Cinch- Velar turbo failure.

Anonymous_grump

I purchased a Velar from Cinch after hearing good things from my uncle about the company. All was going well, the purchase wasn't too stressful, the delivery fee was a bit of a pain but I wanted the car sharpish so forked out for it. delivered 6th Sept 2025

All was going well until I heard a weird noise from the engine about 3 weeks in. I was told by a couple of people independent of Cinch it was just a turbo whine but I wasn't convinced.

As it was still in it's 90 day warranty period Cinch sent out the RAC mobile mechanic to have a look. He found the turbo noise to be excessive stating it could be a boost leak or a turbo failing and will report back to cinch. This was on 24th October. I was then informed as part of the warranty, the car could now not be driven (which is understandable) and they will book me in to one of their trusted garage network.

The first date they gave me was the 25th November...this was clearly not acceptable, after exchanging a few emails back and forth, they then offered the 3rd November, I accepted this, so far, not much else cinch could have done.

This is where it starts to get frustrating. The garage was an Audi garage, they were not 100% sure as far as I can make out, what the noise was, they were friendly with the JLR garage across the road, so booked it in with them for the 10th November....ok fair enough but now I've been without a car for 2 weeks.

Roll on to the 10th November....I was then told the turbo is failing. Great I thought, you know what it is, cinch can approve it and I can get my car back in the next week or two.

I was wrong.

I kept asking for updates via the Audi garage as I hadn't heard anything from cinch, I kept receiving the same response, "I'm so sorry for this delay, cinch have not yet approved the work so we can't even order the part yet" so I emailed cinch asking them to approve the work. they said this had been done

fast forward to the 19th of November, 3 weeks without a car....I got the same reply from the Audi garage, so I lost it and rang Cinch up, to be fair, the guy on the phone was nice enough, listened to my complaints and said he could see that they were messaging back and forth about 2 days apart, asking for proof that the turbo needs doing and that the garage have quoted 20 man hours to replace the turbo. Now, as it was quoted over 8 hours of work, I can have a hire car on a 7 day lease but because of the cost involved in this repair, it has to go for manager approval, if not approved, Cinch would take the car back and refund me. I was also told not to worry, as now I've got a hire car, this would make the whole process move faster as they are paying for this too.

Roll on to Friday 21st November I asked the garage if cinch had approved it yet....her reply was they now need video evidence that the turbo has failed.

They are part of your trusted garage network, accept what they have told you and either replace the part or refund me.

It's now the 28th November, a full month on from the initial RAC visit...repair still not approved and the hire car is going back leaving me back at square one.

In the mean time the remaining warranty is dwindling away to nothing, I was left without a car for 3 weeks before being offered the hire, I've paid a month of car insurance and finance for it....I'm no closer having it back! I'm still having zero luck with the aftercare team, getting generic responses of "this falls below our high standards" and similar nothing answers.

Now, I'm after advice, what rights do I have? its through a finance company. I've asked cinch to take the car back etc and I'll go elsewhere but they say that can't be done as it's after the 14 day return period. I highly doubt the turbo coincidentally broke a couple hundred miles into ownership. my suspicions are that its clearly why the previous owner got rid of it but unable to fully prove this. 

paul_c123

Anonymous_grump said:

I purchased a Velar
 

I guess you did zero research before you plumped for the sleek looking penis-extension, because the RR Velar is probably the most unreliable car that exists in modern day motoring (I am assuming 2.0 diesel, not the 3 litre or a petrol).

If its within 3 weeks you have a short term right to reject the car in full, ie get a full refund including the delivery cost. If they offer to repair instead and you want them to, there is a reasonableness clause but it doesn't have specific timeframes. They have 1 chance to repair, if something (anything) happens after that after 30 days but within 6 months you have the right to reject (and a deduction on mileage can be made).

Ectophile

paul_c123 said:

Anonymous_grump said:

I purchased a Velar
 

I guess you did zero research before you plumped for the sleek looking penis-extension, because the RR Velar is probably the most unreliable car that exists in modern day motoring (I am assuming 2.0 diesel, not the 3 litre or a petrol).

If its within 3 weeks you have a short term right to reject the car in full, ie get a full refund including the delivery cost. If they offer to repair instead and you want them to, there is a reasonableness clause but it doesn't have specific timeframes. They have 1 chance to repair, if something (anything) happens after that after 30 days but within 6 months you have the right to reject (and a deduction on mileage can be made).

It was over 30 days between the car being delivered and the RAC mechanic looking at it.

So legally it's now in the 6 month period in which a fault is assumed to be inherent in the car at the time it was sold, unless the seller can prove otherwise.

The finance company are jointly liable (under section 75 or 75A of the Consumer Credit Act) for any problems.  If Cinch won't sort it, lean heavily on the finance company and ask them what they are going to do to fix the problem.

paul_c123

Anonymous_grump said:

I purchased a Velar..........

All was going well until I heard a weird noise from the engine about 3 weeks in.

............

I believe strictly, the clock stops when the customer informs the seller of the issue. The fault occurred at 3 weeks, the RAC mechanic visit was after that, but were Cinch informed within the 30 days?

m0bov

It's within 30 days of being reported. Ask for refund, Google for a letter template to reject car. Follow up with an lba. If you used finance copy them in.

Anonymous_grump

paul_c123 said:

Anonymous_grump said:

I purchased a Velar
 

I guess you did zero research before you plumped for the sleek looking penis-extension, because the RR Velar is probably the most unreliable car that exists in modern day motoring (I am assuming 2.0 diesel, not the 3 litre or a petrol).

If its within 3 weeks you have a short term right to reject the car in full, ie get a full refund including the delivery cost. If they offer to repair instead and you want them to, there is a reasonableness clause but it doesn't have specific timeframes. They have 1 chance to repair, if something (anything) happens after that after 30 days but within 6 months you have the right to reject (and a deduction on mileage can be made).

Appreciate the comments guys. 

I did do the research and went for the 3.0D as I was under the impression the 2.0D was really troublesome with the 3 litre being the better of the two in reliability, as long as serviced regularly and sorting the timing chain before 100,000 miles. 

I'll wait for the repair then I guess and see what happens. The delay in approving the repair though is ridiculous.

Unfortunately, it would have been reported just after the 30 days. I was told it was a normal noise by a couple of car guys but As I said I wasn't convinced, then reported it to cinch. Definitely a fault on my part for not reporting it immediately.

I'll keep trying with the finance company too, like I said, it just seems a bit suspicious it went so soon after purchase. Could be a complete coincidence but it just doesn't feel like it.

facade

Anonymous_grump said:

 it just seems a bit suspicious it went so soon after purchase. Could be a complete coincidence but it just doesn't feel like it.

Most second hand cars have been "got rid" because there is something wrong with them.

You hope that it is just that the balloon was too high, or in the case of a Rangerover that the extended warranty was too expensive on top of the balloon.....

Hardly Cinch's fault though, I doubt if their business model is to buy faulty vehicles cheap and punt them on without repair.

Anonymous_grump

facade said:

Anonymous_grump said:

 it just seems a bit suspicious it went so soon after purchase. Could be a complete coincidence but it just doesn't feel like it.

Most second hand cars have been "got rid" because there is something wrong with them.

You hope that it is just that the balloon was too high, or in the case of a Rangerover that the extended warranty was too expensive on top of the balloon.....

Hardly Cinch's fault though, I doubt if their business model is to buy faulty vehicles cheap and punt them on without repair.

Honestly, reading the reviews of Cinch, being in the same group as we buy any car, it seems they take the better cars from them when they come through and the others go to auction. 

The fault here lies on me, I didn't do too much research on them as a company, just on the vehicle itself and I took a punt. Whether the fault lies with them or not regarding the car, the aftercare has been shocking. 

Anyway I do appreciate the replies, I'll just keep badgering them until it's resolved one way or the other. Gives me more of an idea where I stand in all this.

paul_c123

You're not actually entitled to a courtesy/hire car in law, so your only chance of winning this is by using section 23:

23 Right to repair or replacement

............................................

(2)If the consumer requires the trader to repair or replace the goods, the trader must—

(a)do so within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience to the consumer.............

There is no magic bullet which will make them comply with the above, you need to get serious with them to make them because otherwise they'll try and weasel out of it.

facade

Anonymous_grump said:

Honestly, reading the reviews of Cinch, being in the same group as we buy any car, it seems they take the better cars from them when they come through and the others go to auction. 

The fault here lies on me, I didn't do too much research on them as a company, just on the vehicle itself and I took a punt. Whether the fault lies with them or not regarding the car, the aftercare has been shocking. 

That is what "them in The Know" say, the low mileage, young cars get sold through Cinch, the high mileage & older stuff goes straight to BCA.

It seems a fact of life that the bigger less personal companies in all areas, not just the car trade, have poor after sales service- they've got your money now, and they are reluctant to start reducing their profit.