Bought 5 yr old car with clutch judder - what rights?
Discussion
I recently bought a 5 year old Zafira for the missus from a local car dealer with 22k miles on the clock and since we had it the clutch judders from cold. At first I thought it was just us getting use to a different car, but once it warms up it seems to be OK but I'm worried there may be problems to come in future.
After a quick google it seems to be a common problem with Vauxhalls.
I'm waiting for the salesman to call me back to discuss the issue, but what are my rights? We've only had the car 2 weeks.
Cheers.
After a quick google it seems to be a common problem with Vauxhalls.
I'm waiting for the salesman to call me back to discuss the issue, but what are my rights? We've only had the car 2 weeks.
Cheers.
Mileage is genuine - I know low mileage is not everything, I bought the car on overall condition - I was fed up of looking at trashed cars, but that's the thing about MPVs - if they've been used as they were designed, they are going to get wrecked!
I've read that in warranty Vauxhall fit a new flywheel and clutch but only if people complain!
I've read that in warranty Vauxhall fit a new flywheel and clutch but only if people complain!
Isn't a clutch normally a service item? If it's just worn then you'd probably want to replace it and see if the garage you bought it from will give you some money off the price. Was the judder not evident on your test drive?
I bought a car recently where the two rear tyres were near the legal limit and it was clear they would need changing within about 2 weeks, so I negotiated some money off the price of the car to go towards the tyres. Hindsight is wonderful, but that's probably what you should have done.
If they won't give you money off then you may just need to buy a new clutch.
(I expect some people may say "Well surely a clutch should last more than 22k miles" and I would agree that under normal usage it certainly should. However if the previous owner had abused the clutch then that's not really a Vauxhall warranty issue.)
I bought a car recently where the two rear tyres were near the legal limit and it was clear they would need changing within about 2 weeks, so I negotiated some money off the price of the car to go towards the tyres. Hindsight is wonderful, but that's probably what you should have done.
If they won't give you money off then you may just need to buy a new clutch.
(I expect some people may say "Well surely a clutch should last more than 22k miles" and I would agree that under normal usage it certainly should. However if the previous owner had abused the clutch then that's not really a Vauxhall warranty issue.)
U bought a 2nd hand car, you gotta expect wear & tear! (God knows why you brought a Vauxhall!! Expect more grief ahead & that's from an ex dealer who used to sell the dam things!)
Re Law: "Goods must be fit for the purpose its intended for!"
Is the car fit for the purpose? ie is it road worthy and does it drive? Answer Yes. What your questioning is wear & tear, the dealer will argue that's its general wear & tear.
Personally I would reject the goods and return it for a full refund, by law you have 30 days from the date of purchase to return some thing. Get your cash back & go buy a Ford CMax or SMax. It'll be much less grief in the long term. Trust me this is coming from an Ex Dealer Principle who used to sell over 1,000 of the dam things!!
Re Law: "Goods must be fit for the purpose its intended for!"
Is the car fit for the purpose? ie is it road worthy and does it drive? Answer Yes. What your questioning is wear & tear, the dealer will argue that's its general wear & tear.
Personally I would reject the goods and return it for a full refund, by law you have 30 days from the date of purchase to return some thing. Get your cash back & go buy a Ford CMax or SMax. It'll be much less grief in the long term. Trust me this is coming from an Ex Dealer Principle who used to sell over 1,000 of the dam things!!
Edited by Wayney on Friday 28th January 19:29
Edited by Wayney on Friday 28th January 19:30
Emeye said:
I recently bought a 5 year old Zafira for the missus from a local car dealer with 22k miles on the clock and since we had it the clutch judders from cold. At first I thought it was just us getting use to a different car, but once it warms up it seems to be OK but I'm worried there may be problems to come in future.
After a quick google it seems to be a common problem with Vauxhalls.
I'm waiting for the salesman to call me back to discuss the issue, but what are my rights? We've only had the car 2 weeks.
Cheers.
So you didn't drive it before buying then?After a quick google it seems to be a common problem with Vauxhalls.
I'm waiting for the salesman to call me back to discuss the issue, but what are my rights? We've only had the car 2 weeks.
Cheers.
Also it's a clutch. So as a rule wouldn't be covered under a full warranty, let alone a used car sale. It also isn't stopping the car working either.
Anything you get back from them will be nothing more than a good will gesture.
carmonk said:
Didn't it judder on the test drive? If not, it might have been warmed up in full knowledge there was a problem. In any event, get them to repair it if it's a fault, as it sounds to be (I drove Vauxhalls for 12 years with nothing like that happening)
Fault? That's quite a tough one to call. Would the fuel light coming on also be a fault?Yes I did test drive the car before buying it but didn't experience the clutch judder - no idea if the car had been warmed up before hand, but it had been moved from its place on the pitch ready for me to drive it.
Looking at the Vauxhall forums it seems the problem is a common fault - I can imagine that I'd have no complaint if I'd had the car 6 months, but after only 2 weeks I'm hoping the problem can be resolved. I'm still waiting to be called back.......
Looking at the Vauxhall forums it seems the problem is a common fault - I can imagine that I'd have no complaint if I'd had the car 6 months, but after only 2 weeks I'm hoping the problem can be resolved. I'm still waiting to be called back.......
Wayney said:
U brought a 2nd hand car, you gotta expect wear & tear! (God knows why you brought a Vauxhall!! Expect more grief ahead & that's from an ex dealer who used to sell the dam things!)
Re Law: "Goods must be fit for the purpose its intended for!"
Is the car fit for the purpose? ie is it road worthy and does it drive? Answer Yes. What your questioning is wear & tear, the dealer will argue that's its general wear & tear.
Personally I would reject the good and return it for a full refund, by law you have 30 days from the date of purchase to return some thing. Get your cash back & go buy a Ford CMax or SMax. It'll be much less grief in the long term. Trust me this is coming from an Ex Dealer Principle who used to sell over 1,000 of the dam things!!
No you don't!!Re Law: "Goods must be fit for the purpose its intended for!"
Is the car fit for the purpose? ie is it road worthy and does it drive? Answer Yes. What your questioning is wear & tear, the dealer will argue that's its general wear & tear.
Personally I would reject the good and return it for a full refund, by law you have 30 days from the date of purchase to return some thing. Get your cash back & go buy a Ford CMax or SMax. It'll be much less grief in the long term. Trust me this is coming from an Ex Dealer Principle who used to sell over 1,000 of the dam things!!
Emeye said:
Yes I did test drive the car before buying it but didn't experience the clutch judder - no idea if the car had been warmed up before hand, but it had been moved from its place on the pitch ready for me to drive it.
Looking at the Vauxhall forums it seems the problem is a common fault - I can imagine that I'd have no complaint if I'd had the car 6 months, but after only 2 weeks I'm hoping the problem can be resolved. I'm still waiting to be called back.......
Just be polite and ask.Looking at the Vauxhall forums it seems the problem is a common fault - I can imagine that I'd have no complaint if I'd had the car 6 months, but after only 2 weeks I'm hoping the problem can be resolved. I'm still waiting to be called back.......
The car is fit for purpose ans is 2nd hand.
Maybe offer to go 50/50 if they won't replace at first.
300bhp/ton said:
Fault? That's quite a tough one to call. Would the fuel light coming on also be a fault?
Yes, if there's plenty of fuel in the tank. I presume you're suggesting wear and tear on a 22K car that wasn't evident on purchase, and also excluding the unrelated faults that can cause a clutch to judder. That's quite an assumption and not one I'd go to the dealer with. And if it's just the effect of cold morning I'd be surprised. As I've said, I've owned numerous Vauxhalls and there's been at least two Vauxhalls in the immediate family for almost 100 years, and I can't recall any mention of clutch slippage at all, let alone something that should be considered standard and accepted.BelperJim said:
Our Corsa does this too apparently a fairly common complaint. It's seems to be the first pull off from cold it judders but soon sorts itself out. Never really bothered us that much.
probably just the rust on the flywheel that has built up over night - as soon as you drive it, it goesgood chance you wont get any judder when its dry
BelperJim said:
Our Corsa does this too apparently a fairly common complaint. It's seems to be the first pull off from cold it judders but soon sorts itself out. Never really bothered us that much.
probably just the rust on the flywheel that has built up over night - as soon as you drive it, it goesgood chance you wont get any judder when its dry
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