a local garage. The guy showed up, I explained the problem and said they said you'd probably plug in and read a fault code. He said I can't plug anything in because your car is under warranty and he's not an official SEAT whatever, so he could do nothing and left.

So I phoned SEAT again, they contacted the local garage and booked it in, for the 27th July. That's a month from now.

I don't really want to drive the car. I think it'll drive OK to get to the garage (literally 3 streets away) but using it daily for a month, I really don't want to and I don't think it'll stay working.

I contacted them, the first time they said it's because my booking is with a courtesy car that I have to wait a month, yet I don't get the courtesy car for a month so what's the point was my reply. They said they could try and get a booking without one, please hold... 2 mins on hold and they hung up.

So I phoned back, different person, explained and they said there's nothing they could do, so I said will you refund me a month's payment if I can't drive my car for a month? And they said they'd have to put me through to head office, so...

Head office said basically, it's a month wait, nothing they can do, not entitled to a courtesy car during the wait for the garage, I signed an agreement saying I'd pay monthly uninterrupted (I said we both signed the agreement, and you broke it by supplying a broken car for a month not me), so all I could do was file a complaint if I was unhappy. They kept saying I had to talk to my retailer as they're just VW financial services, but I didn't get my car from a retailer, I set up the lease online with a dealership somewhere across the country and they dropped the car off at my house.

I phoned the local retailer at head office's insistence, and they basically said they're booked solid for a month. I asked about not having a car for a month, and they said someone will call me back.

What's even more annoying is that on top of all this whenever I do get a courtesy car I expect it'll be a petrol/diesel like last time so it will cost me a fortune to drive compared to my EV which I charge for free off my solar panels.

Head office said I could file an official complaint if I wanted, which I think I will do unless they can resolve this sooner.

Very miffed, seeking advice. So much for EVs being reliable, two major issues and the car is only 10 months old.

daveyjp

Unfortunately you are another VAG customer suffering their complete lack of customer service, which they have been getting away with for decades.

Alternatives are to suggest they try the local Audi, VW and Skoda dealerships as they are all the same cars and share components. 

Alternatively call a few other Seat dealerships, even if they are miles away and the car will have to be transported there and back.

Ectophile

You should open a formal complaint with the leasing company.  If nothing else, it will get it beyond the phone service droids who obviously don't care.

NibblyPig

Thanks, I checked my contract and it says that the leasing company isn't liable for issues caused by problems with the car etc.

But I don't see how that can be valid, considering they are both the registered owner and registered keeper of the vehicle, and it looks like under the sale of goods and services act they have to provide what I am paying for in a reasonable condition etc.

Seems weird that I'm the one arguing with the dealership about fixing a car that doesn't belong to me.

It's like if you lent me your lawnmower for the weekend for £20 and it broke and you told me to file the warranty claim while keeping the £20.

Will definitely see if I can file a complaint.

Herzlos

If there's nothing in the contract saying they'll provide a car whilst yours is in for work then you're kind of stuffed there, just like if you'd bought the car.

SEAT should provide a replacement car if the fault is taken care of under warranty, but won't do anything until after it's been confirmed to be a warranty issue.

Is the huge delay just to get a slot at the dealership or to get a courtesy car? Because there's never enough courtesy cars available and that usually means a longer wait. I'd also check and see if there are any other dealers which have earlier availability?

I had similar before with over a months wait which I'd reduced to about a week by travelling to another dealership.

That said, if it's only 3 streets away I'd be tempted to drive it over and see if they can fit it if there are any cancellations, or just read the fault code and confirm if it's safe to drive.

bengalknights

Did you contact the Seat roadside assistance team and put in a big exaggeration ( i cannot brake and the vehicle does not stop)

That should get it towed to a local seat dealer who will suddenly look at it.

NibblyPig

bengalknights said:

Did you contact the Seat roadside assistance team and put in a big exaggeration ( i cannot brake and the vehicle does not stop)

That should get it towed to a local seat dealer who will suddenly look at it.

Yeah I probably won't be exaggerating, it's getting worse, today while driving the regen braking failed then something else failed, had 3 warning lights, even the media console buggered up and said it couldn't display song info, the rear camera broke and when I finished the journey the car made a horrendous noise and the brakes didn't work properly, it was juddering like crazy.

That's what I told the seat people before, they said sounds bad, contacted the AA, who subcontracted to the guy who couldn't do anything and since it was technically drivable ...

I think tomorrow if it does it again I'm just gonna phone for a tow because it's just way too dangerous. Annoying because I really need a car as I have to attend classes and stuff.

iwb100

I didn’t think Seat have any full EVs yet? Have I missed something? Or is it a cupra?

The problem here is you have a lease contract. Whatever is in that contract is what you are entitled to. The lease company has just leant you the car. That’s it. And it’s your problem if it breaks down.

However I’d say that you should ring Seat dealers round you and find one you can take it in for diagnostics. I doubt there will be a months wait for that. Then you can at least determine the problem and If under warranty they should sort you something whilst you wait for a fix. 

Goudy

iwb100 said:

I didn’t think Seat have any full EVs yet? Have I missed something? Or is it a cupra?

The problem here is you have a lease contract. Whatever is in that contract is what you are entitled to. The lease company has just leant you the car. That’s it. And it’s your problem if it breaks down.

However I’d say that you should ring Seat dealers round you and find one you can take it in for diagnostics. I doubt there will be a months wait for that. Then you can at least determine the problem and If under warranty they should sort you something whilst you wait for a fix. 

You've missed something.
Seat Mii electric (same as the Vw E Up and Skoda Citigo E) has been around for a while and I think they have only recently stopped selling them.

I seem to remember the above had airbag or seatbelt tensioner connection trouble which internmittently cuts the electric to the motor.

The new Cupra Born hasn't been out long and is a rebadged VW ID3,

NibblyPig

iwb100 said:

I didn’t think Seat have any full EVs yet? Have I missed something? Or is it a cupra?

The problem here is you have a lease contract. Whatever is in that contract is what you are entitled to. The lease company has just leant you the car. That’s it. And it’s your problem if it breaks down.

However I’d say that you should ring Seat dealers round you and find one you can take it in for diagnostics. I doubt there will be a months wait for that. Then you can at least determine the problem and If under warranty they should sort you something whilst you wait for a fix. 

Seat MII electric

Lease contract presumably falls under the sale of goods/services, that they have to provide a working car, within reason - so if it breaks they have to fix it, within reason. It's annoying that I have to argue with the dealership. It's not my car. I'm not the registered owner or the registered keeper. If SEAT are being ridiculously slow to do anything to fix my 11 month car under warranty, then I'd file a complaint with them if it were my car. But it's not my car, I don't have any agreement with SEAT, only VW finance.

Probably going to drive to the shops later and then phone them for a tow when the brakes crap out again, no way I can go a whole month like this.

iwb100

NibblyPig said:

iwb100 said:

I didn’t think Seat have any full EVs yet? Have I missed something? Or is it a cupra?

The problem here is you have a lease contract. Whatever is in that contract is what you are entitled to. The lease company has just leant you the car. That’s it. And it’s your problem if it breaks down.

However I’d say that you should ring Seat dealers round you and find one you can take it in for diagnostics. I doubt there will be a months wait for that. Then you can at least determine the problem and If under warranty they should sort you something whilst you wait for a fix. 

Seat MII electric

Lease contract presumably falls under the sale of goods/services, that they have to provide a working car, within reason - so if it breaks they have to fix it, within reason. It's annoying that I have to argue with the dealership. It's not my car. I'm not the registered owner or the registered keeper. If SEAT are being ridiculously slow to do anything to fix my 11 month car under warranty, then I'd file a complaint with them if it were my car. But it's not my car, I don't have any agreement with SEAT, only VW finance.

Probably going to drive to the shops later and then phone them for a tow when the brakes crap out again, no way I can go a whole month like this.

Of fair enough. Though the Mii had gone a bit earlier than that.

What does your leasing contract say about faults and repairs? It’s basically whatever is in there.

I suspect it’s your problem but worth checking what it actually states.