New car warranty issue - next steps?
Discussion
Hi All, after some advice in terms of what I can do next, given the facts below:
My 1.3 petrol Dacia Duster is 18 months old and has covered 12k miles. I’ve owned it since new. The car has the EDC (dual clutch) gearbox and there is a heavy vibration/judder when the it changes gear around 30mph. It’s not possible to say which gears this noise occurs in as the car has no display beyond D and is always driven in auto mode. The vibration/judder is low pitch and felt in the cabin and through the accelerator pedal. This noise was not present until the car hit 12 months old and is only present around 30mph when under modest acceleration. The car has no vibration etc as higher speeds.
The car has been seen by a main dealer who say that they agree (two staff members) that there is a vibration/judder. However, they can’t say if this is normal as there are no fault codes and they’ve never seen or driven another EDC equipped Duster (I know they’re not that common but still this is a decent sized dealer). As such, there’s nothing they can do. Unlike the dealer, I’ve located another EDC equipped Duster and will drive it this weekend. However, this is at a different dealer and won’t prove a lot other than the other car doesn’t vibrate/judder (or at least so I assume not as mine didn’t previously).
My question is what can I do next given the car works (but not as I expect) and the dealers opinion is pretty worthless as they admit they’ve never seen or driven this version of the car. The issue may never get worse but it could of course lead to a post warranty failure. Usually I’d just Google to find out if there is a common issue but there doesn’t appear to be one with this gearbox which is widely used in other Renault Group cars and not manufactured by Renault.
If anyone actually has an idea of what could cause this issue let me know.
My 1.3 petrol Dacia Duster is 18 months old and has covered 12k miles. I’ve owned it since new. The car has the EDC (dual clutch) gearbox and there is a heavy vibration/judder when the it changes gear around 30mph. It’s not possible to say which gears this noise occurs in as the car has no display beyond D and is always driven in auto mode. The vibration/judder is low pitch and felt in the cabin and through the accelerator pedal. This noise was not present until the car hit 12 months old and is only present around 30mph when under modest acceleration. The car has no vibration etc as higher speeds.
The car has been seen by a main dealer who say that they agree (two staff members) that there is a vibration/judder. However, they can’t say if this is normal as there are no fault codes and they’ve never seen or driven another EDC equipped Duster (I know they’re not that common but still this is a decent sized dealer). As such, there’s nothing they can do. Unlike the dealer, I’ve located another EDC equipped Duster and will drive it this weekend. However, this is at a different dealer and won’t prove a lot other than the other car doesn’t vibrate/judder (or at least so I assume not as mine didn’t previously).
My question is what can I do next given the car works (but not as I expect) and the dealers opinion is pretty worthless as they admit they’ve never seen or driven this version of the car. The issue may never get worse but it could of course lead to a post warranty failure. Usually I’d just Google to find out if there is a common issue but there doesn’t appear to be one with this gearbox which is widely used in other Renault Group cars and not manufactured by Renault.
If anyone actually has an idea of what could cause this issue let me know.
Trouble is if I try another dealer they’ll want a diagnostic fee - yep the current dealer asks customers to agree to a £180 diagnostic fee, even for an in warranty car.
What I’d really like to know is what (if any) options I have beyond more dealers, who’ll probably give the same story. Reading between the lines I suspect they can’t be bothered as the Dacia warranty hourly rate is not enough to make them want to lo too hard unless they see a fault code.
Yes not a great car time although my MX5 issue whilst irritating isn’t quite the same thing. There’s clear damage caused by a known issue but that cars out of warranty so a different battle.
What I’d really like to know is what (if any) options I have beyond more dealers, who’ll probably give the same story. Reading between the lines I suspect they can’t be bothered as the Dacia warranty hourly rate is not enough to make them want to lo too hard unless they see a fault code.
Yes not a great car time although my MX5 issue whilst irritating isn’t quite the same thing. There’s clear damage caused by a known issue but that cars out of warranty so a different battle.
Lack of knowledge seems to be endemic to Dacia dealers. When I bought a Duster new last year I definitely knew more about the car than anybody in the dealership.
I actually rejected the car after 6 months:
Oil filler cap could not be removed
4wd system did not work at all
Rear diff whining
Infotainment system had a mind of its own
Default settings randomly 'forgotten'
Digital aircon also had a mind of its own, freezing cold one minute then baking hot with no change of controls
Plus others.
Plus points:
Seat heating
All-round camera system
Fuel consumption - average 55 mpg from the diesel.
Large enough boot for my mothers wheelchair
I actually rejected the car after 6 months:
Oil filler cap could not be removed
4wd system did not work at all
Rear diff whining
Infotainment system had a mind of its own
Default settings randomly 'forgotten'
Digital aircon also had a mind of its own, freezing cold one minute then baking hot with no change of controls
Plus others.
Plus points:
Seat heating
All-round camera system
Fuel consumption - average 55 mpg from the diesel.
Large enough boot for my mothers wheelchair
Shinyfings said:
Trouble is if I try another dealer they’ll want a diagnostic fee - yep the current dealer asks customers to agree to a £180 diagnostic fee, even for an in warranty car.
Presumably the £180 diagnostic fee is refunded if there's found to be a fault, and a warranty repair is then completed?Your car sounds faulty to me, it shouldn't vibrate when autobox changes up.
Shinyfings said:
Trouble is if I try another dealer they’ll want a diagnostic fee - yep the current dealer asks customers to agree to a £180 diagnostic fee, even for an in warranty car.
What I’d really like to know is what (if any) options I have beyond more dealers, who’ll probably give the same story. Reading between the lines I suspect they can’t be bothered as the Dacia warranty hourly rate is not enough to make them want to lo too hard unless they see a fault code.
Yes not a great car time although my MX5 issue whilst irritating isn’t quite the same thing. There’s clear damage caused by a known issue but that cars out of warranty so a different battle.
Why botherWhat I’d really like to know is what (if any) options I have beyond more dealers, who’ll probably give the same story. Reading between the lines I suspect they can’t be bothered as the Dacia warranty hourly rate is not enough to make them want to lo too hard unless they see a fault code.
Yes not a great car time although my MX5 issue whilst irritating isn’t quite the same thing. There’s clear damage caused by a known issue but that cars out of warranty so a different battle.
Its not right, tell them to resolve it, just because they don't know what it is, doesn't mean they should stop there. They need to take it up with the manufacturer.
Shinyfings said:
Trouble is if I try another dealer they’ll want a diagnostic fee - yep the current dealer asks customers to agree to a £180 diagnostic fee, even for an in warranty car.
What I’d really like to know is what (if any) options I have beyond more dealers, who’ll probably give the same story. Reading between the lines I suspect they can’t be bothered as the Dacia warranty hourly rate is not enough to make them want to lo too hard unless they see a fault code.
Yes not a great car time although my MX5 issue whilst irritating isn’t quite the same thing. There’s clear damage caused by a known issue but that cars out of warranty so a different battle.
And this is why Dacias are cheap. That you have to go to the effort of finding and driving another is a ludicrous service failure.What I’d really like to know is what (if any) options I have beyond more dealers, who’ll probably give the same story. Reading between the lines I suspect they can’t be bothered as the Dacia warranty hourly rate is not enough to make them want to lo too hard unless they see a fault code.
Yes not a great car time although my MX5 issue whilst irritating isn’t quite the same thing. There’s clear damage caused by a known issue but that cars out of warranty so a different battle.
I've had warranty work done on a BMW and Volvo in recent years. On both occasions the car was repaired with zero cost and minimal effort from me. Volvo even came and collected the car, free of charge.
I'd be kicking up a royal fuss in your shoes, leaving the car with the dealer to resolve and taking a courtesy car away.
Hi All thanks for the replies. This has been raised with Dacia UK who aren’t much use because they rely on a dealer who either have no clue or don’t want a troublesome warranty job. This is why I’ll drive another car this weekend then say mine does something another version of the same car doesn’t do. This cuts off their ability to deny anything is wrong and I hope forces some action.
To give you an idea of how useless the dealer is, there is an issue where the weather seal is cut into by the door, damaging the rubber (no real detriment to the car but it rubs the paint). This is pretty well documented including by owners on this site. The dealer acknowledged this was a warranty issue (the tech said he’d seen a handful) and replaced the seal. However, the door being incorrectly aligned (remember this is a 12k mile car) is not a warranty issue. I couldn’t work that one out but despite my prior comment about Dacia UK they paid the dealer to align the door.
It’s a shame as the car is good for the money but if I could rewind time I’d buy secondhand or pay a little more. Either the dealers are as useless as I think or money is so tight they don’t want to touch warranty work. It’s perhaps obvious that I have little time for most main dealers of all brands but I’ve never had a tech come out in my car, agree there is a vibration and then say I can’t say if there’s anything up as I’ve never driven another and there’s no fault code (it’s as if a fault code is all that matters).
I’ll post again after my test drive of the other car and re-start my fun with Dacia.
To give you an idea of how useless the dealer is, there is an issue where the weather seal is cut into by the door, damaging the rubber (no real detriment to the car but it rubs the paint). This is pretty well documented including by owners on this site. The dealer acknowledged this was a warranty issue (the tech said he’d seen a handful) and replaced the seal. However, the door being incorrectly aligned (remember this is a 12k mile car) is not a warranty issue. I couldn’t work that one out but despite my prior comment about Dacia UK they paid the dealer to align the door.
It’s a shame as the car is good for the money but if I could rewind time I’d buy secondhand or pay a little more. Either the dealers are as useless as I think or money is so tight they don’t want to touch warranty work. It’s perhaps obvious that I have little time for most main dealers of all brands but I’ve never had a tech come out in my car, agree there is a vibration and then say I can’t say if there’s anything up as I’ve never driven another and there’s no fault code (it’s as if a fault code is all that matters).
I’ll post again after my test drive of the other car and re-start my fun with Dacia.
Shinyfings said:
Trouble is if I try another dealer they’ll want a diagnostic fee - yep the current dealer asks customers to agree to a £180 diagnostic fee, even for an in warranty car.
What I’d really like to know is what (if any) options I have beyond more dealers, who’ll probably give the same story.
If you want to pursue the matter I would take the car to a proven auto diagnostician, if you can find one in your area. Things like this require brains and experience; dealerships are there to sell cars not fix them IMHO. If this ever gets legal then it would be your 'independent report'.What I’d really like to know is what (if any) options I have beyond more dealers, who’ll probably give the same story.
Hi I drove the dealer car as a comparison. No vibration and a far smoother change - same engine and gearbox but 18 months younger and a handful of miles Vs 12000. I’ve advised Dacia UK so I’ll see what happens. They’ll probably attempt to say the newer car has been totally redesigned which is why it doesn’t vibrate!
Re: the auto technician comment, if it comes to it a good Renault independent may be a sensible option as they’ll know the engine and gearbox combo.
Re: the auto technician comment, if it comes to it a good Renault independent may be a sensible option as they’ll know the engine and gearbox combo.
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