Wrong car part fitted, dealership refuse to cooperate

Wrong car part fitted, dealership refuse to cooperate

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pim

2,344 posts

123 months

Thursday 25th August 2016
quotequote all
Why didn't the dealer just fit you a new battery?

I can't understand some dealers for the sake of argument and keeping a good customer relation with you.

I would have gone to Halfords or whoever but you have a point mention it to the dealer.

DrDeAtH

3,586 posts

231 months

Thursday 25th August 2016
quotequote all
Euro car parts... get a voucher code/ click&collect... Get a Bosch/Exide Battery and be done with it.

For reference....

http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/Vauxhall_VXR8_6....

Edited by DrDeAtH on Thursday 25th August 07:43

vxr8mate

Original Poster:

1,654 posts

188 months

Thursday 25th August 2016
quotequote all
pim said:
Why didn't the dealer just fit you a new battery?

I can't understand some dealers for the sake of argument and keeping a good customer relation with you.

I would have gone to Halfords or whoever but you have a point mention it to the dealer.
It's not really the dealer's fault. They simply asked the system to generate a code for a replacement battery and it did. The problem was the system believes my car to be a Monaro (not sure which version) so it offered up the wrong battery.

The dealer is probably just following direction. The issue lies with Customer Services who agree they have my car listed as a Monaro rather than a VXR8.

I know I could just go and get another battery, but what happens next time I take it to the dealer?

Surely it's not beyond the capability of Vauxhall to admit the mistake, offer a replacement battery and ensure that next time I take the car there they will fit the right parts.

bigee

1,485 posts

237 months

Thursday 25th August 2016
quotequote all
Fully agree with your last sentence.That is what is unbelievable here.

Ken Figenus

5,678 posts

116 months

Thursday 25th August 2016
quotequote all
Matthen said:
Or Euro Car Parts. Day doesn't go by when there's not a 30% off voucher going around.
These GSF/ECP deals are such a nonsense. I rarely buy from either now. If my car needs brake pads I am not waiting for a 'crazy 43% off voucher - this weekend only".

Just bought oil and air/oil filters for two cars from Opie Oils and they were better on cost despite ECP's 'Olympic Orangutang Orange Oil Offer' or whatever spangly ever returning thing it was.


sebhaque

6,402 posts

180 months

Thursday 25th August 2016
quotequote all
James P said:
I think it's a problem specific to the car.

I had a 2009 6.0 VXR8 and never even managed to get the right owners manual. Went to dealer with copy of V5 (so they had Reg and chassis numbers) and the manual they ordered was for the Monaro - even had a picture of a different car but shrugged shoulders was all I got from them.

On the same lines they never did manage to work out what nav discs they needed to order in the 3 years I had the car.
Vauxhall do seem to struggle with their more "exclusive" cars. I used to have a VX220 and went into a Vauxhall dealer to order a gear lever gater. The parts guy had no idea what a VX220 was, even though it was parked almost directly in front of his window, and kept asking if it was a Corsa VXR. After getting the VIN from the car and asking him to look it up in his system and order me the gear lever gater, which he did.

A few days later, a Corsa VXR gear lever gater was delivered to my house.

Crafty_

13,248 posts

199 months

Thursday 25th August 2016
quotequote all
vxr8mate said:
Surely it's not beyond the capability of Vauxhall to admit the mistake, offer a replacement battery and ensure that next time I take the car there they will fit the right parts.
You had a battery for 2 years in the car that worked fine, its now failed. Can you prove it failed because it was the wrong part or that it being the wrong part has damaged other components on the car as you hinted at ?

Are the specifications of this battery any different to the "correct" battery - cranking amps etc as some have asked ?

I think you are overthinking this, a part has failed on the car and needs replacement, simple as that.

BertBert

18,954 posts

210 months

Thursday 25th August 2016
quotequote all
So what does happen next time you take it to the dealer if you go and buy a new battery? I don't understand.

And back to my question, how much warranty was on the battery that has failed? Did it or did it not outlast the warranty?

vxr8mate said:
It's not really the dealer's fault. They simply asked the system to generate a code for a replacement battery and it did. The problem was the system believes my car to be a Monaro (not sure which version) so it offered up the wrong battery.

The dealer is probably just following direction. The issue lies with Customer Services who agree they have my car listed as a Monaro rather than a VXR8.

I know I could just go and get another battery, but what happens next time I take it to the dealer?

Surely it's not beyond the capability of Vauxhall to admit the mistake, offer a replacement battery and ensure that next time I take the car there they will fit the right parts.

CAPP0

19,533 posts

202 months

Thursday 25th August 2016
quotequote all
vxr8mate said:
Surely it's not beyond the capability of Vauxhall to admit the mistake, offer a replacement battery and ensure that next time I take the car there they will fit the right parts.
I had a Monaro VXR and got into a massive argument with Vauxhall (up to Luton) over a warranty-related issue, and their constant stance was PFO. They could have made/kept me happy quite easily but they tried to treat me like some sort of idiot. Can't see this troubling me long-term but I certainly won't ever be buying another Vauxhall, new or used.

4rephill

5,040 posts

177 months

Thursday 25th August 2016
quotequote all
Simple question: Are you sure it's the battery at fault and not the alternator starting to fail?

vxr8mate

Original Poster:

1,654 posts

188 months

Friday 26th August 2016
quotequote all
4rephill said:
Simple question: Are you sure it's the battery at fault and not the alternator starting to fail?
Ironically, Vauxhall replaced the battery, starter motor and alternator within a six month period.

The battery failed after just 18 months (that was Apr / May this year). I say 'failed' because that's what the breakdown guy told me when he used his amp meter (or whatever they use) to test it. He said the readings were all over the place and it was generating enough amps.

When I took it back to Vauxhall to have it checked over they simply checked the battery and said it's fine. By that time it would have recharged I suppose.

My problem isn't just the battery issue but rather Vauxhall don't know what car I purchased from them! The customer service girl had never heard of a VXR8 and so admitted she'd have to refer to their 'Tech' department (a similar story to what some have said here already).

The battery was 18 months old when it failed to start (2 years or so today, but not Apr) and that's poor. The likely explanation is it's the wrong battery, so why should I suck it up?

BertBert

18,954 posts

210 months

Friday 26th August 2016
quotequote all
I know I seem to be arguing, but being the 'wrong' battery is very unlikely in reality to be the problem in my view.

But forgive my confusion, what actually is the problem with your car now? AIUI it failed to start 6 months ago, what state is it in now and how did it get fixed back then?

Bert

C70R

17,596 posts

103 months

Friday 26th August 2016
quotequote all
vxr8mate said:
The battery was 18 months old when it failed to start (2 years or so today, but not Apr) and that's poor. The likely explanation is it's the wrong battery
I appreciate your general frustration with Vauxhall understanding your car - although to some extent you might expect this when buying a rare/niche/specialist car from a mass manufacturer.
However, the above sentence doesn't really bear much logic. How can you assume it's the wrong battery and that this is the "likely explanation"? You don't have any hard facts to support it.

Have you taken the time to research the specifications for the two batteries? Do you know the difference? I only ask because EuroCarParts list identically-spec'd batteries (Bosch S3/017 - 720cca) for the 6.0 (2007) and 6.2 (2010) models.
Do you know what specification was supposed to be fitted, and what you have? That's really the crux of you being able to prove that the dealer is at fault.

It's not unheard of for manufacturers to change part numbers mid-life, due to things like a change of supplier etc.. For example, when looking for a cabin filter for my BMW I used the VIN number to access the BMW parts database, and found 4 different part numbers all with identical specifications (which had been superseded over time). All were within spec/fitment, but only the most recent was available direct from the dealer.

vxr8mate

Original Poster:

1,654 posts

188 months

Friday 26th August 2016
quotequote all
The car seems to take a while to fire (maybe just me listening to it trying to start a large engine). That and the fact I fear it may just let me down again with no apparent warning as it did last time.

I have no idea why it was flat (there were no lights on and it had only stood for 2 days without starting), but the breakdown guy was the one that said it was faulty (or something wasn't quite right). It was ta this point I took it back to Vauxhall and they said it was fine.

Then a few weeks later it was in at Monkfish for a service. I mentioned the battery to them and they confirmed it was a battery meant for a Monaro and not a Bosh Silver as what should be fitted.

C70R

17,596 posts

103 months

Friday 26th August 2016
quotequote all
You seem to be conflating lots of information here, which isn't helping you to resolve the issue.

While Bosch might be one brand of battery, there will be batteries available from a large number of manufacturers that fit the specifications for your car. As such, the brand doesn't really matter (and won't get you far with the dealer), provided that the spec's match.

When the AA said your battery was not working properly, did you ask why or what?
When you took the car to Vauxhall, what did they measure to tell you that it was fine?

When Monkfish highlighted the incorrect fitment, did they explain why it was wrong? I only ask because the 5.7 and 6.0 Monaro apparently require the exact same specification as the VXR8.
(In all honesty, I'd be shocked if the requirements were fundamentally different)

Bearing this lack of information in mind, I can't see how you've come to the "likely explanation" of it being the wrong part.

vxr8mate

Original Poster:

1,654 posts

188 months

Friday 26th August 2016
quotequote all
C70R said:
You seem to be conflating lots of information here, which isn't helping you to resolve the issue.

While Bosch might be one brand of battery, there will be batteries available from a large number of manufacturers that fit the specifications for your car. As such, the brand doesn't really matter (and won't get you far with the dealer), provided that the spec's match.

I only mentioned Bosch as that's what Monkfish use; however, it seems other sites mention the Bosh battery to be the one recommended by Vauxhall for the VXR8 (not sure about the Monaro)

When the AA said your battery was not working properly, did you ask why or what? He attached a meter and said the readings were out to what they should be. He couldn't be any more specific.

When you took the car to Vauxhall, what did they measure to tell you that it was fine? Not sure. They said they had a 'sate of the art' piece of equipment that said the battery was fine.


When Monkfish highlighted the incorrect fitment, did they explain why it was wrong? I only ask because the 5.7 and 6.0 Monaro apparently require the exact same specification as the VXR8.
(In all honesty, I'd be shocked if the requirements were fundamentally different)They just said the battery fitted was one that should be on the Ro and the recommended battery was Bosh (they later said they only fit GM authorised parts so presume the Bosh is GM recommended)

Bearing this lack of information in mind, I can't see how you've come to the "likely explanation" of it being the wrong part.
I've not come to that conclusion, Monkfish did.

C70R

17,596 posts

103 months

Friday 26th August 2016
quotequote all
vxr8mate said:
C70R said:
You seem to be conflating lots of information here, which isn't helping you to resolve the issue.

While Bosch might be one brand of battery, there will be batteries available from a large number of manufacturers that fit the specifications for your car. As such, the brand doesn't really matter (and won't get you far with the dealer), provided that the spec's match.

I only mentioned Bosch as that's what Monkfish use; however, it seems other sites mention the Bosh battery to be the one recommended by Vauxhall for the VXR8 (not sure about the Monaro)

When the AA said your battery was not working properly, did you ask why or what? He attached a meter and said the readings were out to what they should be. He couldn't be any more specific.

When you took the car to Vauxhall, what did they measure to tell you that it was fine? Not sure. They said they had a 'sate of the art' piece of equipment that said the battery was fine.


When Monkfish highlighted the incorrect fitment, did they explain why it was wrong? I only ask because the 5.7 and 6.0 Monaro apparently require the exact same specification as the VXR8.
(In all honesty, I'd be shocked if the requirements were fundamentally different)They just said the battery fitted was one that should be on the Ro and the recommended battery was Bosh (they later said they only fit GM authorised parts so presume the Bosh is GM recommended)

Bearing this lack of information in mind, I can't see how you've come to the "likely explanation" of it being the wrong part.
I've not come to that conclusion, Monkfish did.
Right. In all honesty, if you want to get any further with this you need to take more information to Vauxhall than "that bloke told me". Otherwise, as they have been doing, they will ignore you.
It seems like you clearly care about this - why not take enough interest to find out some more detail to help yourself through the process?

It's only a battery, for crying out loud - we're not talking about some super-sophisticated piece of electronic equipment here. It's taken me 2min on Google (I'm in no way mechanically-minded) to possibly work out some of your missing detail, and I haven't even seen the car!
Batteries are only defined by three metrics: dimensions, cold cranking amps (CCA) and amp hours (Ah). If you want to prove that Vauxhall fitted the wrong one, you need to identify which of these is incorrect, and why.

What was the AA bloke measuring? It was probably voltage, as knackered batteries tend to read low voltage. He should have been able to tell you that immediately if you'd asked.
Monkfish do list different batteries for the Monaro and VXR8, unlike many of the generic car parts sites. They recommend the Bosch S5 Silver Plus (unlike the generic sites, who recommend the S3). Did you ask them why? Or what was different about them?

I'm not arguing with you, or telling you that you're wrong. You just need to arm yourself with a bit more information if you expect to get anywhere with Vauxhall.

vxr8mate

Original Poster:

1,654 posts

188 months

Friday 26th August 2016
quotequote all
Thanks, and I get your point.

I have asked Vauxhall customer care to confirm which battery they recommend to be fitted to the VXR8 and as they don't seem to know what the car is I'm still waiting.

If all this were a back street garage i'd have moved on by now, but it's Vauxhall's inability to explain why they have me owning a Monaro (when I own a VXR8 and bought it through their own official network, If the batteries are dissimilar for each car and if so how do we rectify this?

So far, all they've managed to come up with is smoke and mirrors!

I will do some home work.

pim

2,344 posts

123 months

Friday 26th August 2016
quotequote all
I didn't know that you need a certain battery for a specific car?

I took my daughter's car to have the battery checked at Halfords.Car is a seven year old Fiat Panda.Chap checked the voltage that is all they do and the battery was fine.Car is only used on short runs a excellent battery.Or just luck.



Jakg

3,451 posts

167 months

Friday 26th August 2016
quotequote all
pim said:
I didn't know that you need a certain battery for a specific car?

I took my daughter's car to have the battery checked at Halfords.Car is a seven year old Fiat Panda.Chap checked the voltage that is all they do and the battery was fine.Car is only used on short runs a excellent battery.Or just luck.
Just bought a 2008 car with the original battery still fitted (so 8 years old).

Very good innings, but I'm sure it'll die soon - even top quality batteries normally only come with a max of 5 years warranty so you have to assume they don't last much longer.