Sold a car with engine changed..help!
Discussion
Hi Guys,
Long time snooper here, first time post.
I have a question regarding a 3 year old (with super low mileage) car I bought from a BMW main dealer. I just found out its had an engine replaced with a refurbished unit. I wasn't told this upon sale of the car. The same dealer replaced the engine, then sold the car to me. They forgot to change the engine number in the V55 (Log book) so I have a log book with wrong engine number in it?! (The never told me about the engine change)
Now if I knew this, I wouldn't have bought the car and chosen another. The dealer is refusing to accept responsibility and refusing to take the car back.
I pointed out the V55 would have shown engine change (That they showed me before sale), that would have changed my decision on the sale. They tell me they are not obliged to have changed the engine number as its not law to do so? Is he fobbing me off?
Where do I stand on this?
Brian
Long time snooper here, first time post.
I have a question regarding a 3 year old (with super low mileage) car I bought from a BMW main dealer. I just found out its had an engine replaced with a refurbished unit. I wasn't told this upon sale of the car. The same dealer replaced the engine, then sold the car to me. They forgot to change the engine number in the V55 (Log book) so I have a log book with wrong engine number in it?! (The never told me about the engine change)
Now if I knew this, I wouldn't have bought the car and chosen another. The dealer is refusing to accept responsibility and refusing to take the car back.
I pointed out the V55 would have shown engine change (That they showed me before sale), that would have changed my decision on the sale. They tell me they are not obliged to have changed the engine number as its not law to do so? Is he fobbing me off?
Where do I stand on this?
Brian
When was the engine changed, and why?
I know someone with a Mazda who was given a new engine after 18 months of ownership after it developed a strange vibration; it cost the dealer less to do this than to strip the engine, find the fault and fix it.
If it was a genuine reconditioned unit, then it is more or less a new engine, so why worry?
I know someone with a Mazda who was given a new engine after 18 months of ownership after it developed a strange vibration; it cost the dealer less to do this than to strip the engine, find the fault and fix it.
If it was a genuine reconditioned unit, then it is more or less a new engine, so why worry?
it makes no difference and there is no need to tell the dvla.
there are thousands of cars with replacement engines and no one bothers to tell the dvla, in fact on most modern cars its almost impossible to find the engine number, without stripping lots of bits off to find it (how did you find it?).
unless there is something wrong with the engine just be happy you have a lower mileage engine, it will last longer!
there are thousands of cars with replacement engines and no one bothers to tell the dvla, in fact on most modern cars its almost impossible to find the engine number, without stripping lots of bits off to find it (how did you find it?).
unless there is something wrong with the engine just be happy you have a lower mileage engine, it will last longer!
briangxl said:
The car had 5000 miles when i bought it. It's a refurbished engine NOT new replacement, I'd rather have the original engine with 5000 miles than a refurbished one.
I have a feeling the original engine would be a large oily paperweight, but if they still have it, I'm sure they'd swap the broken engine for your fully working one.
briangxl said:
The car had 5000 miles when i bought it. It's a refurbished engine NOT new replacement, I'd rather have the original engine with 5000 miles than a refurbished one.
It was an "exchange" unit most probably. i.e Brand new 0 miles aside from the runnng in at the factory. It's probably got 2 years+ warranty too. Get over yourself! If it bothers you, tell the DVLA. But be warned they are just as likely to re register the car to a Q plate instead! Personally, my V5 says "UNKNOWN" for Engine number. It's only the DVLA's incompetence stopping me from changing that. Any potential buyers can easily read the number on the block if it worries them.
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicl...
DVLA said:
DVLA will need written evidence of any changes to engine number and cylinder capacity (cc).
Written evidence can be:
The vehicle is currently incorrectly registered.Written evidence can be:
- a receipt for the replacement engine
- written evidence from the manufacturer
- an inspection report provided for insurance purposes
- written confirmation on headed paper from a garage if the change in engine size took place before you bought the vehicle
Wh00sher said:
Rich_W said:
But be warned they are just as likely to re register the car to a Q plate instead!
Eh ? why ?
k wits who cannot do the simplest of tasks without fking it up royally, then blaming you for it. The less you have to deal with them the better for you. IMOEdited by Rich_W on Monday 6th December 20:51
I always check the chassis number, but no idea where the engine number is on any of my cars.
OP, why not just get the dealer to write you a letter confirming that they changed the engine and to give you the dates along with old and new numbers.
File the letter and never think of it again.
OP, why not just get the dealer to write you a letter confirming that they changed the engine and to give you the dates along with old and new numbers.
File the letter and never think of it again.
Rich_W said:
Wh00sher said:
Rich_W said:
But be warned they are just as likely to re register the car to a Q plate instead!
Eh ? why ?k wits who cannot do the simplest of tasks without fking it up royally, then blaming you for it. The less you have to deal with them the better for you. IMOEdited by Rich_W on Monday 6th December 20:51
6 years and counting and I'm still not sorted with them.
Wh00sher said:
I still haven`t quite worked out what the OP is upset about ?
I think the point is that he thought he was buying an almost brand new, unmolested car. And instead it turns out that he's got one that's had an engine change. Possibly for a brand new engine from BMW, but who knows?And just as significantly, the car has had major work done on it since it left the factory. Given my experience of taking cars to garages, where they seem to manage to get something wrong every single time (eg oil leak from the filter housing of my wife's Mini after main dealer did an oil change service), I would be assuming they'd damaged or mis-fitted something in replacing an entire engine.
For me, although they didn't have to tell you they'd changed it, the fact they've even managed to fail to tell DVLA (supporting my "almost all garages are incompetent" theory) might give you a get-out clause. If the dealer won't play ball, I'd be writing to BMW customer services if I were you. Assuming, that is, that the car wasn't such a good buy that you'd want to keep it even knowing about the engine change.
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