Major fault- Dealer saying write off

[freedman]

Ok, asking for some help here. I’ve seen similar issues raised but can’t find the threads

Car purchased 7 months ago, from main dealer and still under warranty

Car ground to a halt and refused to re start, or go into drive (automatic)

AA said they couldn’t deal with it, so recovered to the main dealer

Dealer called, found the fault, caused by water ingress into the electrical system. (no further details provided yet)

Dealer says not covered by warranty, car is a write off so claim on your insurance ( no details further than that yet)

The car has not been driven through a flood, at least in the current ownership.

Any advice gratefully received

Dealer principle? Resolver? CRA?

Car also had to have the EGR replaced, under warranty a month ago, and the rear light on purchase, as it was full of water (they say that’s not connected)

Car is a 2019 Volvo V90 estate

Car is financed so this is a big issue!,

[freedman]

Monkeylegend said:

Have you spoken to the finance company, technically it is still their car.

Good point, I’ll ask (it’s my son in laws car)

[freedman]

Racing Newt said:

Water ingress?, that would be a manufacturing fault, ie electrical system not isolated, or more likely it was in a flood somewhere last year, check the previous owners address/location, and the location of the suppling dealer.

Ok, I’ll see what I can find out

[freedman]

Canon_Fodder said:

It does sound like an insurance job OP

Why would it not be a warranty issue?

The car has thrown a fault during its warranty period

[freedman]

Canon_Fodder said:

Because the warranty doesn't cover water ingress.

That seems fairly obvious surely?

Are you disputing the dealer's diagnosis? If so, that's another matter...

I can’t contest their diagnosis, yet anyway as I haven’t seen the car

Currently waiting for then to supply the technical report

I’m unsure if this a known issue with these cars, but it has had no exposure to water bar normal weather conditions in his ownership

[freedman]

Canon_Fodder said:

OP to confirm: This is a third party warranty, or the Volvo OEM warranty extended?

I assumed the former

Nope, it’s Volvo, I’m told

[freedman]

Hugo Stiglitz said:

Get a second professional opinion. It'll be worth trailering.

Or (honesty here) has he jet washed his engine at all? Is he the type that likes to scrub his car down? Its a slim one but odd - if it was a manufacturing fault it'd shown up alot sooner than now..

No, he’s definitely never jet washed it, anywhere, let alone the engine bay

Oddly, it seems they are saying the damage is something to do with the near side rear quarter. Which is where the battery lives (think)

Edited by freedman on Friday 22 December 15:51

[freedman]

Canon_Fodder said:

Same side as the rear light that filled with water?

Yes

My immediate thought was they were connected but the dealer refuted that when he went back to them

[freedman]

kestral said:

The first thing you need to find out is why the car will not run

Just saying water ingress has writen the car of is bonkers.

Where has the water ingressed?

What part of the electrical system has been damaged?

Has the part been damaged beyond repair and why, will it not dry out?

Why can the damaged part not be replaced, the whole electriclal system cannot be knackered.

Then find out how much it will cost to repair replace the parts from an independant person.

A back street garge could probably sort it out for a couple of hundred quid, BUT you have got yourself involved with MAIN DEALERS!

Also you need to speak to your finance company as they can and do go back to the dealer and 'say get it sorted', the finance company carry some weight.

Remember. Find out what part is damaged. If you don't you don't not what is going on.

Edited by kestral on Friday 22 December 16:05

Yep, fully agree, waiting to hear if the dealer has provided the report yet

[freedman]

imagineifyeswill said:

I think a lot of the main electrics fuse board power distribution units are in the n/s rear quarter on Volvos.
Could it be like ford Focus that has air pressure reducing flaps behind rear bumper corners which leak and fill the wing voids with water.

Ok, thank you for that

[freedman]

Ok, small update

Still no report from the dealer

Contrary to what I was initially told the Warranty is 3rd party ( but provided through a Volvo main dealer)

Finance is through Volvo, and he will be calling them tomorrow

That kind you for the help and suggestions so far

Don’t think his insurance will cover unless he says he it was flooded in his ownership, which it hadn’t been so that’s not an option as far as I can see. TBH I don’t know why the dealer told him to call his insurers.

Unfortunately he’s smart enough but pretty clueless when it comes to cars. I wouldn’t have called my insurers in the first place

[freedman]

Ok, update this morning

E mail from the dealer

Please find below confirmation of issue found with your Volvo.


No estimate to repair, nothing, but the suggestion to report to insurers suggests to me they are going to claim it has been caused by the current owner. Carpets were not wet to the touch on purchase or the last time they got in the car.

I’m convinced it’s an issue that existed on purchase (the water issue) and it has finally caused an issue

“Investigated EML light on and park brake fault.
Various codes stored relating to control units, checked control units and found NSF and NSR footwells wet and dirty water found when carpets lifted and Control unit soaked and shorting out.
Due to water found inside vehicle insurance inspection recommended.”

[freedman]

Monkeylegend said:

Unless you had an independent inspection confirming that at the time of purchase you really have no way of proving it was a pre-existing fault though and they will argue that if you knew the carpets were wet and there was water ingress, why did you not take it back before the fault occurred

Edited by Monkeylegend on Saturday 23 December 11:15

The carpets weren’t wet on purchase, and were not wet to touch even the day before I’m told

[freedman]

Seeing as they are saying both front and rear footwells are wet (I’ve no idea how wet, as I’ve not seen the car since it went in) and that the rear light was replaced on purchase due to being full of water, I’m confident the water ingress issue was present on purchase.

There is an added issue that the car was purchased from Newcastle, but he lives in Kent, and the car is at a local Volvo dealer

The rear light issue was noticed when the car was delivered, and Newcastle agreed to replacing the light (this was not just full of water, but causing the lights to flicker at the time, also)

Service agent at local dealer has just mailed and referred to his manager, I’m assuming the dealer principle, though I think this should really be an issue for Newcastle.

[freedman]

Ok,

The car is under Volvo Selekt warranty

There is a specific exclusion in the warranty for ingress of water, which is not good

He spoke to the finance co, who didn’t seem at all bothered about it

Of course the dealers have now gone home until 27th so can’t do much more than draft a letter of complaint with the full timeline since purchase, and see where it goes

I’m confident the water issue was present at purchase, but the only link to water being an issue then is the rear light

[freedman]

Checked the reg on Google, nothing showing anywhere

Car was first registered in the Newcastle area, and he is the 3rd owner

Total car check shows nothing untoward I can see

[freedman]

GasEngineer said:

Have you double checked the water ingress exclusion OP?
I ask as the VW warranty for example, mentions water ingress but only to a lower limit.

Yes, unfortunately

There is a specific exclusion in the small print

7: Failure or damage:

a. Caused by, frost, corrosion, flooding, impact, fire, accidental damage, vandalism, abuse or neglect.

d. Caused by an ingress of foreign matter (including water) or the use of a grade of fuel, lubricants, additives, or any fluids not approved for your vehicle by the manufacturer

[freedman]

Busa mav said:

Can you make contact with the previous owner ?

Don’t have their details, though the car check showed they owned it for 3 years

[freedman]

NRG1976 said:

Given the unusual nature of this, I wonder if the son-in-law has driven the car through a ford or something ? It’s not unknown for people to get selective memory when they have screwed up! I very much doubt that this issue has occurred 7 months ago for the dealer to so confidently deny.

Edited by NRG1976 on Sunday 24th December 10:17

It’s a fair question, but he tells me nothing of the sort has happened since he’s owned the car, and he’s never lied to me before, at least to the best of my knowledge

[freedman]

fourstardan said:

Just a thought, have you got a sunroof OP? On VWs the drains get bunged. The original owner might have had this happen.

No sunroof