MG Non Existant Customer Service

Saintesky

Hoping someone can help me here with this.  I don’t know if this is a genuine one off, or there are hordes of enraged MG owners who will never buy one of their cars again.  

I bought a MG HS PHEV in 2022.  Dealership in Warrington. 

Car had quite a few quirks. Reported them at 1st service. Nothing was followed up on them, and dealership abruptly changed ownership and franchise.  

Fast forward to 2023 and car started to breakdown citing a flat battery.  Battery replaced. One occasion, it refused to apply the parking brake and I had to stay in car to prevent it rolling off.  Diagnosis was that it was pumping out garbled hybrid information and that there was a drain on battery. Air Con also failed.  Car initially took to Chapelhouse Southport who said the car didn’t look like what was in their maintenance manuals. Repairs then unable to take place due to a seaparate motorcycle crash which badly injured me).  

Chapelhouse St Helens then refused to touch the car. 

Eventually I got the car into Arnold Clark Liverpool in early 2024. They had the car for months doing repairs. 

Took it home and Air Con failed after one day

eventually got it back in.  Arnold Clark then admitted defeat and explained it need a level 4 technician to repair it. However, removing the main fuse, they managed to break a piece of steel off (their words, not mine) but insisted the car was safe and tried to get me to take it to a dealership on Chorley who could fix it. 

Car broke down in 3rd lane of a busy road in Liverpool.  Wouldn’t display hazards and needed police to protect the car from being driven into. Car recovered. 

The problem I’ve now got is that Arnold Clark are refusing to deal with the car, and won’t give me a courtesy car as a result saying it either needs to come from MG themselves or the garage the car is going to. No one has yet authorised the repair of the car, only to look at it.  MG are refusing to authorise a courtesy car, despite it needing a part on order, because they’re saying the dealership needs to give me a courtesy car. Their procedures prevent them from giving me a car.  I’m paying over £400 a month for a car that has been broken by the Garage and now have no car. I’ve even asked citizens advice and they said to get the finance company to have the car rejected.  However they’ve said no because they’re saying faults weren’t reported in 6months. 

I’ve kept my cool with the staff at both ends. But I absolutely hate Arnold Clark and MG at the moment for this buck passing. Has anyone got any advice for what to do?  I’m at the end of my tether. 

Petriix

I think it really varies depending on the dealership. AC have a bit of a reputation for poor service. I've had a pretty decent experience with Crayford and Abbs in Norfolk - they've picked up and delivered my car or provided an EV loan car when I've had my services done (for which they charge next to nothing). 

Mildly_Miffed

Arnold Shark and a cheap Chinese car with deep-seated electronic problems.

I think I'd be trying to negotiate a settlement that sees the car bought back.

But MG UK are correct - the warranty does not include a right to a courtesy car, which would be a goodwill provision from the dealer.

Equally, Arnold are trying to fix the damage their mechanic caused - but the part is on back order from China, which is not their fault.

"break a piece of steel off" - it sounds like the door pillar is lying on the workshop floor, but it's probably just a retaining tang for a multiplug on an ECU. It may not even be their fault - it may have been poorly assembled in the first place, or bodged by one of the other garages.

Saintesky

Having managed to get hold of the service manager at AC, they’ve told me that the two main fuses that were removed resulted in the clip being broken that they were attached to.  I did question ‘the piece of steel’ the first time I heard it , and it actually being a clip makes far more sense.  I could only go off what they actually told me at the time  Which he conceded.   However he did allude that MG have very poor customer service which is going to cost them long term. Because every single time they’ve requested a courtesy car off MG. They’ve been refused.  My stance on Arnold Clark is softening a little bit, because three different dealership saying pretty much the same thing about MG is telling. I really do think that MG need to drop the British Motor Saviour act. As their current customer service seems to be every bit as bad that provided in the old days. 

Mildly_Miffed

Saintesky said:

I really do think that MG need to drop the British Motor Saviour act.

In the unlikely event they use that, that would simply be fraudulent advertising.

The MG brand was bought by Nanjing Automobile Corporation from the ashes of MG Rover Group in 2005, then SAIC (Shanghai Automobile Industry Corporation) in 2007.

Your MG HS is sold in most other markets as a Roewe RX5, and was built in Ningde, Fujian province.

LightFlare

In my opinion - the MG brand has degraded since the 50s and 60s when it stood for something different.

A bit like the “Cooper” brand

Sadly people get caught into buying into something that no longer exists

Mildly_Miffed

LightFlare said:

In my opinion - the MG brand has degraded since the 50s and 60s when it stood for something different.

Something different to a Wolseley 4/44 or Austin A60 or ADO16 with a different badge?

Goudy

As things stand there's little difference between then and now.

MG cars started out selling rebranding Morris cars.
Today MG Motors sell rebranded SAIC products.

(I was going to go down the "both built by communists" rabbit hole if you believe Jeremy Clarkson)

oldagetraveller1

"when it stood for something different."

Yes, Morris Garages.

m0bov

Try and get a settlement or get it fixed up and sell it on 

Saintesky

As an update now, the car has apparently ended up in Sheffield somewhere at a Dealership. MG haven't answered where exactly.. Being evasive on the courtesy car, saying ask the MG dealership in Liverpool!! They've told me they can't do anything about it now as they've effectively got rid of their problem.

I feel like going outside the dealership with a banner and telling people to avoid MG all together because they don't want to know. If you flog the brand, you should also represent it, not hide when it goes wrong. As for MG. Never, ever again.