Used Car Dealer refused repair - my options?

Eastender · 12 July 2018 at 10:10PM

Hello Folks,

Just bought a 09 Fiesta Auto with 3 month warranty built in, now driving home from the dealer I got a 'Transmission Fault service now' warning message on the screen which comes and goes. This wasn't seen on the short test drive. I think when you switch off the engine, it warning message appears.

Now the used car dealer, says it just a needs a service that I should arrange or it's a transmission fluid change needed, again I should arrange but its unlikely that. I actually bought this for my daughter who just passed her test. I have arranged a diagnostic check with a Ford dealer for £50.

What do you guys advise?

EdGasketTheSecond · 12 July 2018 at 10:32PM

See what the diagnostic check says. Have you checked the auto fluid level; there is a dipstick for it if it is like the 07 fiesta?

reddwarf2002 · 12 July 2018 at 10:37PM

I think you've done the right thing in going directly to the dealership in this case. If Ford say it is transmission related fault and is going to cost quite a bit then I would take it up with the seller and reject the car. It's very unlikely that the seller will do the repair to a high enough standard (or even repair it) for you to be satisfied with it.

forgotmyname · 12 July 2018 at 11:30PM

9 year old car to a main dealer. My guess is it needs a new gearbox which is £1 more than you paid for the car.

Gearbox has probably never seen an oil change.

reddwarf2002 · 12 July 2018 at 11:37PM

forgotmyname wrote: »

9 year old car to a main dealer. My guess is it needs a new gearbox which is £1 more than you paid for the car.

Gearbox has probably never seen an oil change.

It's not about having the fault rectified by the main dealer. OP needs to get a diagnosis of the fault. If they can do it for £50 then I'd say it's worth it. On the other hand Ford may turn around and say that they can't say with certainty without removing the gearbox in which case OP can ask them not to go any further.

Since the problem is related to the gearbox then I'd say it's in OP's best interest to get it diagnosed properly before they are stuck with it.

EdGasketTheSecond · 13 July 2018 at 8:56AM

For £50 they will only stick a diagnostic tool in the ODB2 port and read off codes. That might be enough but often not the whole story.

Eastender · 13 July 2018 at 10:15AM

Sorry for the confusion, when I wrote the 'dealer' I meant the used car dealer which operates from 'Gumtree' where I bought the car, but they do have AA behind them and comes with 3 months engine and gearbox guarantee.

The seller thinks the warning message means the ATF fluid needs changing, even it has 92K miles on the clock and full service history which only has stamps, no detailed paperwork. Booked the car with a local Ford diagnostic garage with £50 fee.
The seller wants me to do the ATF fluid change, which he thinks is culprit.

I will go to Ford and then tell the seller what the outcome is and if it's not the fluid change then, he must sort it out. The warranty is an insurance policy that seller garage undertaken so not what the conditions are.

He is hesitating to do anything. I always worried buying used cars from small car dealers but my daughter has limited budget.

reddwarf2002 · 13 July 2018 at 10:18AM

EdGasketTheSecond wrote: »

For £50 they will only stick a diagnostic tool in the ODB2 port and read off codes. That might be enough but often not the whole story.

Agreed. But a main dealer is more likely to be clued up about Ford specific codes than say a backstreet garage who is also going to be reading off computer.

davidwood681 · 13 July 2018 at 10:32AM

reddwarf2002 wrote: »

Agreed. But a main dealer is more likely to be clued up about Ford specific codes than say a backstreet garage who is also going to be reading off computer.

Our local Ford dealer isn't :rotfl:

facade · 13 July 2018 at 10:38AM

Eastender wrote: »

The seller thinks the warning message means the ATF fluid needs changing, even it has 92K miles on the clock and full service history which only has stamps, no detailed paperwork. Booked the car with a local Ford diagnostic garage with £50 fee.
The seller wants me to do the ATF fluid change, which he thinks is culprit.

It may well be, the ATF fluid change is probably not included in the services, and would have been an extra, so hardly anyone gets it done.

AdrianC · 13 July 2018 at 11:53AM

First off, find out which model of Fiesta (IIRC 2009 was a change-over year) and which box you actually have. There are several marketing names, which hide very different technologies.

If this happened LITERALLY on the way home from collecting the car, then take it straight back, and brook no argument. Full refund, here and now, get on with it. If you'd had it more than 30 days, then you're outside of the right to a refund, and life gets a lot tricker - especially as soon as somebody other than the supplier puts a spanner to it.

Used Car Dealer refused repair - my options?

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