Front wishbone bushes - warranty or wear & tear?

Front wishbone bushes - warranty or wear & tear?

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Discussion

3059hp

Original Poster:

89 posts

213 months

Friday 29th July 2016
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Morning,
Bought a brand new car in September 2013 with a standard manufacturer 60k/3 year warranty. Just had a 40k service (July) at the local franchised dealer, and am advised by them that the front wishbone bushes are worn and will need replacing in the next 3 months. They quoted a ludicrous sum based on 3 hours labour at £100+ per hour and parts.
My question is: Shouldn't this be covered by the warranty which still has 2 months to run, or are these "wear & tear" items that are excluded from the warranty? I've read the warranty terms which list things that are excluded from the warranty such as wiper blades and brake pads - although they add the get-out "are not limited to", but there's no mention of wishbone bushes in the exclusions.
Assuming the work actually needs doing (which I'll check with a trusted local indy), any thoughts on whether this should be a warranty issue or if I have to fund it....which would be at the indy, not franchise? At this stage I've not raised it with the dealership, but want to be suitably prepared when I do.

IanCress

4,409 posts

165 months

Friday 29th July 2016
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I'm no expert, but at a guess it will be classed as wear and tear. If your commute to work is anything like mine, with 19 speed bumps in 7 miles, then it's easy to see how suspension components can wear pretty quickly.

anonymous-user

53 months

Friday 29th July 2016
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Wear and tear? After less than 3 years and within the warranty mileage? I wouldn't be accepting wear and tear on such an item. I doubt consumer legislation would support a manufacturer claiming that, either.

Ozzie Osmond

21,189 posts

245 months

Friday 29th July 2016
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Wear and tear.

kambites

67,461 posts

220 months

Friday 29th July 2016
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They are almost certainly classed as "consumables". You might get some sort of good-will gesture if they've failed much earlier than normal (which would depend on the car) but I wouldn't bet on it.

Monkeylegend

26,226 posts

230 months

Friday 29th July 2016
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Interesting thy say they will last another 3 months on a warranty that only has 2 months to go.

They are effectively saying it will pass an MOT if that's the case. I smell a rat.

Edited to add Merc replaced the rear shocks on my car under warranty due to slight wear in one top bush at 80k miles, so worth pursuing in my opinion, especially after only 40k miles.

Edited by Monkeylegend on Friday 29th July 11:13

james_gt3rs

4,816 posts

190 months

Friday 29th July 2016
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I'd be surprised if they were that worn in that mileage...

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

125 months

Friday 29th July 2016
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3059hp said:
Bought a brand new car in September 2013 with a standard manufacturer 60k/3 year warranty. Just had a 40k service (July) at the local franchised dealer, and am advised by them that the front wishbone bushes are worn and will need replacing in the next 3 months. They quoted a ludicrous sum based on 3 hours labour at £100+ per hour and parts.
My question is: Shouldn't this be covered by the warranty which still has 2 months to run, or are these "wear & tear" items that are excluded from the warranty?
Three years and 40k? It's not a long life, but that's absolutely road-condition defined. It's long enough to be fairly clear that it's not a manufacturing problem, which is what the warranty covers. Definite wear.

spookly

4,011 posts

94 months

Friday 29th July 2016
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Probably wear and tear. But if they are lasting such a short time and they want £100 an hour labour for 3 hours then buy some poly bushes and get them fitted at an indy garage.

Toyoda

1,557 posts

99 months

Friday 29th July 2016
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Is it common on that type of car or are they blaming your driving? Ask in owners forums.

I've had anti roll bar bushes replaced under warranty before, but it was a known weak point and the manufacturer (or my dealer at least) was really good with replacing parts under warranty.

Ozzie Osmond

21,189 posts

245 months

Friday 29th July 2016
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Toyoda said:
Is it common on that type of car or are they blaming your driving?
They are blaming the rubbish roads and speed humps where OP is using the car, and the faster he drives the worse that will be.

Garages are making a fortune out of the suspension repairs which are becoming more and more frequent as UK roads continue to deteriorate. One of the most common causes of MOT failure.

bqf

2,226 posts

170 months

Friday 29th July 2016
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Suspension bushes failing in a new cars warranty period????

They aren't consumables, like pads, discs, fluids, filters, plugs etc.

I'd be having the warranty replacing them. What car is it?

Vitorio

4,296 posts

142 months

Friday 29th July 2016
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james_gt3rs said:
I'd be surprised if they were that worn in that mileage...
bqf said:
They aren't consumables, like pads, discs, fluids, filters, plugs etc.
Depends entirely on the car, for instance on certain alfa models (dont know other examples), the front upper wishbone bushes wear pretty quickly, probably faster then the plugs (which last for 36-60k depending on type)

xjay1337

15,966 posts

117 months

Friday 29th July 2016
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Golfs/A3/Octavias wear their wishbone bushes quickly as well.
Stupid voided design.
Change to solid bushes, problem solved.

If it is not covered by warranty go to a local friendly independant garage and supply the parts.

Evanivitch

19,802 posts

121 months

Friday 29th July 2016
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Vitorio said:
Depends entirely on the car, for instance on certain alfa models (dont know other examples), the front upper wishbone bushes wear pretty quickly, probably faster then the plugs (which last for 36-60k depending on type)
Came in here expecting it to be a 147/156/GT thread!

I would say do some research and see if others are getting similar failures. If it's an uncommon failure then I would say that it's possibly due to other issues in the suspension and expect it to be replaced under warranty.

Consumables still have an expect life. A set of pads disappearing after 2000 miles and no track use would be hard pressed to justify as a consumable.

Guybrush

4,330 posts

205 months

Friday 29th July 2016
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A friend of mine who has a garage says he sees all makes and models coming in more frequently for work on wishbones. He's sure it's the poor state of our roads to blame.

Dodsy

7,172 posts

226 months

Friday 29th July 2016
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Depends on the small print. On my Jag they replaced all the front bushes at 40k , but refused to do the rears at 60005 miles - apparently the jag warranty stops at 60k even though I had just 2 weeks before paid them £1.5k to renew it for a year. They are robbing barstewards.


3059hp

Original Poster:

89 posts

213 months

Friday 29th July 2016
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OP here,
Hmmmm seems even split for warranty/not warranty.
Car is a VW Tiguan, and not sure if this is a well kown problem. At least 50% of my mileage is motorways and A roads and it's not been hammered over bumpy roads/speedbumps/potholes. In fact I go out of my way to avoid suspension impacts. In 40+ years of driving in all sorts of cars (new or nearly new Saab/Audi/Volvo/Citroen/Mazda/BMW last 20 years) I've never had a suspension problem, including cars run well over 100k miles.
I'm going to try for warranty, and if I get knocked back I'll get my local indy to do it.
Report to follow.....

kambites

67,461 posts

220 months

Friday 29th July 2016
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Hmm with that sort of car and that sort of usage, they really shouldn't be failing that quickly.

I still don't hold out much hope for getting them replaced under warranty, but it's a bit crap that they've gone so soon.

daemon

35,724 posts

196 months

Friday 29th July 2016
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Wear and Tear.

I'd a 535d took suspension bushings at its first MOT with less than 40K miles.