PCP Car died after 1 year...

mac1fm

Would so appreciate any advice... After years of having cheap, old cars, almost exactly a year ago I bought a nearly 3-year old Skoda Karoq on PCP with a super-low mileage (about 6000).

Almost exactly a year later the car engine has developed what the mechanic (Skoda dealer) has described as a fatal error. lots of oil in engine and engine ruined.

Our monthly PCP payments are just over £345. As I understand it we are now in a situation where we have to pay out £345 per month for another 2 years followed by a large balloon payment at the end... but no longer have a car.

I am trying to figure out if there is any possible help or option I am missing out on or can't see? It is outside any warranty. I am guessing my best option is to sell it now as a non-runner for whatever I can get to offset all these outgoings?? Would be so grateful if anyone can offer better solutions I may have missed.

Mildly_Miffed

Very low mileages are never good for cars.

That aside, it is on you - unless you think you have recourse against the seller of the car. After a year, that's unlikely.

If you want to return it to the financier, it needs to be in full working order.

For something of the value of a 4yo Karoq, your best bet financially is going to be to replace the engine.

CliveOfIndia

mac1fm said:

a fatal error. lots of oil in engine and engine ruined.

What does this mean?  Has the oil been overfilled?  This can certainly lead to damage.  If so, who last changed the oil - you or a mechanic?  Clutching at straws here, but if it is indeed the case that you're talking about overfilling the oil, and that was done by a garage, there's an outside chance you could pursue a claim against them.  It may be very hard to prove, of course.

Aside from that, then it sounds like you're on your own.

It may be worth finding out exactly what the damage is, and seeing if you can find a decent independent mechanic for a second opinion.  There's a chance it could be fix-able for less than a main dealer would quote.

Another option is, as suggested by the previous poster, a reconditioned engine - if the damage really is terminal.  It won't be cheap, but it may make financial sense in the long run.

photome

Is it still under warranty/gtee?

If bought from Skoda with finance they usually offer a 2 year warranty.

what have Skoda said re repairing under warranty or otherwise ?

daveyjp

Another example of the significant downside of buying a used vehicle with no manufacturers warranty on PCP.

My MSE advice is don't do it.

[Deleted User]

Even if it is out of warranty, you would not expect a properly maintained, low mileage engine to fail after only a few years. So, you may be able to get Skoda to contribute to the cost of the repair. They won't be keen but you can keep pushing them.

Mildly_Miffed

[Deleted User] said:

Even if it is out of warranty, you would not expect a properly maintained, low mileage engine to fail after only a few years. So, you may be able to get Skoda to contribute to the cost of the repair. They won't be keen but you can keep pushing them.

We don't know why it failed. It may be external causes, not a manufacturing issue. Oil cooler damaged by road debris, etc etc.

Even if it is, you'd need to have a full main dealer history to the book to have any hope of a goodwill part-contribution.

mac1fm

Thanks all... It's not full of oil because of putting too much in - I don't understand much about mechanics but engine seems to have drawn lots in and burnt lots. The garage initially charged me just over £1000 to investigate and repair (they replaced the spark plugs and PCV valve) and said was running fine but within 15 minutes of driving away from garage started spluttering and pouring out smoke. Took if back in and they now saying its some bigger internal engine problem and that the engine is absolutely full of oil.

born_again

[Deleted User] said:

Even if it is out of warranty, you would not expect a properly maintained, low mileage engine to fail after only a few years. So, you may be able to get Skoda to contribute to the cost of the repair. They won't be keen but you can keep pushing them.

No mention of car being serviced at all?
All just how many miles OP has added in that year of ownership.

Goudy

This sounds like the high pressure fuel pump (HPFP) has leaked.

Modern fuel injected petrol engines supply the fuel to the engine in a similar way to modern diesel engines.

They use a lift pump in the fuel tank to supply fuel to another pump ran off the engine that runs at really high pressure.
This fuel is then delivered to the injectors from a common fuel rail at this high pressure.

The injectors then fire a high pressure mist directly into the cylinders to mix with the air entering via the throttle body and inlet valves and you get your BANG.

HPFP's on the most engines are ran off the cam shaft (as my Renault does).
As the cam shaft rotates it drives a roller/piston in the pump that pressurises up the fuel to the rail and injectors .

If this pump has a problem, it can leak petrol past the roller/piston in the pump as it only has a simple O ring seal and into the cylinder head, where is makes it's way down to the sump and mixes with the engine oil.

Apart from over filling the sump/engine up with what appears lots and lots of thin, smelly engine oil, the petrol also acts as a solvent so the engine oil can't lubricate anymore and the engine is ruined.

It's not unheard of that the VAG TSi engines can suffer with HPFP problems, it's by no means common but they have been known to suffer.
It's usually a solenoid problem but some have been known to leak like this.

You would need the dealer to confirm that this is the problem and then discuss with them if the HPFP should fail within 4 years (which it really shouldn't).

Also, they should have realised it was (a possible) problem before they gave it you back after the original diagnostic work, when they changed the plugs and PCV valve.
In fact if they had the PCV off, they would have seen it was blowing something more than engine oil vapour.

They are the experts and I'm just some numpty off an internet forum, but it's where I would have started with a modern petrol engine filling up it's sump with anything other than water/coolant.

ididgetwhereiamtoday

daveyjp said:

Another example of the significant downside of buying a used vehicle with no manufacturers warranty on PCP.

My MSE advice is don't do it.

Yeah but the horse has already bolted. 

My next car will be Korean!