Vauxhall Grandland Cam chain recall disaster

syrupsponge

Received a recall letter in January saying the cam chain fitted was inferior and subject to snapping prematurely. Took the car to Evans Halshaw, York where the vehicle was out of my sight for 30 minutes during which time they advised they had checked the chain and changed the oil.

Fast forward to June and 3k miles later the chain has snapped. Evans Halshaw are now saying they did not change the oil but still that the chain was okay. It obviously wasn't as it has snapped at only 77k miles.

The car is currently with our mechanic who will change the chain but cannot account for any damage to the engine itself.

Evans Halshaw York are ambivalent and have no interest in the matter.

What recourse do we have? If the cam chain is changed, probably at our expense, what if the engine itself is damaged?

I would like to add this car has been nothing but trouble. In the early days of our ownership in 2020 it was in the garage more times than out when Vauxhall eventually rectified the problem by changing the fuel tank.

Aylesbury_Duck

Age of car?

Mileage?

Service history?

born_again

Mileage since check?

syrupsponge

2019 model

Mileage at check 74k now 77k

Early dealer serviced, regular local garage since.

Thank you.

Aylesbury_Duck

The challenge you have is that the chain was checked, and the failure happened five months and three thousand miles later. That's quite some time and mileage later. They may have misled you about the oil change but that sounds like it wasn't due, anyway?

I think you'll have a hard time pinning any costs onto the dealer. You might have some joy with the manufacturer, but they are sure to insist on a full service history (which you appear to have - were all the services done within/roughly the prescribed mileage/time intervals?) and that you have evidence that your local independent garage followed Vauxhall's service specifications in terms of oils and components used. If they used whatever cheap parts and oils they have in stock, don't expect Vauxhall to be sympathetic.

Baldytyke88

Checking a Vauxhall Grandland cam (timing) chain requires either an audio inspection for metallic rattling during cold starts or using specialized engine locking tools to verify valve timing. Due to hidden components, physically inspecting chain tension or stretch requires partial engine disassembly and should usually be done by a qualified mechanic.

It is vital to confirm which engine is in your Grandland, as the term "cam chain" is often confused with wet timing belts!

Aylesbury_Duck

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82072443#Comment_82072443

Is that AI output? It reads like it. One would assume that Vauxhall wouldn't have sent the recall letter without knowing which timing method is present in OP's car.

Assuming your post is correct, it doesn't sound like it's something that can be done in less than 30 minutes, which is what OP described.

OP - can you confirm whether or not the recall inspection was carried out at an authorised dealer? Did the letter come from Vauxhall themselves? What did it say? If the dealer you took it to was authorised by Vauxhall to carry out the inspection, did the dealer give you paperwork to confirm the inspection took place?

misimp

As the Duck says, this sounds like it was the infamous 1.2l puretech wet belt engine

The 'oil change' reinforces that assumption

The efficiency of the recall check lies totally in the hands of the dealer doing the checking

It usually consists of a visual check of the belt through the filler cap looking for evidence of disintegration

Needless to say it is not an accurate way of assessing the condition of the belt. When they do start to 'melt' it happens quite quickly and the gunge clogs the oil filter leading to a rapid damage to the engine

The dealer will no doubt claim that there were no indications of wear at the time of inspection

Whoever came up with the notion of running a timing belt in oil wasn't motoring in the days when we changed a fan belt if it got a bit of oil on it because it weakened the belt :-)

Baldytyke88

If the OP is correct that it has done 77k miles, a belt should have been replaced, so it may be on its second belt.

Aylesbury_Duck

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82072884#Comment_82072884

OP typed "chain" around six times in their post, so I am assuming it is indeed a chain and not a belt.

born_again

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82073009#Comment_82073009

STELLANTIS CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN FOR UK CONSUMERS CONCERNING THE CAMSHAFT CHAIN ON PREVIOUS GENERATIONS OF 1.5 BLUE HDI DIESEL ENGINES ​

 

http:// https://www.vauxhall.co.uk/maintenance-services/warranties-care/customer-support-1-5-blue-hdi-diesel-engines.html