VW used car warranty

securitysue

I purchased a used car on the 14 04 2023 from a dealer and yesterday i had to call the AA out as i couldnt start the car and they informed me that i needed a battery so am i within my rights to claim that money back from VW as this part was checked according to the checklist they sent me stating that it passed the test carried out ? 

Grumpy_chap

Did the AA jump-start and get you on your way, or did they sell you a new battery?
Do you still have the old battery?
Was there any reason why the battery went flat?  Lights left on etc.
The battery is likely not covered by the warranty as that will consider the battery a consumable.
However, there may be consumer rights that support your case.
How old was the car?
Have you contacted the supplying Dealer yet?  If so, what did they say?

securitysue said:

I purchased a used car on the 14 04 2023 from a dealer and yesterday i had to call the AA out as i couldnt start the car and they informed me that i needed a battery so am i within my rights to claim that money back from VW as this part was checked according to the checklist they sent me stating that it passed the test carried out ? 

Bigwheels1111

Batteries are wear and tear items, it’s unlikely you will get your money back.
I would complain and see if the dealer is in a good mood.
If they are no help go on Facebook and other sites and review them negatively.

Grumpy_chap

Bigwheels1111 said:

If they are no help go on Facebook and other sites and review them negatively.

That may be an over-reaction. 
We do not have any information from the OP about the age of the car, price paid, mileage and condition, type of Dealer.

From the thread title, it suggests a VW under the approved used scheme from a main Dealer.  That, in turn, would suggest a late model car in which the battery should be expected to have a good life remaining.  I'd also expect a sympathetic response from a main VW Dealer.

There is then a big difference in what is reasonable all the way from a 1 yo car main Dealer, 5 yo car Supermarket, or 20 yo car back street Dealer.  
Although, I'd normally expect a car to be supplied with a battery that lasts more than a month, even as a consumable part, largely irrespective of age of the car.  So, as I said, warranty may not cover it but consumer rights may.

The OP has not said whether they contacted the supplying Dealer yet.

It is also unusual for a car battery to just fail suddenly.  That typically indicates a drain left on.  The OP has not said whether they experienced a weak battery in the month between buying the car and the AA call out.

Ectophile

Grumpy_chap said:
It is also unusual for a car battery to just fail suddenly.  That typically indicates a drain left on.  The OP has not said whether they experienced a weak battery in the month between buying the car and the AA call out.

It may be unusual, but I have had batteries fail suddenly on me twice over the years.

securitysue

Grumpy_chap said:

Did the AA jump-start and get you on your way, or did they sell you a new battery?
Do you still have the old battery?
Was there any reason why the battery went flat?  Lights left on etc.
The battery is likely not covered by the warranty as that will consider the battery a consumable.
However, there may be consumer rights that support your case.
How old was the car?
Have you contacted the supplying Dealer yet?  If so, what did they say?

securitysue said:

I purchased a used car on the 14 04 2023 from a dealer and yesterday i had to call the AA out as i couldnt start the car and they informed me that i needed a battery so am i within my rights to claim that money back from VW as this part was checked according to the checklist they sent me stating that it passed the test carried out ? 

We managed to start the car when he turned up but there were many faults that appeared on the dashboard such as electronic handbrake fault and other faults and i couldnt move the car off the drive so when i switched the engine off the AA tested the battery and he said that was the problem but previous to that i had dropped my car off the previous day to be detailed and the battery had gone flat then too and they kindly recharged the battery for me so i could get home.  The car is 5 years old and has 22900 miles on the clock . The dealer has given me a 12 month MOT and has serviced the car so i wouldnt have expected this to happen .  I have complained to head office questioning their ' used car checklist' which states battery has been tested but i find this hard to believe that it was ok a month a go and not now and after spending 20k on a car i dont expect to pay £195 for a battery a month later so i have to try and get my money back so fingers crossed. 

Grumpy_chap

Buying a 5 yo car, you may just have been unlucky to have reached the end of life for the battery shortly after purchase.  Personally, I'd expect a battery to last longer than 5 years but not consider it extreme if it did not.  This article suggests 5 years is about the life-span:
https://www.halfords.com/motoring/advice/how-long-do-car-batteries-last.html

£20k for a 5yo 23k miles car is quite a lot of money.
Was this from a VW Main Dealer and the car under VW Approved Used scheme?

daveyjp

5 years old means it was probably sat around a lot during the Covid lockdowns and 23k is low mileage.  Both can cause battery issues.

The battery on the vehicle I owned over Covid was definately damaged during lockdown due to lack of use.

securitysue

I have just heard back from the general manager at the dealership who had been contacted by head office and they agree that i shouldnt be out of pocket so soon after purchasing the car and they have agreed to refund the price of the battery to me, so brucie bonus it just shows you dont know till you ask! thank you everyone for your comments. 

securitysue

Grumpy_chap said:

Buying a 5 yo car, you may just have been unlucky to have reached the end of life for the battery shortly after purchase.  Personally, I'd expect a battery to last longer than 5 years but not consider it extreme if it did not.  This article suggests 5 years is about the life-span:
https://www.halfords.com/motoring/advice/how-long-do-car-batteries-last.html

£20k for a 5yo 23k miles car is quite a lot of money.
Was this from a VW Main Dealer and the car under VW Approved Used scheme?

Approved used scheme .  I agree it was a lot of money but i had been looking for this car for a long time and found others which had high mileage so i was willing to pay more really than what it was probably worth because of the low mileage and was imaculate and i travelled from Netherton to Aylesbury to collect it so thats why Im so annoyed but all sorted now they are refunding my battery money to me so its all good now but thank you for your comments . 

Grumpy_chap

Sounds like a great result 👍