My Vanquish Nightmare
Discussion
Dear All,
I thought that I would share my recent Aston Martin nightmare with the members of this forum. I am doing this for several reasons, but mainly I would like to spare others from having the same painful and expensive learning experience that I have gone through over the last few months.
This year I decided the market for second hand Vanquishs had reached such a level that I could at last afford to purchase the right car. I spent a lot of time researching Vanquish ownership, the costs, the potential problem areas and I finally found a car within my price range. I have spoken to everyone, McGurks, Nicholas Mee, Aston Martin Works Service and Bamford Rose, as well as having trawled the internet for as much information as I could find. Having done this, I asked the Aston Martin dealership that was closest to the car, to undertake a full inspection of the car. The dealership were told that I was buying the car privately and that I wanted them to do a full inspection of the car in order to highlight any problems or potential problems with the vehicle or to identify any reasons that I should not buy the car, e.g. had it been in a crash, sub frame corrosion etc. etc.
I asked them verbally to check the clutch/gearbox and sub frames, as through my extensive research into buying a Vanquish I found out that these were a known problem areas with this model. I am not alone in knowing this and I draw your attention to a recent article in Octane Magazine. In this article Vini Ryan, a Master Technician at Works Service, is quoted as saying the following:
“First thing to check is under the front undertray. ‘Get the car up in the air,’ says Vini ‘Vanquish’ Ryan, master technician at Works Service. ‘Unbolt the undertray and check the sub-frame for corrosion and look for oil leaks.’ Water can collect between the sub-frame and the undertray to cause surface corrosion, but if the sub-frame’s rotted through, replacement costs more than £5000 for the part alone. Labour? Potentially a 16-hour job.”
It was the result of being told similar information from several sources that made me paranoid about sub-frames. Both during and after the check I was assured that checks to the clutch and sub-frames were going to be and had been carried out. As a result of the inspection a number of faults had been detected, none of which were related to the sub-frames or clutch. The report was forwarded to Bamford Rose, and it was agreed that the finding’s of the report presented no serious problems, and I made my offer for the car based on the findings of the main dealer's inspection.
Here is the first lesson I want to share and perhaps the most important - Aston Martin main dealers do not check the Vanquish's subframe or take the undertrays off the car when they do a 140 point check. If you require them to do any additional checks - make the request in writing to them and make sure this request is on the job sheet. Do not trust them to do this - even if you repeatedly ask them to do it.
Having purchased the car I then sent it to Bamford Rose, to have the car serviced and the faults found by the main dealer to be rectified. Bamford Rose carried out their own inspection prior to servicing and carrying out the remedial work required on the car, and after removing the undertrays they immediately rang me up and asked me whether I was aware that there was serious corrosion on the front sub-frame. You can imagine how surprised I was by this, having been assured by the main dealer that the sub-frames were ‘ok’. It was at this point I wrote the main dealer to ask what was going on, they did not get back to me for several weeks.In the meantime, after several conversations with Bamford Rose, I decided that any work to the sub-frame could be carried out next year and they were of the opinion that, whilst the corrosion was bad, it should pass the MOT. This proved to be rather optimistic, the vehicle did not pass, it was failed on the front sub frame.
Having been quite relaxed up to this point about the main dealer's incompetence and failure to carry out a fundamental inspection, my dissatisfaction really took hold. My frustration and anger was due to having spent a considerable sum of money on a car that I now could not drive unless the front sub-frame was replaced, a fault that should have been identified prior to purchase. I have had several conversations with the dealer, who have steadfastly refused to accept any responsibility for their failure to identify this problem and other problems. They pointed out that there was no paper trail of my request to inspect the sub frames and no subsequent written request for this inspection to be carried out on the job sheet. I cannot alter this, however, even if I had not asked for this specific check to have been carried out, I fail to see how an Aston Martin Service Technician can inspect a car and fail to examine one of the main problem areas associated with this model. I am at a loss to see how a 140 point inspection that is carried out on a Vanquish does not require the under trays to be removed from the car or for the sub-frames to be thoroughly inspected.
On top of this my inspection on the car by Bamford Rose noted that not only did the main dealer's 140 point check fail to identify the sub frame corrosion, it also failed to identify and incorrectly identified a number of other faults. After a thorough inspection conducted by Bamford Rose on the Vanquish they concluded that:
“the 140 point check conducted by the Aston Martin main dealer did not identify your car would likely fail an MOT for subframe corrosion, the 140 point check also did not report correct leak point within ASM circuit, PAS pump was noisy and ‘notchy’ on its bearing, suspension system joints were worn excessively and the exhaust silencer straps and mounting bobbins were worn. I am sure that nobody could disagree that the system / process (the 140 point check) you purchased from the franchised dealer to verify and highlight, to the highest standard possible a vehicle’s health, has failed you and caused you considerable cost. This is because the health check you purchased failed to identify the simplest marker of vehicle health – an MOT pass, or not as in this case.”
To date, my experience Aston martin has not been good, I can safely say that aspiring to Aston Martin ownership was far more pleasurable than the experience itself. However, I have to say that my experience of Bamford Rose has been the complete opposite. They have been nothing other than extremely professional and helpful during this expensive, frustrating and drawn out process. I would add that it is their level service, professionalism and enthusiasm towards Aston Martin that has stopped me from getting rid of the car. Knowing that there is a company that is interested in my business and who is as enthusiastic about Vanquishs as I am gives me hope that I will enjoy a better experience moving forward. The car is about to get a new subframe and I should be picking it up soon - and the car will be in Grade A shape and that is Bamford Rose Grade A shape and not Aston Martin Grade A shape.
This post may sound like sour grapes, that I am complaining about the expense of Aston Martin ownership, but I can assure you that is not it. My complaint is that a main dealer failed to identify a major fault that they were specifically asked to check for, when inspecting the car. The purchase was made on the basis of this inspection, and as such I thought that they should be held accountable for the cost of the repair. In the main dealer's defense, after several conversations with Aston Martin's customer service department, they offered to replace the sub-frame at a reduced cost. However, I do not see why I should have to pay £5178.32 to replace a part that should have been identified as faulty in the first place. They also offered to refund half the cost of my 140 point check, but accepted no responsibility for the failures.
The advice I offer from this, if you want to buy a Vanquish, DB9 or V8 - please get a specialist to look at it, and I cannot recommend Mike and Adrian at Bamford Rose strongly enough, throughout this affair they have been superb. Whilst I won't ever buy another Aston Martin, I can't bring myself to sell my Vanquish despite my experience at the hands of Aston Martin, it is just too pretty.
Best,
JT
I thought that I would share my recent Aston Martin nightmare with the members of this forum. I am doing this for several reasons, but mainly I would like to spare others from having the same painful and expensive learning experience that I have gone through over the last few months.
This year I decided the market for second hand Vanquishs had reached such a level that I could at last afford to purchase the right car. I spent a lot of time researching Vanquish ownership, the costs, the potential problem areas and I finally found a car within my price range. I have spoken to everyone, McGurks, Nicholas Mee, Aston Martin Works Service and Bamford Rose, as well as having trawled the internet for as much information as I could find. Having done this, I asked the Aston Martin dealership that was closest to the car, to undertake a full inspection of the car. The dealership were told that I was buying the car privately and that I wanted them to do a full inspection of the car in order to highlight any problems or potential problems with the vehicle or to identify any reasons that I should not buy the car, e.g. had it been in a crash, sub frame corrosion etc. etc.
I asked them verbally to check the clutch/gearbox and sub frames, as through my extensive research into buying a Vanquish I found out that these were a known problem areas with this model. I am not alone in knowing this and I draw your attention to a recent article in Octane Magazine. In this article Vini Ryan, a Master Technician at Works Service, is quoted as saying the following:
“First thing to check is under the front undertray. ‘Get the car up in the air,’ says Vini ‘Vanquish’ Ryan, master technician at Works Service. ‘Unbolt the undertray and check the sub-frame for corrosion and look for oil leaks.’ Water can collect between the sub-frame and the undertray to cause surface corrosion, but if the sub-frame’s rotted through, replacement costs more than £5000 for the part alone. Labour? Potentially a 16-hour job.”
It was the result of being told similar information from several sources that made me paranoid about sub-frames. Both during and after the check I was assured that checks to the clutch and sub-frames were going to be and had been carried out. As a result of the inspection a number of faults had been detected, none of which were related to the sub-frames or clutch. The report was forwarded to Bamford Rose, and it was agreed that the finding’s of the report presented no serious problems, and I made my offer for the car based on the findings of the main dealer's inspection.
Here is the first lesson I want to share and perhaps the most important - Aston Martin main dealers do not check the Vanquish's subframe or take the undertrays off the car when they do a 140 point check. If you require them to do any additional checks - make the request in writing to them and make sure this request is on the job sheet. Do not trust them to do this - even if you repeatedly ask them to do it.
Having purchased the car I then sent it to Bamford Rose, to have the car serviced and the faults found by the main dealer to be rectified. Bamford Rose carried out their own inspection prior to servicing and carrying out the remedial work required on the car, and after removing the undertrays they immediately rang me up and asked me whether I was aware that there was serious corrosion on the front sub-frame. You can imagine how surprised I was by this, having been assured by the main dealer that the sub-frames were ‘ok’. It was at this point I wrote the main dealer to ask what was going on, they did not get back to me for several weeks.In the meantime, after several conversations with Bamford Rose, I decided that any work to the sub-frame could be carried out next year and they were of the opinion that, whilst the corrosion was bad, it should pass the MOT. This proved to be rather optimistic, the vehicle did not pass, it was failed on the front sub frame.
Having been quite relaxed up to this point about the main dealer's incompetence and failure to carry out a fundamental inspection, my dissatisfaction really took hold. My frustration and anger was due to having spent a considerable sum of money on a car that I now could not drive unless the front sub-frame was replaced, a fault that should have been identified prior to purchase. I have had several conversations with the dealer, who have steadfastly refused to accept any responsibility for their failure to identify this problem and other problems. They pointed out that there was no paper trail of my request to inspect the sub frames and no subsequent written request for this inspection to be carried out on the job sheet. I cannot alter this, however, even if I had not asked for this specific check to have been carried out, I fail to see how an Aston Martin Service Technician can inspect a car and fail to examine one of the main problem areas associated with this model. I am at a loss to see how a 140 point inspection that is carried out on a Vanquish does not require the under trays to be removed from the car or for the sub-frames to be thoroughly inspected.
On top of this my inspection on the car by Bamford Rose noted that not only did the main dealer's 140 point check fail to identify the sub frame corrosion, it also failed to identify and incorrectly identified a number of other faults. After a thorough inspection conducted by Bamford Rose on the Vanquish they concluded that:
“the 140 point check conducted by the Aston Martin main dealer did not identify your car would likely fail an MOT for subframe corrosion, the 140 point check also did not report correct leak point within ASM circuit, PAS pump was noisy and ‘notchy’ on its bearing, suspension system joints were worn excessively and the exhaust silencer straps and mounting bobbins were worn. I am sure that nobody could disagree that the system / process (the 140 point check) you purchased from the franchised dealer to verify and highlight, to the highest standard possible a vehicle’s health, has failed you and caused you considerable cost. This is because the health check you purchased failed to identify the simplest marker of vehicle health – an MOT pass, or not as in this case.”
To date, my experience Aston martin has not been good, I can safely say that aspiring to Aston Martin ownership was far more pleasurable than the experience itself. However, I have to say that my experience of Bamford Rose has been the complete opposite. They have been nothing other than extremely professional and helpful during this expensive, frustrating and drawn out process. I would add that it is their level service, professionalism and enthusiasm towards Aston Martin that has stopped me from getting rid of the car. Knowing that there is a company that is interested in my business and who is as enthusiastic about Vanquishs as I am gives me hope that I will enjoy a better experience moving forward. The car is about to get a new subframe and I should be picking it up soon - and the car will be in Grade A shape and that is Bamford Rose Grade A shape and not Aston Martin Grade A shape.
This post may sound like sour grapes, that I am complaining about the expense of Aston Martin ownership, but I can assure you that is not it. My complaint is that a main dealer failed to identify a major fault that they were specifically asked to check for, when inspecting the car. The purchase was made on the basis of this inspection, and as such I thought that they should be held accountable for the cost of the repair. In the main dealer's defense, after several conversations with Aston Martin's customer service department, they offered to replace the sub-frame at a reduced cost. However, I do not see why I should have to pay £5178.32 to replace a part that should have been identified as faulty in the first place. They also offered to refund half the cost of my 140 point check, but accepted no responsibility for the failures.
The advice I offer from this, if you want to buy a Vanquish, DB9 or V8 - please get a specialist to look at it, and I cannot recommend Mike and Adrian at Bamford Rose strongly enough, throughout this affair they have been superb. Whilst I won't ever buy another Aston Martin, I can't bring myself to sell my Vanquish despite my experience at the hands of Aston Martin, it is just too pretty.
Best,
JT
Edited by jeremyc on Wednesday 22 August 12:47
Edited by JTAMV on Wednesday 22 August 14:55
My experiences were similar to yours (albeit less expensive!). When I bought my car I had a check carried out by an AM dealer. They spotted such basic, minor things as "Cigar Lighter not working", but managed to miss some much bigger stuff. I guess they have a check list, and if its not on the list it doesn't get checked. I think with the older cars you're better off speaking to specialists.
Got to agree that Bamford Rose are good eggs though, wouldn't dream of going back to a dealer.
Got to agree that Bamford Rose are good eggs though, wouldn't dream of going back to a dealer.
JTAMV said:
Dear All,
I thought that I would share my recent Aston Martin nightmare with the members of this forum. I am doing this for several reasons, but mainly I would like to spare others from having the same painful and expensive learning experience that I have gone through over the last few months.
This year I decided the market for second hand Vanquishs had reached such a level that I could at last afford to purchase the right car. I spent a lot of time researching Vanquish ownership, the costs, the potential problem areas and I finally found a car within my price range. I have spoken to everyone, McGurks, Nicholas Mee, Aston Martin Works Service and Bamford Rose, as well as having trawled the internet for as much information as I could find. Having done this, I asked the Aston Martin dealership that was closest to the car, to undertake a full inspection of the car. The dealership were told that I was buying the car privately and that I wanted them to do a full inspection of the car in order to highlight any problems or potential problems with the vehicle or to identify any reasons that I should not buy the car, e.g. had it been in a crash, sub frame corrosion etc. etc.
I asked them verbally to check the clutch/gearbox and sub frames, as through my extensive research into buying a Vanquish I found out that these were a known problem areas with this model. I am not alone in knowing this and I draw your attention to a recent article in Octane Magazine. In this article Vini Ryan, a Master Technician at Works Service, is quoted as saying the following:
“First thing to check is under the front undertray. ‘Get the car up in the air,’ says Vini ‘Vanquish’ Ryan, master technician at Works Service. ‘Unbolt the undertray and check the sub-frame for corrosion and look for oil leaks.’ Water can collect between the sub-frame and the undertray to cause surface corrosion, but if the sub-frame’s rotted through, replacement costs more than £5000 for the part alone. Labour? Potentially a 16-hour job.”
It was the result of being told similar information from several sources that made me paranoid about sub-frames. Both during and after the check I was assured that checks to the clutch and sub-frames were going to be and had been carried out. As a result of the inspection a number of faults had been detected, none of which were related to the sub-frames or clutch. The report was forwarded to Bamford Rose, and it was agreed that the finding’s of the report presented no serious problems, and I made my offer for the car based on the findings of the main dealer's inspection.
Here is the first lesson I want to share and perhaps the most important - Aston Martin main dealers do not check the Vanquish's subframe or take the undertrays off the car when they do a 140 point check. If you require them to do any additional checks - make the request in writing to them and make sure this request is on the job sheet. Do not trust them to do this - even if you repeatedly ask them to do it.
Having purchased the car I then sent it to Bamford Rose, to have the car serviced and the faults found by the main dealer to be rectified. Bamford Rose carried out their own inspection prior to servicing and carrying out the remedial work required on the car, and after removing the undertrays they immediately rang me up and asked me whether I was aware that there was serious corrosion on the front sub-frame. You can imagine how surprised I was by this, having been assured by the main dealer that the sub-frames were ‘ok’. It was at this point I wrote the main dealer to ask what was going on, they did not get back to me for several weeks.In the meantime, after several conversations with Bamford Rose, I decided that any work to the sub-frame could be carried out next year and they were of the opinion that, whilst the corrosion was bad, it should pass the MOT. This proved to be rather optimistic, the vehicle did not pass, it was failed on the front sub frame.
Having been quite relaxed up to this point about the main dealer's incompetence and failure to carry out a fundamental inspection, my dissatisfaction really took hold. My frustration and anger was due to having spent a considerable sum of money on a car that I now could not drive unless the front sub-frame was replaced, a fault that should have been identified prior to purchase. I have had several conversations with the dealer, who have steadfastly refused to accept any responsibility for their failure to identify this problem and other problems. They pointed out that there was no paper trail of my request to inspect the sub frames and no subsequent written request for this inspection to be carried out on the job sheet. I cannot alter this, however, even if I had not asked for this specific check to have been carried out, I fail to see how an Aston Martin Service Technician can inspect a car and fail to examine one of the main problem areas associated with this model. I am at a loss to see how a 140 point inspection that is carried out on a Vanquish does not require the under trays to be removed from the car or for the sub-frames to be thoroughly inspected.
On top of this my inspection on the car by Bamford Rose noted that not only did the main dealer's 140 point check fail to identify the sub frame corrosion, it also failed to identify and incorrectly identified a number of other faults. After a thorough inspection conducted by Bamford Rose on the Vanquish they concluded that:
“the 140 point check conducted by the Aston Martin main dealer did not identify your car would likely fail an MOT for subframe corrosion, the 140 point check also did not report correct leak point within ASM circuit, PAS pump was noisy and ‘notchy’ on its bearing, suspension system joints were worn excessively and the exhaust silencer straps and mounting bobbins were worn. I am sure that nobody could disagree that the system / process (the 140 point check) you purchased from the franchised dealer to verify and highlight, to the highest standard possible a vehicle’s health, has failed you and caused you considerable cost. This is because the health check you purchased failed to identify the simplest marker of vehicle health – an MOT pass, or not as in this case.”
To date, my experience Aston martin has not been good, I can safely say that aspiring to Aston Martin ownership was far more pleasurable than the experience itself. However, I have to say that my experience of Bamford Rose has been the complete opposite. They have been nothing other than extremely professional and helpful during this expensive, frustrating and drawn out process. I would add that it is their level service, professionalism and enthusiasm towards Aston Martin that has stopped me from getting rid of the car. Knowing that there is a company that is interested in my business and who is as enthusiastic about Vanquishs as I am gives me hope that I will enjoy a better experience moving forward. The car is about to get a new subframe and I should be picking it up soon - and the car will be in Grade A shape and that is Bamford Rose Grade A shape and not Aston Martin Grade A shape.
This post may sound like sour grapes, that I am complaining about the expense of Aston Martin ownership, but I can assure you that is not it. My complaint is that a main dealer failed to identify a major fault that they were specifically asked to check for, when inspecting the car. The purchase was made on the basis of this inspection, and as such I thought that they should be held accountable for the cost of the repair. In the main dealer's defense, after several conversations with Aston Martin's customer service department, they offered to replace the sub-frame at a reduced cost. However, I do not see why I should have to pay £5178.32 to replace a part that should have been identified as faulty in the first place. They also offered to refund half the cost of my 140 point check, but accepted no responsibility for the failures.
The advice I offer from this, if you want to buy a Vanquish, DB9 or V8 - please get a specialist to look at it, and I cannot recommend Mike and Adrian at Bamford Rose strongly enough, throughout this affair they have been superb. Whilst I won't ever buy another Aston Martin, I can bring myself to sell my Vanquish despite my experience at the hands of Aston Martin, it is just too pretty.
Best,
JT
I really feel for you . You buy the car of your dreams and the enjoyment is tarnished almost as soon as you get it .I can't understand why Aston didn't show you what the 140 point health check covers so you were aware of what was included. I thought the healthcheck was used mainly in conjunction with providing warranties on used cars and as such would only really cover those areas. Is the 140 point healthcheck the same as a pre purchase inspection - my understanding is that they are different requirements. Is there no come back on the person who sold you the car? Any advisories on previous MOT certificates?I thought that I would share my recent Aston Martin nightmare with the members of this forum. I am doing this for several reasons, but mainly I would like to spare others from having the same painful and expensive learning experience that I have gone through over the last few months.
This year I decided the market for second hand Vanquishs had reached such a level that I could at last afford to purchase the right car. I spent a lot of time researching Vanquish ownership, the costs, the potential problem areas and I finally found a car within my price range. I have spoken to everyone, McGurks, Nicholas Mee, Aston Martin Works Service and Bamford Rose, as well as having trawled the internet for as much information as I could find. Having done this, I asked the Aston Martin dealership that was closest to the car, to undertake a full inspection of the car. The dealership were told that I was buying the car privately and that I wanted them to do a full inspection of the car in order to highlight any problems or potential problems with the vehicle or to identify any reasons that I should not buy the car, e.g. had it been in a crash, sub frame corrosion etc. etc.
I asked them verbally to check the clutch/gearbox and sub frames, as through my extensive research into buying a Vanquish I found out that these were a known problem areas with this model. I am not alone in knowing this and I draw your attention to a recent article in Octane Magazine. In this article Vini Ryan, a Master Technician at Works Service, is quoted as saying the following:
“First thing to check is under the front undertray. ‘Get the car up in the air,’ says Vini ‘Vanquish’ Ryan, master technician at Works Service. ‘Unbolt the undertray and check the sub-frame for corrosion and look for oil leaks.’ Water can collect between the sub-frame and the undertray to cause surface corrosion, but if the sub-frame’s rotted through, replacement costs more than £5000 for the part alone. Labour? Potentially a 16-hour job.”
It was the result of being told similar information from several sources that made me paranoid about sub-frames. Both during and after the check I was assured that checks to the clutch and sub-frames were going to be and had been carried out. As a result of the inspection a number of faults had been detected, none of which were related to the sub-frames or clutch. The report was forwarded to Bamford Rose, and it was agreed that the finding’s of the report presented no serious problems, and I made my offer for the car based on the findings of the main dealer's inspection.
Here is the first lesson I want to share and perhaps the most important - Aston Martin main dealers do not check the Vanquish's subframe or take the undertrays off the car when they do a 140 point check. If you require them to do any additional checks - make the request in writing to them and make sure this request is on the job sheet. Do not trust them to do this - even if you repeatedly ask them to do it.
Having purchased the car I then sent it to Bamford Rose, to have the car serviced and the faults found by the main dealer to be rectified. Bamford Rose carried out their own inspection prior to servicing and carrying out the remedial work required on the car, and after removing the undertrays they immediately rang me up and asked me whether I was aware that there was serious corrosion on the front sub-frame. You can imagine how surprised I was by this, having been assured by the main dealer that the sub-frames were ‘ok’. It was at this point I wrote the main dealer to ask what was going on, they did not get back to me for several weeks.In the meantime, after several conversations with Bamford Rose, I decided that any work to the sub-frame could be carried out next year and they were of the opinion that, whilst the corrosion was bad, it should pass the MOT. This proved to be rather optimistic, the vehicle did not pass, it was failed on the front sub frame.
Having been quite relaxed up to this point about the main dealer's incompetence and failure to carry out a fundamental inspection, my dissatisfaction really took hold. My frustration and anger was due to having spent a considerable sum of money on a car that I now could not drive unless the front sub-frame was replaced, a fault that should have been identified prior to purchase. I have had several conversations with the dealer, who have steadfastly refused to accept any responsibility for their failure to identify this problem and other problems. They pointed out that there was no paper trail of my request to inspect the sub frames and no subsequent written request for this inspection to be carried out on the job sheet. I cannot alter this, however, even if I had not asked for this specific check to have been carried out, I fail to see how an Aston Martin Service Technician can inspect a car and fail to examine one of the main problem areas associated with this model. I am at a loss to see how a 140 point inspection that is carried out on a Vanquish does not require the under trays to be removed from the car or for the sub-frames to be thoroughly inspected.
On top of this my inspection on the car by Bamford Rose noted that not only did the main dealer's 140 point check fail to identify the sub frame corrosion, it also failed to identify and incorrectly identified a number of other faults. After a thorough inspection conducted by Bamford Rose on the Vanquish they concluded that:
“the 140 point check conducted by the Aston Martin main dealer did not identify your car would likely fail an MOT for subframe corrosion, the 140 point check also did not report correct leak point within ASM circuit, PAS pump was noisy and ‘notchy’ on its bearing, suspension system joints were worn excessively and the exhaust silencer straps and mounting bobbins were worn. I am sure that nobody could disagree that the system / process (the 140 point check) you purchased from the franchised dealer to verify and highlight, to the highest standard possible a vehicle’s health, has failed you and caused you considerable cost. This is because the health check you purchased failed to identify the simplest marker of vehicle health – an MOT pass, or not as in this case.”
To date, my experience Aston martin has not been good, I can safely say that aspiring to Aston Martin ownership was far more pleasurable than the experience itself. However, I have to say that my experience of Bamford Rose has been the complete opposite. They have been nothing other than extremely professional and helpful during this expensive, frustrating and drawn out process. I would add that it is their level service, professionalism and enthusiasm towards Aston Martin that has stopped me from getting rid of the car. Knowing that there is a company that is interested in my business and who is as enthusiastic about Vanquishs as I am gives me hope that I will enjoy a better experience moving forward. The car is about to get a new subframe and I should be picking it up soon - and the car will be in Grade A shape and that is Bamford Rose Grade A shape and not Aston Martin Grade A shape.
This post may sound like sour grapes, that I am complaining about the expense of Aston Martin ownership, but I can assure you that is not it. My complaint is that a main dealer failed to identify a major fault that they were specifically asked to check for, when inspecting the car. The purchase was made on the basis of this inspection, and as such I thought that they should be held accountable for the cost of the repair. In the main dealer's defense, after several conversations with Aston Martin's customer service department, they offered to replace the sub-frame at a reduced cost. However, I do not see why I should have to pay £5178.32 to replace a part that should have been identified as faulty in the first place. They also offered to refund half the cost of my 140 point check, but accepted no responsibility for the failures.
The advice I offer from this, if you want to buy a Vanquish, DB9 or V8 - please get a specialist to look at it, and I cannot recommend Mike and Adrian at Bamford Rose strongly enough, throughout this affair they have been superb. Whilst I won't ever buy another Aston Martin, I can bring myself to sell my Vanquish despite my experience at the hands of Aston Martin, it is just too pretty.
Best,
JT
The upside is you still own a fabulous car that after Bamford Rose have finished with it will be in A1 condition.
Edited by jeremyc on Wednesday 22 August 13:03
silverspeed said:
I really feel for you . You buy the car of your dreams and the enjoyment is tarnished almost as soon as you get it .I can't understand why Aston didn't show you what the 140 point health check covers so you were aware of what was included. I thought the healthcheck was used mainly in conjunction with providing warranties on used cars and as such would only really cover those areas. Is the 140 point healthcheck the same as a pre purchase inspection - my understanding is that they are different requirements. Is there no come back on the person who sold you the car? Any advisories on previous MOT certificates?
The upside is you still own a fabulous car that after Bamford Rose have finished with it will be in A1 condition.
Like you I would want to see a copy of the 140 point checklist to see what they are checking. AM extended warranty wouldn't cover it as its mechanical only not corrosion.The upside is you still own a fabulous car that after Bamford Rose have finished with it will be in A1 condition.
And to the OP
pictures! It the 'law' on here 
Post up pictures of the car as we all like the Vanquish, although stories like this put many of us off.That is incredibly poor from the dealer. They are hiding behind the 140 point check, but what they should have advised is that the 140 pointer was inadequate for a car of this type. Case of just blindly following the check list it seems and no communication between service reception and the technician carrying out the check. Still don't understand how the 140 point check can miss an MOT failure though, devalues the whole 140 point process. I would pursue on that basis but, easy to say I know, don't let it spoil your enjoyment of the special car you now own.
A very sad tale JT and yet another nail in the dealer network's coffin!
Your car is now in the best place it could be and I am certain that when you get it back
and it is behaving as it should you will never want to get rid of it.
Vanquish owners have to be a special breed and it sounds as if you are made of the right stuff.
Well done for getting it off your chest and good information to pass on. Chin up old bean.
It will be a happy ending, BR will make sure of that!
Lewis, I only had the bonnet up show that it looked just as good inside as out.
So get stuffed!!!
Your car is now in the best place it could be and I am certain that when you get it back
and it is behaving as it should you will never want to get rid of it.
Vanquish owners have to be a special breed and it sounds as if you are made of the right stuff.
Well done for getting it off your chest and good information to pass on. Chin up old bean.
It will be a happy ending, BR will make sure of that!
Lewis, I only had the bonnet up show that it looked just as good inside as out.
So get stuffed!!!
Edited by F1 NDW on Wednesday 22 August 13:45
Edited by F1 NDW on Wednesday 22 August 14:19
It's an interesting thread and firstly, sorry to hear of the problems you've experienced. I have to say that this behavior isn't indicative of all dealers so please don't be disheartened. I've been dealing with Sevenoaks for years and they've always been fantastic - same with Grange in Essex. Think this has to just be a case of really bad luck.
Might be worth calling Aston Martin customer relations (Telephone: +44 (0)1926 644644) to see what they have to see. Regardless of a paper trail, you did ask for this verbally and they should know to check this out - otherwise, what's the point in an inspection. It really does bring the brand into disrepute when a franchised dealer fails to pick up basic things like this.
Also might be worth asking for a meeting with the dealer principal and the technician you spoke to at the time to request the inspection - if he has any decency, he should 'recall' that you did indeed ask for this to be done and he didn't advise you at the time that this request should be put into writing.
Good luck chap!
Might be worth calling Aston Martin customer relations (Telephone: +44 (0)1926 644644) to see what they have to see. Regardless of a paper trail, you did ask for this verbally and they should know to check this out - otherwise, what's the point in an inspection. It really does bring the brand into disrepute when a franchised dealer fails to pick up basic things like this.
Also might be worth asking for a meeting with the dealer principal and the technician you spoke to at the time to request the inspection - if he has any decency, he should 'recall' that you did indeed ask for this to be done and he didn't advise you at the time that this request should be put into writing.
Good luck chap!
The conduct of the AML Main Dealer was disappointing to say the least. But... look at the positive side:
The reason why Vanquish prices are at the level they are is because, if things go wrong (or are not right in the first place) repairs are costly and they are prone to have some niggles. This is a handmade car and it was by no means perfect. You bought the car privately and hence did not pay any dealer "mark-up" or warranty protection. After the adverse discovery, which is grave enough, don't get me wrong, you have now received a near perfect car probably not far off the price you would have paid if you had paid a dealer premium. There are risks and there are rewards. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't. In your case you have not lost out but simply gotten even.
Enjoy the car for what it is - as somebody once posted. The Vanquish is a bit more Angelina Jolie than Claudia Schiffer. I know who I prefer.
The reason why Vanquish prices are at the level they are is because, if things go wrong (or are not right in the first place) repairs are costly and they are prone to have some niggles. This is a handmade car and it was by no means perfect. You bought the car privately and hence did not pay any dealer "mark-up" or warranty protection. After the adverse discovery, which is grave enough, don't get me wrong, you have now received a near perfect car probably not far off the price you would have paid if you had paid a dealer premium. There are risks and there are rewards. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't. In your case you have not lost out but simply gotten even.
Enjoy the car for what it is - as somebody once posted. The Vanquish is a bit more Angelina Jolie than Claudia Schiffer. I know who I prefer.
Glad you are getting it sorted and welcome to Vanquish.
Is the 140 point Aston check to extent the warranty? If so, I presume the chassis isn't covered. If it is, can't you claim seeing as Aston have done it.
The advice to get an independent inspection is a good one - one that everyone should take up. When I enquired about a Vanquish being sold through PH I received the following from the 'dealer':
Photos?
Is the 140 point Aston check to extent the warranty? If so, I presume the chassis isn't covered. If it is, can't you claim seeing as Aston have done it.
The advice to get an independent inspection is a good one - one that everyone should take up. When I enquired about a Vanquish being sold through PH I received the following from the 'dealer':
dealer said:
I don’t know who you have been buying car from in the past to make you so suspicious, the question you have asked we have never been asked by anyone in 28 years of selling high value cars, I would like to answer them for you but can only give my expert opinion as I don’t know the facts ... We have sold 19 Vanquishes in the last 18 months and 15 over a 12 month period and not one of them has had a clutch issue ... As for your request for us to ask Aston Martin to strip down the under tray so you can inspect it, I would think there is no chance of that happening and if there was I would not be asking them, I am not even aloud in the workshop and we deal with them, do you honestly think they are going to put that car up on the ramp and then walk you round it to see if you like it, bear in mind that they have just serviced it 10 miles ago and reported nothing outstanding on the car, (even although the car is over 5 years old since registration date) were are you getting your concerns from? ...
Needless to say I spent 30k more elsewhere.Photos?
I noticed that Nicholas Mee has a great selection of Vanquishes (Vanqui?). If I was in the market for one I would go to an independent like them as I am sure they would check everything that is known as a problem area and would go the extra mile to ensure you are satisfied with the condition of the car.
In many independents, and especially those such as BR, you are dealing with engineers and not factory trained fitters, so you get much more detailed inspections and not just a 140-point crib sheet review.
In many independents, and especially those such as BR, you are dealing with engineers and not factory trained fitters, so you get much more detailed inspections and not just a 140-point crib sheet review.
Very well written post tbh. I'd already made my mind up that when I come to buy my car (around the xmas drop) I'll be looking to BR to inspect it.
Sadly one bad dealer / experience = bad rep for dealers, which is equally unfair.
As pointed out, the optimist says that as a private sale you saved the dealer markup and now have a car that would have been in better shape than one from this particular dealer. Imagine if you'd paid full whack from them to only be failed on an MOT a year later...... that'd have been a whole can of worms. I guess getting her waxoiled is in order as well? Enjoy the car and post some pics
Sadly one bad dealer / experience = bad rep for dealers, which is equally unfair.
As pointed out, the optimist says that as a private sale you saved the dealer markup and now have a car that would have been in better shape than one from this particular dealer. Imagine if you'd paid full whack from them to only be failed on an MOT a year later...... that'd have been a whole can of worms. I guess getting her waxoiled is in order as well? Enjoy the car and post some pics
dealer said:
I don’t know who you have been buying car from in the past to make you so suspicious, the question you have asked we have never been asked by anyone in 28 years of selling high value cars, I would like to answer them for you but can only give my expert opinion as I don’t know the facts ... We have sold 19 Vanquishes in the last 18 months and 15 over a 12 month period and not one of them has had a clutch issue ... As for your request for us to ask Aston Martin to strip down the under tray so you can inspect it, I would think there is no chance of that happening and if there was I would not be asking them, I am not even aloud in the workshop and we deal with them, do you honestly think they are going to put that car up on the ramp and then walk you round it to see if you like it, bear in mind that they have just serviced it 10 miles ago and reported nothing outstanding on the car, (even although the car is over 5 years old since registration date) were are you getting your concerns from? ...
Jockman said:
Neil1300R said:
...AM extended warranty wouldn't cover it as its mechanical only not corrosion.
So it would be correct to say then Neil that no advantage would have been gained in buying this through the Dealer and getting the 1 year warranty ?? 
But would not be covered by a 1 year extended AM warranty.
Wonder if the Vanquish has a anti-corrosion warranty, and if so how AM wiggle out of these types of issues?
yeti said:
dealer said:
I don’t know who you have been buying car from in the past to make you so suspicious, the question you have asked we have never been asked by anyone in 28 years of selling high value cars, I would like to answer them for you but can only give my expert opinion as I don’t know the facts ... We have sold 19 Vanquishes in the last 18 months and 15 over a 12 month period and not one of them has had a clutch issue ... As for your request for us to ask Aston Martin to strip down the under tray so you can inspect it, I would think there is no chance of that happening and if there was I would not be asking them, I am not even aloud in the workshop and we deal with them, do you honestly think they are going to put that car up on the ramp and then walk you round it to see if you like it, bear in mind that they have just serviced it 10 miles ago and reported nothing outstanding on the car, (even although the car is over 5 years old since registration date) were are you getting your concerns from? ...
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