Service dept fitted wrong oil filter and now engine is dead!

[EUbrainwashing]

My pal - who is not very car oriented - took his Alfa to a Ford main agent for a service. After, he drove a 200 miles but the car was leaking oil unbeknown to him. Eventually the oil light came on and volumes of smoke from the exhaust - it is apparent the engine/turbo has now totally had it.

So the dealership has accepted their error and offered a value for the car but I am not confident they are making a sufficiently generous settlement - he couldn't go and buy an identical car judging by, say, auto-trader advert prices, with what they are offering.

His car is:
Manufacturer: ALFA ROMEO
Model: MITO DIESEL HATCHBACK - 1.3 JTDM-2 85 Sprint 3dr
Year: 2013
Colour: Red
Transmission: Manual
Engine Size: 1200
First Registered: 31/01/2013
55,000 mls

They are offering £2,750 full and final

What say you? Should he take the money or should he press for more.

Edited by EUbrainwashing on Monday 27th March 16:55

[No ideas for a name]

EUbrainwashing said:

My pal - who is not very car oriented - took his Alfa to a Ford main agent for a service. After, he drove a 200 miles but the car was leaking oil unbeknown to him. Eventually the oil light came on and volumes of smoke from the exhaust - it is apparent the engine/turbo has now totally had it.

So the dealership has accepted their error and offered a value for the car but I am not confident they are making a sufficiently generous settlement - he couldn't go and buy an identical car judging by, say, auto-trader advert prices, with what they are offering.

His car is:
Manufacturer: ALFA ROMEO
Model: MITO DIESEL HATCHBACK - 1.3 JTDM-2 85 Sprint 3dr
Year: 2013
Colour: Red
Transmission: Manual
Engine Size: 1200
First Registered: 31/01/2013
55,000 mls

They are offering £2,750 full and final

What say you? Should he take the money or should he press for more.

Start with a WBAC valuation based on the not failed state.
That should give a minimum trade BUY price. That isn't what he can replace like for like.

But, just getting market value for a car, you are still not actually in the position you were before they messed up.
Ask them to source a suitable replacement?
Maybe something off the front, or what they get in as trade-ins.
However maybe your mate was really happy with the car he has.. in which case they should repair it.
Surely they have now accepted liability by offering a price.
I don't think they get to choose - but enforcing the right outcome is always easier said than done.

ETA: There may of course be a counter claim in that yes they messed up, but maybe your mate should have noticed before the failure. I would have thought you might get the oil pressure light flashing on/off for a bit whilst cornering. So, they may try and wiggle out of it.

Edited by No ideas for a name on Monday 27th March 17:02

[Panamax]

What would it cost to get a warrantied, second hand engine installed?

[motco]

Does the offer include your friend keeping the car in its new, zero emissions state? If so, a replacement engine might be worthwhile.

[shtu]

Doesn't seem massively far apart, probably negotiable,

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/404164292151

Alternatively - what have they got on their lot at the £3500-4000 mark?

[Alex_225]

I'd probably suggest looking up comparable models and presenting it to the dealership so they can adjust their offer.

If your mate can't replace his car for the money they're offering, then what they're offering isn't enough. I'm sure they'd cough up since they've admitted their fault in it.

[swisstoni]

It’s a major result that the garage admitted responsibility at all imho. They usually have a pretty good play-book to deal with common screw ups.

I’m sure a bit of haggling ought to get things to a fairer settlement.

[EUbrainwashing]

swisstoni said:

It’s a major result that the garage admitted responsibility at all imho. They usually have a pretty good play-book to deal with common screw ups.

I’m sure a bit of haggling ought to get things to a fairer settlement.

Thanks Swiss'

[EUbrainwashing]

Alex_225 said:

I'd probably suggest looking up comparable models and presenting it to the dealership so they can adjust their offer.

If your mate can't replace his car for the money they're offering, then what they're offering isn't enough. I'm sure they'd cough up since they've admitted their fault in it.

I did have a look on AutoTrader and the few approximately similar cars listed there were a great deal more. So you are right - he couldn't replace the car with the money they are offering.

So thanks Alex - you have given me the nudge to push them a bit more