Engine failure due to a covered component under warranty.

muncey55

Vauxhall Mokka 2021 1.2 petrol
42,500 miles

27th September 25
Vehicle has TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE, due to a coolant pipe falling onto drive shaft and destroying both. 

ENGINE OIL PRESSURE WARNING
Stopped the vehicle immediately (was in a car park at the time) 

Got it recovered to Vauxhall repair garage.

My warranty covers coolant pipes, (under high pressure hoses and pipes)  but they won’t pay up as they say it was the clips that gave way and not the pipe, and they say the clips aren’t covered. 

Warranty also has a specific clause which I’ll copy and paste below: 

*Wear and tear - failure to Covered components when the vehicle has not exceeded a maximum mileage of 70,000 miles from the date of first registration. 

Car had 2 days warranty left on it at time of fault, which I didn’t discover until 3 weeks had passed (as sales man led me to believe my warranty ran from March - March) 

Car has been well maintained and service history already been ok’d by warranty company. 

Have documented proof that the car hasn’t turned 1 mile since the warning message showed up.

Claim has been rejected by warranty and dealership also say they can do nothing. 

Any advice welcome

QrizB

Coolant is water. Water loss won't immediately cause oil pressure loss or immediately damage your engine. A coolant pipe dropping onto a driveshaft isn't going to do that either.

Something doesn't add up here.

muncey55

I probably worded that all wrong maybe should’ve said it like this:

27th September 25

ENGINE OIL PRESSURE WARNING
Stopped the vehicle immediately (was in a car park at the time)

Car recovered to repair garage and they find
Vehicle has TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE, due to a coolant pipe falling onto drive shaft and destroying both

Engine oil pressure warning was first sign of anything. Car had been serviced and MOT checked less than 100 miles previous.

Funqi

Yet another premature Puretech engine failure.

Do you have access to the car?
The coolant pipe story sounds a little far fetched to me. Take it somewhere else for a 2nd opinion. 

The oil pressure warning is most likely because the wet belt has been disintegrating into the oil and clogging the oil pickup tube, thus starving the engine of oil. This is a common issue on these godawful engines.

What did the screen say when the engine failed? Was the engine running/driving when it failed?

GrumpyDil

OP, I think the query here is to understand how a coolant pipe dropping onto a driveshaft could destroy your engine. Did the garage give you more detail? 

muncey55

Full breakdown or repairs:
message showed up ENGINE OIL PRESSURE - STOP THE VEHICLE. Recovered to garage with fault reported. Phone call to say there’s damage to coolant pipe and driveshaft, they also notice deterioration in wet belt and offer getting it replaced as Vauxhall is standing over them etc, but the need the driveshaft and coolant pipe in first, £800. . couple days later they call me and say engine is missing and it will need 3 new spark plugs, £112. . next day I get the call to say it’s total engine failure £11,500 to repair. 

Repair garage has confirmed that the hose clips suddenly and unexpectedly “gave way” leading to the damage occurring. 

I’ve already had to pay £1050 for the repairs that were needlessly, I think anyway, carried out. 

Not to mention £300 on recovery fees. 

As for a 2nd opinion, the warranty company or dealer have not looked at the car once, it was with a Vauxhall specialist (I didn’t know the car was still warranted)

Funqi

Who is the garage who has your car? Are they a Vauxhall main dealer garage or an independent garage?

What do you mean "Vauxhall is standing over them"?

muncey55

They are a Vauxhall independent dealer. 

My reason for fighting is that the car was under warranty and they agree that the part was covered, but state the clips aren’t covered, even through that wear and tear clause I added above. 

I asked what would constitute as a mechanical failure on a high pressure hose or pipe and they replied: 
* pipes, or coolant pipes for a failure of the pipe structure brought about by a material defect of the pipe itself.

A material defect is:
* a significant flaw that substantially prevents the pipe from operating as designed, or poses a significant risk to safety or structural integrity

Both safety and structural integrity come into play here. 

I followed all my obligations as laid out in the policy. 

HHarry

muncey55 said:

I probably worded that all wrong maybe should’ve said it like this:

27th September 25

ENGINE OIL PRESSURE WARNING
Stopped the vehicle immediately (was in a car park at the time)

Car recovered to repair garage and they find
Vehicle has TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE, due to a coolant pipe falling onto drive shaft and destroying both

Engine oil pressure warning was first sign of anything. Car had been serviced and MOT checked less than 100 miles previous.

 I think someone is either trying to shift the blame, or there’s been a misunderstanding.  

The TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE, due to a coolant pipe falling onto drive shaft seems a little unlikely (although not impossible).
A total engine failure due to the ENGINE OIL PRESSURE WARNING is much more likely.

Could it be two unrelated issues - coincidences happen all the time.  Wet belt failure leading to oil pressure issues leading to engine failure (which has been widely reported for a number of manufacturers and engines).  And when the garage has had the car in for inspection, they’ve notice the coolant pipe issue as well.

 I take it you haven’t noticed any signs or warnings of the car overheating?

Grey_Critic

I wonder what previous repairs have been carried out - a coolant pipe falling onto drive shaft - I have never known of a clip failing unless it has been overtightened which would cause the pipe to be blown off or not being ftted correctly after other work, 

How old is the vehicle

Mildly_Miffed

muncey55 said:

Vauxhall Mokka 2021 1.2 petrol
42,500 miles

27th September 25
Vehicle has TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE, due to a coolant pipe falling onto drive shaft and destroying both. 

ENGINE OIL PRESSURE WARNING
Stopped the vehicle immediately (was in a car park at the time) 

Got it recovered to Vauxhall repair garage.

My warranty covers coolant pipes, (under high pressure hoses and pipes)  but they won’t pay up as they say it was the clips that gave way and not the pipe, and they say the clips aren’t covered. 

Warranty also has a specific clause which I’ll copy and paste below: 

*Wear and tear - failure to Covered components when the vehicle has not exceeded a maximum mileage of 70,000 miles from the date of first registration. 

Car had 2 days warranty left on it at time of fault, which I didn’t discover until 3 weeks had passed (as sales man led me to believe my warranty ran from March - March) 

Car has been well maintained and service history already been ok’d by warranty company. 

Have documented proof that the car hasn’t turned 1 mile since the warning message showed up.

Claim has been rejected by warranty and dealership also say they can do nothing. 

Welcome to used car warranties.

They're simply an insurance product that pays out in certain conditions. Your failure, whatever it may have been, is outside those conditions. They exist solely to make a profit for their provider - and that profit is what remains of the premiums paid, minus all the expenses of operating (office, staff, marketing, tax...) and... claims paid. They are only ever good value if your car is far less reliable than expected, in ways that are explicitly covered. Yours has been unreliable in a way that is not covered.

If the hose had burst, it would have been covered.

The clip failed - the clip is not covered.

B'sides that, it is very doubtful - as others have said - that the coolant pipe clamp has caused your oil pressure failure. I'm not even sure how a rubber hose could "destroy" a driveshaft, especially at car park speeds. I almost wonder if the situation is reversed - the driveshaft failed in a way that took the hose out and also caused a loss of oil, hence the lack of pressure. These engines have a combined oil-water heat exchanger, and if the driveshaft damaged that, you'd have a loss of both water and oil. But without a LOT more information, we're all guessing.

Either way, this is definitely not the vendor's problem, nor - it would seem - the warranty providers without a lot more diagnostic proof. The bill is currently yours.