Help please - Volvo Selekt warranty problems
Discussion
Hi,
I would really appreciate any advice on what my options might be. I'll try to keep it brief, bullet points.
1) Volvo V40 bought from Volvo Wolverhamption, October 2023 (bought on the Selekt car program, i.e. approved used)
2) Front end of car collapses while driving, June 10th 2024
3) Car collected by recovery truck and taken to local Volvo dealer, East London
4) Diagnosed as left front spring has snapped
5) Warranty agree to pay for the work. I am called to collect on completion.
6) Driving the car 200m, I can feel it pulls to the right quite hard once up to 50mph. Take it straight back to the East London
7) They keep the car in over the weekend. Diagnose the problem as the front right spring is non standard, not a Volvo part
8) Volvo UK advise to get the spring changed, and approach Wolverhampton for compensation, as the car was misold
9) Spring replaced at my cost, £900. I am called to collect the car, two technicians have driven and verfied it is all now good.
10) I collect the car, drive 200m, and the issue is the same as it was previously. East London keep the car in.
11) East London say they can not visually see any issues, and to investigate further they will have to dismatle the front suspension.
12) They also insist the car is safe to drive and suggest I take it away, as they don't know the problem. And, they advise Volvo UK that the car is safe to drive, as long as I keep my hands on the steering wheel. They suggest for any further work I drive it, 3 hours, to Wolverhampton. East London also offer me £6,000 to buy the car. I paid £10,000 8 months ago.
13) Volvo UK speak with East London, and relay to me, East London are waiting for my authorisation to do more work, at my expense.
14) East London, now say they don't know if the car pulled to the right before it arrived on the truck. Should this not have been identified in initial diagnosis?
So this is the stage I am at. I do not want to take the car back as it is. I am happy to take a replacement car, my car driving as it should, or £8,000. To buy a car like mine from Volvo would be £9,000+
Any good advice would be massively appreciated.
I would really appreciate any advice on what my options might be. I'll try to keep it brief, bullet points.
1) Volvo V40 bought from Volvo Wolverhamption, October 2023 (bought on the Selekt car program, i.e. approved used)
2) Front end of car collapses while driving, June 10th 2024
3) Car collected by recovery truck and taken to local Volvo dealer, East London
4) Diagnosed as left front spring has snapped
5) Warranty agree to pay for the work. I am called to collect on completion.
6) Driving the car 200m, I can feel it pulls to the right quite hard once up to 50mph. Take it straight back to the East London
7) They keep the car in over the weekend. Diagnose the problem as the front right spring is non standard, not a Volvo part
8) Volvo UK advise to get the spring changed, and approach Wolverhampton for compensation, as the car was misold
9) Spring replaced at my cost, £900. I am called to collect the car, two technicians have driven and verfied it is all now good.
10) I collect the car, drive 200m, and the issue is the same as it was previously. East London keep the car in.
11) East London say they can not visually see any issues, and to investigate further they will have to dismatle the front suspension.
12) They also insist the car is safe to drive and suggest I take it away, as they don't know the problem. And, they advise Volvo UK that the car is safe to drive, as long as I keep my hands on the steering wheel. They suggest for any further work I drive it, 3 hours, to Wolverhampton. East London also offer me £6,000 to buy the car. I paid £10,000 8 months ago.
13) Volvo UK speak with East London, and relay to me, East London are waiting for my authorisation to do more work, at my expense.
14) East London, now say they don't know if the car pulled to the right before it arrived on the truck. Should this not have been identified in initial diagnosis?
So this is the stage I am at. I do not want to take the car back as it is. I am happy to take a replacement car, my car driving as it should, or £8,000. To buy a car like mine from Volvo would be £9,000+
Any good advice would be massively appreciated.
I'm sure you would have known if the car pulled to one side before the spring broke, if it didn't then it's not the fact that it has a non-standard spring fitted. £900 for a replacement seems very expensive, especially as it didn't fix the issue!
I assume that the garage have checked the basics like tracking and tyre pressures?
I assume that the garage have checked the basics like tracking and tyre pressures?
Sorry, I should have pointed out, the non-standard spring was found to be slightly shorter that an original.
I assume all the basics have been checked too. But, given that they have twice claimed the technicians have given it the all clear, I probably shouldn't assume anything. I will suggest it to them, thank you.
I assume all the basics have been checked too. But, given that they have twice claimed the technicians have given it the all clear, I probably shouldn't assume anything. I will suggest it to them, thank you.
tobytronicstereophonic said:
If I've read this right, they changed just the broken spring?
Volvo 100% say Both springs must be swapped at the same time. Two new Japanese KYB springs, wheel alignment check. £300 tops.
The broken spring was changed, and covered by the warranty. Then when the car pulled to the right, East London identified that the spring on the right was slightly shorter than the new one installed on the left. To fix the pulling, they changed the right side spring to match, and charged £900 to do so. This has not fixed the issue, and they cannot visually identify what the issue is, so want to wash their hands of it.Volvo 100% say Both springs must be swapped at the same time. Two new Japanese KYB springs, wheel alignment check. £300 tops.
tobytronicstereophonic said:
It is basically a Ford Focus. Nothing complex, just 2 x matched and new springs will cure the problem. Ask AA or whoever you are a member of to step in. It's a reasonably cheap service and they will agree with this: springs Must always be Swapped in Pairs.
I hadn't considered asking the AA, I'll give them a call, see what they say. Thanks.SwiftSale said:
9) Spring replaced at my cost, £900.
Good god! I know from having a Volvo myself that their dealers can be pricey (which is why I never darkened their door after the warranty ran out), but that's absolutely outrageous.As to the problem...it sounds bloody odd. So all that's happened is that your car has got two matching OEM front springs put on it and it's now pulling hard to one side where it didn't before. The only real possibilities I can think of are 1) the tracking's actually not OK, but if it's as bad as you say then you could probably see it's not right, 2) it was a feature of the road on your very short test drive that caused the car to pull to the right, and not the car itself, or 3) the dealer has somehow managed to put different springs on. I suppose there is a 4), that at some point in the garage's care it's been clattered in a pothole hard enough to knacker the suspension in some other way, but again I would have thought you'd be able to see straight away if that was the case.
I'd probably get another place to look at the tracking anyway just to totally rule that out, and see if on the way there the pulling-to-the-side persists.
Have you checked the tyres as suggested?
Maybe take it to another place to have the tracking done, but don't give them any of the story, just tell them you think it is pulling to the right a little bit. As they have no skin in the game and are unaware of the previous work, they will check it with an open mind and maybe spot something the other garage missed?
Maybe take it to another place to have the tracking done, but don't give them any of the story, just tell them you think it is pulling to the right a little bit. As they have no skin in the game and are unaware of the previous work, they will check it with an open mind and maybe spot something the other garage missed?
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