Rejecting a car inside the 30 day window
Rejecting a car inside the 30 day window
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cirian75

Original Poster:

5,800 posts

264 months

Picked up my car on Friday the 16th Oct from a main dealer full franchise approved used, 18m old, 20k miles

Following on Saturday, a day trip from Manchester to Wales, the seat started to feel quite uncomfortable in the bum, it felt like something was digging into me from the right side bolster, so on Sunday adjusted the seat so it was higher and tilted forward a little more.

No dice, more adjusting, nope, more adjusting, nope, seat has a problem.

Emailed the sales man who said would look at getting it looked out by the workshop.

And then no update, so emailed again, he said as the car was bought from a main dealer, any other main dealer for the same car maker could look at and fix the problem.

So I rang the local main dealer, who upon hearing I'd only had the car just over week went hell no I said I would need to take it to the dealer I bought the car from.

So I contacted them several times and the guy said he'd talk to the workshop about booking it in, but nothing happened.

In the mean time the seat got a lot worse hurting the right side of my lower and mid back.

So Friday 6th Nov, I went to the docs over the back pain, did not tell him about the next car, he did the kidney piss tested, all ok, did a lot of poking, prodding and said the muscles in the sides of my back had been strained and I should take it easy, then emailed complained to the car dealers group HQ, and they said they would look into it with 5 days

Come Sunday 8th Nov I'd had enough, the 30 days are up on the 14th Nov, so I found a a CRA 2015 template, did the edits and added the email trail, and sent to the group HQ and the car makers own finance arm.

Surprise to no one, this morning the dealer I bought car from from rang, was the head of sales, he said they had the right to attempt one repair before refunding, they have collected the car and left me a courtesy car.

They rang back two hours later and say they have compared to two other cars that have the exact same seats and can't find an issue.

So they offered two options.

1: they will have the seat professionally reupholstered, which might or might no fix the issues, and leaves me or them with a modded car.

2: Get a brand new seat fitted, which might or might not fix the issue.

I am a little large, 5 9 and 100kg

The main issue is the back pain, the design of the seat means it has a curve in the middle of my back.

Advice please, I don't think they can fix this, the cars seats and my back are fundamentally incompatible



Edited by cirian75 on Monday 9th November 17:06

Nicetobenice

1,902 posts

9 months

I'm struggling to see a valid reason for rejection.

Doesitdrive

2,191 posts

12 months

Nicetobenice said:
I'm struggling to see a valid reason for rejection.
Me too, if the seat is designed that way, others are exactly the same, sounds like a buyer beware problem to me.

LightweightLouisDanvers

3,011 posts

74 months

What car is it?
Id go for the new replacement seat option, at least then you can be sure its not a fault in the existing one which a reupholster may not fix.

cirian75

Original Poster:

5,800 posts

264 months

LightweightLouisDanvers said:
What car is it?
Id go for the new replacement seat option, at least then you can be sure its not a fault in the existing one which a reupholster may not fix.
2025 Toyota Corolla 2.0 Hybrid GR Sport.

paul_c123

2,535 posts

24 months

In order to be able to reject a car, 1) there needs to be a fault with it, 2) the dealer needs to agree there is a fault.

Sometimes the evidence for 1 and 2 are clear, for example if a warning light comes on, and the dealer looked at it and did some work on the car (or planned to do work - not just "diagnose"). (And in this case, if they did work and it fixed the issue, (1) is no longer true because there is no longer a fault).

In your case, you perceive there is a fault but the dealer hasn't agreed this. If you really wanted to continue the rejection route, the next step would be an independent inspection - it is worth getting the dealer to agree on the independent inspector before it is done. Since you have already raised the issue, the "clock" is stopped and you don't need to worry about getting it all done within the 30 day window.

paul_c123

2,535 posts

24 months

ETA is the passenger seat the same, or does it feel more comfortable, presumably without something hard digging into you? It is very unlikely that both seats are broken in the exact same way.

valiant

14,329 posts

191 months

Some car seats just aren’t comfortable if you’re a certain shape. Don’t have to be a fat bugger either, it just doesn’t suit your particular back.

I had similar with a Ford Focus. Long journeys had me in pain and my back eventually ‘went’ leaving me off work for two weeks! Has to get rid as it simply wasn’t comfortable for me but for the vast majority it’d be absolutely fine.

Might want to take it to another dealer to look over it in case your dealer is a bit useless (I know you’ve tried but maybe try another without telling them you’ve just bought it) but it may be a case of not suitable for you.


cirian75

Original Poster:

5,800 posts

264 months

paul_c123 said:
ETA is the passenger seat the same, or does it feel more comfortable, presumably without something hard digging into you? It is very unlikely that both seats are broken in the exact same way.
The passenger seat feels much firmer much more supportive and does not have a lumbar adjustment and doesn't actually need it because it has decent support there anyway already.

speedyman

1,637 posts

265 months

Op, why don't you go to the dealers and sit in one of the other cars they say are the same and see if the are indeed the same.

ninjag

1,960 posts

150 months

According to a Googele search, it's a common complaint with that care:

Results and suggestions are in this Google search


ZX10R NIN

30,652 posts

156 months

speedyman said:
Op, why don't you go to the dealers and sit in one of the other cars they say are the same and see if the are indeed the same.
This is the answer try & sut in another one if it's the same then you have your answer.