Enging died on Financed Car

tiana-tt · 22 September 2017 at 6:10PM

Hello,
I would really appreciate some advice. I purchased a used Vauxhall Insignia back in 2015 on Finance from a dealer, the car has been running fine until recently, and is regularly serviced every year. Suddenly it broke down on the motorway late at night and the Car breakdown Service couldn't get it started. After getting it delivered to a garage on a bed truck the following day and having it looked at, it turns out the engine has seized! Quite devastated as 1) I love the car and 2) I'm still paying finance on it and very reliant on having a car to get to and from work.

An engine specialist has looked at the car and tried to start it using various methods, bypassing this and that to check it was the engine that has seized and they confirm the engine is completely seized and needs to be replaced or repaired to the sum of around £2,000 or more. I understand that the rebuilt engine or replacement engine will only have a 6month warranty so I have no real guarantee the problem won't happen again. I've been told by two garages that seized engines is a common problem with Vauxhall Insignia's, I had no idea of that before.

My question is can I reject the car with the Finance company as it is not not working at all, it doesn't even tick over!

I am just about to hit the half way mark with the payments made to the finance company now. Another car dealer said that I should contact the Finance company and tell them the car is not fit for purpose, but I'm not sure what to do, I don't want to speak to the Finance company until I've had some advice first. Still paying for a vehicle that does not work at all is VERY painful!!:(

Please advice on what I can do.

Many Thanks

forgotmyname · 22 September 2017 at 6:20PM

Another Insignia bought in 2005? Got 2 accounts?

Not working at all doesnt tick over? Doesnt sound like a seized engine.

tiana-tt · 22 September 2017 at 6:44PM

Hi Forgotmyname,

Thx for the reply. I only have one account I've never posted about this before.

It was ticking over before now it's not. 2 different specialists confirm engine seized before it stopped ticking over so can only go by that.

zooks · 22 September 2017 at 6:55PM

I wouldn't have thought you could claim not fit for service on a car you bought 2 years ago?
If it was bought from and serviced by a Vauxhall dealer you might have better luck appealing to Vauxhall for a goodwill gesture.

Strider590 · 22 September 2017 at 7:28PM

I find it unlikely that Insignias suffer engine seizures in high enough quantities for a garage to say so, seeing as the same engines are used across the Vauxhall range.

What's the mileage and when was the cambelt, tensioner, water pump and pulleys last changed?

One common issue with almost all cars, is owners going cheapskate on the cambelt change and ONLY changing the belt, when it's the other components that 99% of the time destroy the belt, not the other way around.

It's hard to know what the last owner has done.

societys_child · 22 September 2017 at 7:39PM

You bought a used car two years ago which has now seized up whilst you were driving on a motorway?
It's been fit for purpose for two years, you might struggle with this.

motorguy · 22 September 2017 at 8:45PM

tiana-tt wrote: »

Hello,
I would really appreciate some advice. I purchased a used Vauxhall Insignia back in 2015 on Finance from a dealer, the car has been running fine until recently, and is regularly serviced every year. Suddenly it broke down on the motorway late at night and the Car breakdown Service couldn't get it started. After getting it delivered to a garage on a bed truck the following day and having it looked at, it turns out the engine has seized! Quite devastated as 1) I love the car and 2) I'm still paying finance on it and very reliant on having a car to get to and from work.

An engine specialist has looked at the car and tried to start it using various methods, bypassing this and that to check it was the engine that has seized and they confirm the engine is completely seized and needs to be replaced or repaired to the sum of around £2,000 or more. I understand that the rebuilt engine or replacement engine will only have a 6month warranty so I have no real guarantee the problem won't happen again. I've been told by two garages that seized engines is a common problem with Vauxhall Insignia's, I had no idea of that before.

My question is can I reject the car with the Finance company as it is not not working at all, it doesn't even tick over!

I am just about to hit the half way mark with the payments made to the finance company now. Another car dealer said that I should contact the Finance company and tell them the car is not fit for purpose, but I'm not sure what to do, I don't want to speak to the Finance company until I've had some advice first. Still paying for a vehicle that does not work at all is VERY painful!!:(

Please advice on what I can do.

Many Thanks

Nope. You wont be able to reject the car to / with the finance company.

I'm afraid its going to be a case of paying the £2,000 and getting it running again.

wgl2014 · 22 September 2017 at 10:10PM

As others have said you are not going to be able to reject the car.

You are correct that IF there were grounds to reject it (such as the engine seized in the first few weeks after purchase) the finance company would have responsibility but with the time and use you have had the car this is no longer applicable.

I would consider a replacement engine rather than a rebuild, check out the costs and go from there.

facade · 23 September 2017 at 7:51AM

Strider590 wrote: »

I find it unlikely that Insignias suffer engine seizures in high enough quantities for a garage to say so, seeing as the same engines are used across the Vauxhall range.

A quick google shows it is the 2.0 diesel that seizes, they report loads of problems with oil pressure & oil pump leading to "sudden" seizure- I don't know how they diagnose low oil pressure without the gauge that was fitted to all but poverty spec. cars in The Olden Days, but that is what they say.

System · 23 September 2017 at 9:20AM

facade wrote: »

I don't know how they diagnose low oil pressure without the gauge that was fitted to all but poverty spec. cars in The Olden Days, but that is what they say.

Very simply. They take the engine apart, see the surface of the mains and big end bearings have been mashed up and there's usually a blue hue on some of the surfaces of the moving parts at the bottom end. When you've seen inside an engine that has been run with low oil pressure the damage is fairly obvious. Instead of nice smooth wearing on the inside of the mains bearing faces with a feathering to its edge and being smooth to the feel there will be scrapes and gouges.

tiana-tt · 23 September 2017 at 5:12PM

Thank you all for your comments. Much appreciated. I guess I will have to continue with getting the engine fixed and hope it's a good engine and lasts past the warranty!

Enging died on Financed Car

Comments

Categories

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free