Faulty used car

lisyloo

The suggestion I gave you initially still stands.
Pay for a report from your local garage which states in writing the faults with the installation clutch, along with a quote to fix it.
Send a "letter before action" to the garage who replaced the clutch asking for the amount of the quote within 14 days.
I would send it recorded delivery or deliver by hand and take a photo when it's handed over.

Betterthanlife

Have you spoken to the garage who changed the clutch at all yet? Personally I'd talk to the service manager first and see what they say, they might take a look at it and agree it was incorrectly fitted and repair it. I dont think going in all guns blazing threating a letter before action and court will help the situation at this stage. Sometimes mistakes happen. As you said you bought a car without checking the V5 first

SaveSmartly12

@Betterthanlife I’m taking it tomorrow. I would never buy Suzuki again. Completely non existent customer service that I find very out of touch with the standards of current standards. I’m waiting to see what they say but if they charge me then I’m taking them to court.

born_again

So you are talking about a 6 year old car that has had 5 previous owner.
What is it's mileage?
Which model?

Not quite sure which customer service you are complaining about given you have not spoken to the garage that put the new clutch in.
Selling dealer has nothing to do with this issue.

lisyloo

Betterthanlife said:

Have you spoken to the garage who changed the clutch at all yet? Personally I'd talk to the service manager first and see what they say, they might take a look at it and agree it was incorrectly fitted and repair it. I dont think going in all guns blazing threating a letter before action and court will help the situation at this stage. Sometimes mistakes happen. As you said you bought a car without checking the V5 first

My understanding from 1st post is that it went to a suzuki dealer (different one from purchase) and their customer services are not helping at all.
So I read it that options were being exhausted but perhaps I got that wrong.

SaveSmartly12

@born_again I have been emailing Suzuki customer services and every time they refuse to say anything about the matter and revert me to the garage. When the clutch initially went the man at the garage told me he would teach me how to use a clutch as he was insistent I had burned the clutch. This time the same man said to me that I was going to believe a local garage over a Suzuki mechanic, the same mechanic who has incorrectly installed the replacement clutch and they have broken the bracket that holds the clutch. The bracket that if completely broken will make the car undriveable. I’ve driven enough cars that I can tell that the gears are not changing as they should be. 

Goudy

Have you let the dealer that fitted the clutch (who are not Suzuki or even Suzuki's UK importer by the way, they are just a franchise) inspect the car yet?

I know you have had another opinion regards the problem, but did they strip the clutch down and inspect it?
If not their opinion is at best, subjective.
The clutch is buried deep in between the engine and gearbox, without seeing it, it's just opinion that it's worn of badly fitted.
It could actually be contaminated with oil from a leaking gearbox or engine seal.

It might be the case they are trying to line up some expensive work from you themselves which is why they have found these faults.

You'll not get anywhere with Suzuki UK or the franchised dealer if you've not allowed that dealer to assess it.

But you, me and everyone else will always have trouble with warranty work on clutches and over wearable parts.

As stated, they are a consumable part, they wear and the wear at different speeds depending on how a car is driven.
I'm not saying that it's been driven badly, though that doesn't help.

Clutches in cars that pile on big motorway miles will seem to last forever as they tend to spend hours and hundreds of miles in one gear, with just the odd stop start.

Cars that shuffle around towns and cities with hundreds of gear changes and lots of stop starts to do ten miles will obviously wear out much sooner.

lisyloo

destype said:

@born_again I have been emailing Suzuki customer services and every time they refuse to say anything about the matter and revert me to the garage. When the clutch initially went the man at the garage told me he would teach me how to use a clutch as he was insistent I had burned the clutch. This time the same man said to me that I was going to believe a local garage over a Suzuki mechanic, the same mechanic who has incorrectly installed the replacement clutch and they have broken the bracket that holds the clutch. The bracket that if completely broken will make the car undriveable. I’ve driven enough cars that I can tell that the gears are not changing as they should be. 

This is why IMO you are flogging a dead horse looking for good will.
The bit about teaching you how to use a clutch may well be sexism.

You need a factual report.
If there are pictures of the broken bracket then it's not in dispute that the bracket is broken.
It's unlikely a judge will believe you tampered with it so the benefit of the doubt would be against the installer of the new clutch but you need a factual report and not arguing with people who are not interested in helping you.
I don't believe in going in all guns blazing either but in this case it appears you are trying to flog a dead horse.

You could of course try an ordinary letter first stating your case and asking for a response, but I don't think it's going to be a positive one.

Betterthanlife

lisyloo said:

Betterthanlife said:

Have you spoken to the garage who changed the clutch at all yet? Personally I'd talk to the service manager first and see what they say, they might take a look at it and agree it was incorrectly fitted and repair it. I dont think going in all guns blazing threating a letter before action and court will help the situation at this stage. Sometimes mistakes happen. As you said you bought a car without checking the V5 first

My understanding from 1st post is that it went to a suzuki dealer (different one from purchase) and their customer services are not helping at all.
So I read it that options were being exhausted but perhaps I got that wrong.

I understood it as they emailed Suzuki UK CS, in which case they'd be better off talking directly to the garage that changed the clutch as I'm not sure Suzuki UK would get involved at an early stage. I would speak with the service manager, it might better to have a civil chat first rather than threatening court action to start with. Often a spoon of sugar is better than a gallon of vinegar.

lisyloo

destype said:

@Betterthanlife I’m taking it tomorrow. I would never buy Suzuki again. Completely non existent customer service that I find very out of touch with the standards of current standards. I’m waiting to see what they say but if they charge me then I’m taking them to court.

I would make it clear up front what you expect them to do.
i.e. inspect what you believe is a faulty job, without charge.