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Picked up the latest addition to the family on Thursday, a M400. Drove it for approx 1 hour before I found out it wasn't boosting properly, sounded like the engine was going to explode when I got to about 4/5k rpm!
Anyway I drove to a nearby relatives house. It was at this point I opened up the engine compartment to investigate. I didn't notice anything out of place but i did notice a belt to the right of the engine that was knackered, it had chuncks missing and was frayed!!! It should have been spotted at the service, it was obvious. So anyway I got on the phone ( p*ssed off i was far from impressed) to the dealer and he arranged for the car to be flatbeded on Friday to Peter Smith sports cars.
Once there, their mechanic found that the spark plugs hadn't been gapped properly at the service (NOT done by Peter Smiths) before the sale of the car
Anyway spark plugs were gapped correctly and the belt replaced. Problems solved or so I thought....
The car was then taken out for a test drive and the mechanic then found another problem, he could hear air leaking aorund the turbo. Problem, the gasket after the front turbo was knackered, rear also needed attention.
The car is currently still as Peter Smiths waiting for new gaskets to arrive. All repairs are being paid for by the dealer but I feel let down. The car should have been 100% when it left the showroom or is that just a stupid notion? I got the train back up to Aberdeen from Derby, now no car, lost 2 days of wages (i'm self employed) and very angry
I knew what I was getting into when I bought a Noble and I understand its a car at the end of the day and they do break down from time to time, however all the faults could and should have been easily picked up by the mechanics during the presale service.
Dissapointing to say the least
On the bright side, I'd like to say just how brilliant Peter Smith Sports car were. They couldn't have helped any more if they tried, especially at such short notice. Excellent service. While I was waiting I got shown around buy a friendly salesman called Robert. I think i'll be putting the noble there to have work done, that is if I ever get it! Roll on this week when hopefully I'll get the car.
Anyway I drove to a nearby relatives house. It was at this point I opened up the engine compartment to investigate. I didn't notice anything out of place but i did notice a belt to the right of the engine that was knackered, it had chuncks missing and was frayed!!! It should have been spotted at the service, it was obvious. So anyway I got on the phone ( p*ssed off i was far from impressed) to the dealer and he arranged for the car to be flatbeded on Friday to Peter Smith sports cars.
Once there, their mechanic found that the spark plugs hadn't been gapped properly at the service (NOT done by Peter Smiths) before the sale of the car
Anyway spark plugs were gapped correctly and the belt replaced. Problems solved or so I thought.... The car was then taken out for a test drive and the mechanic then found another problem, he could hear air leaking aorund the turbo. Problem, the gasket after the front turbo was knackered, rear also needed attention.
The car is currently still as Peter Smiths waiting for new gaskets to arrive. All repairs are being paid for by the dealer but I feel let down. The car should have been 100% when it left the showroom or is that just a stupid notion? I got the train back up to Aberdeen from Derby, now no car, lost 2 days of wages (i'm self employed) and very angry
I knew what I was getting into when I bought a Noble and I understand its a car at the end of the day and they do break down from time to time, however all the faults could and should have been easily picked up by the mechanics during the presale service.
Dissapointing to say the least
On the bright side, I'd like to say just how brilliant Peter Smith Sports car were. They couldn't have helped any more if they tried, especially at such short notice. Excellent service. While I was waiting I got shown around buy a friendly salesman called Robert. I think i'll be putting the noble there to have work done, that is if I ever get it! Roll on this week when hopefully I'll get the car.
Yep. Makes you wonder if they just stamped the book and did nothing doesn't it?
If it was supposedly serviced recently, check the oil. If it's black then......
I suppose a leaky trubo could be missed if the chaps doing the service don't have experience? Or maybe that's a bit naive.
Bad luck mate. Hopefully it'll be worth the hassle once it's all ship-shape.
If it was supposedly serviced recently, check the oil. If it's black then......
I suppose a leaky trubo could be missed if the chaps doing the service don't have experience? Or maybe that's a bit naive.
Bad luck mate. Hopefully it'll be worth the hassle once it's all ship-shape.
Totally agree, however I would've liked to have got home before it started to self destruct!
Anyway i'm starting to see the funny side now and it looks like i'll have the beast by the end of the week
Iain
Forgot to add, is Westhill service station looking at your car?
Anyway i'm starting to see the funny side now and it looks like i'll have the beast by the end of the week
Iain
Forgot to add, is Westhill service station looking at your car?
Edited by Iaing01 on Monday 22 October 13:25
Iain,
I am very sorry about the fact that your car was not prepared as it should of been. As a direct result of this experience (and one other at around the same time) we have moved our Noble preparation to another supplier.
However before anyone jumps to a kangaroo court type judgement of us, i feel it is also only fair to point out that Dove House paid for several thousand pounds worth of costs, including flat bedding the car, a hire car for Iain and the work that peter smith suggested required doing without question. This is not a case of a fly by night dealer not caring about the quality of the car or customer satisfaction either before or after delivery.
You are all entitled to make your own decisions on where to purchase from, and situations like this do not help those of us who strive to build successful businesses that depend on customer experience and hence loyalty and positive word of mouth. However on the rare occasion when it does go wrong (in this case it went wrong twice, the same supplier mis-gapped the plugs on another m400 as well) we do everything within our power to put it right. There are plenty of people in this business that don't.
best regards
Mark
I am very sorry about the fact that your car was not prepared as it should of been. As a direct result of this experience (and one other at around the same time) we have moved our Noble preparation to another supplier.
However before anyone jumps to a kangaroo court type judgement of us, i feel it is also only fair to point out that Dove House paid for several thousand pounds worth of costs, including flat bedding the car, a hire car for Iain and the work that peter smith suggested required doing without question. This is not a case of a fly by night dealer not caring about the quality of the car or customer satisfaction either before or after delivery.
You are all entitled to make your own decisions on where to purchase from, and situations like this do not help those of us who strive to build successful businesses that depend on customer experience and hence loyalty and positive word of mouth. However on the rare occasion when it does go wrong (in this case it went wrong twice, the same supplier mis-gapped the plugs on another m400 as well) we do everything within our power to put it right. There are plenty of people in this business that don't.
best regards
Mark
beesma said:
Iain,
I am very sorry about the fact that your car was not prepared as it should of been. As a direct result of this experience (and one other at around the same time) we have moved our Noble preparation to another supplier.
However before anyone jumps to a kangaroo court type judgement of us, i feel it is also only fair to point out that Dove House paid for several thousand pounds worth of costs, including flat bedding the car, a hire car for Iain and the work that peter smith suggested required doing without question. This is not a case of a fly by night dealer not caring about the quality of the car or customer satisfaction either before or after delivery.
You are all entitled to make your own decisions on where to purchase from, and situations like this do not help those of us who strive to build successful businesses that depend on customer experience and hence loyalty and positive word of mouth. However on the rare occasion when it does go wrong (in this case it went wrong twice, the same supplier mis-gapped the plugs on another m400 as well) we do everything within our power to put it right. There are plenty of people in this business that don't.
best regards
Mark
MarkI am very sorry about the fact that your car was not prepared as it should of been. As a direct result of this experience (and one other at around the same time) we have moved our Noble preparation to another supplier.
However before anyone jumps to a kangaroo court type judgement of us, i feel it is also only fair to point out that Dove House paid for several thousand pounds worth of costs, including flat bedding the car, a hire car for Iain and the work that peter smith suggested required doing without question. This is not a case of a fly by night dealer not caring about the quality of the car or customer satisfaction either before or after delivery.
You are all entitled to make your own decisions on where to purchase from, and situations like this do not help those of us who strive to build successful businesses that depend on customer experience and hence loyalty and positive word of mouth. However on the rare occasion when it does go wrong (in this case it went wrong twice, the same supplier mis-gapped the plugs on another m400 as well) we do everything within our power to put it right. There are plenty of people in this business that don't.
best regards
Mark
Fair play to you and your company for remedying this situation – all visitors to this site know that this is not always the case however whether you have moved your Noble preparation to another company or not, you as the dealer have a duty of care to your customers and should have tested the car before it was handed back to your customer.
If you had, you would have saved yourself a huge sum of money and the adverse affects your business may suffer due to posts of this nature.
It was fortunate in this case that the issues with the car did not adversely affect the handling or stopping of the vehicle as the consequences could have been far more serious. Consequently, I hope as well as appointing a new service agent, you will also take on the responsibility of testing any vehicle left in your care before it is returned to your customer?
Lakelord,
Your response makes a massive and incorrect assumption that the car was not tested. The car was and in fact was also driven over an hour to the delivery point by one of our salesteam in addition. However what we had clearly not done was drive it particularly hard throught the full rev range at which point the various faults would have become more obvious. However i might also point out that in the past i have seen other dealerships critised on similar forums when they have been observed "test-piloting" a car that now belongs to a customer.
Your observation that we do not take ownership of these issues or test vehicles prior to delivery or have no regard for safety are utterly without grounds.
At no point do i say "this is not our fault": It is a car that has left Dove House not to our standard. That is entirely our problem, at both a cost and reputational level. Accordingly all along we have owned resolution of the problem, we have addressed the source of the problem, we have borne the cost and we have stood up here to be counted for our actions, we have not and will not shy away from our duty of care at any point.
Your response makes a massive and incorrect assumption that the car was not tested. The car was and in fact was also driven over an hour to the delivery point by one of our salesteam in addition. However what we had clearly not done was drive it particularly hard throught the full rev range at which point the various faults would have become more obvious. However i might also point out that in the past i have seen other dealerships critised on similar forums when they have been observed "test-piloting" a car that now belongs to a customer.
Your observation that we do not take ownership of these issues or test vehicles prior to delivery or have no regard for safety are utterly without grounds.
At no point do i say "this is not our fault": It is a car that has left Dove House not to our standard. That is entirely our problem, at both a cost and reputational level. Accordingly all along we have owned resolution of the problem, we have addressed the source of the problem, we have borne the cost and we have stood up here to be counted for our actions, we have not and will not shy away from our duty of care at any point.
Hi Mark, thank you for your apology.
I would like to start by saying that I can not fault Dove House for the action that yourselves and the salesman (Warren) took in putting the car right after my troubles. In fact it couldn't have been any better.
However I cant help feeling that if the car had been serviced properly pre-sale at a Noble specialist then a lot of cost to yourself could have been avoided.
I was very angry after having waiting in anticipation (while a few bodywork niggles were sorted,) a good 2 weeks after putting a deposit down to go and pick the car up to then find it wasn't right.
I took two days off work to do this at a large personal cost to myself (i'm sefl employed), not to mention the fact it ruined the time I had planned to spend with my grandparents in Lancaster.
The misfiring as mentioned before was solved by Peter Smiths and was down to incorrectly gapped plugs at the service.
Anyway I shall summarise what happened when the car was in Peter Smiths (to the best of my opinion). I’m not sure if you know the full story Mark, sorry if I’m covering old ground.
Drive belt changed, existing one was brittle, frayed and half the thickness in places
Spark plugs removed and gapped properly
Car taken for a test drive by mechanic
Mechanic returns to report that the car is back up to full boost but can hear a boost leak from somewhere.
Problem found, turbo gaskets gone, chunks missing from at least one
Turbo’s out, problem with removing one
Said turbo then had to be re-studded.
Hoses found to be knackered and required replacing (not sure which ones)
New gaskets fitted
Car put back together
Flatbedded to me 11 days later.
So basically I spent over 40k on a car that I drove for approx 1 hour to see it trailered off only to get it back 11 days later. I think that would be enough to make anyone’s blood boil !
How Templetons (pre-sale service company) failed to notice that the car was misfiring has led me to one conclusion, they didn't drive the car on boost after "servicing".
I am very pleased to hear that you have moved your Noble servicing to a different garage and I apologise for going on a bit, well actually a lot but I feel it had to be said.
There is a happy ending to the story as I am now very happy with the car and again would like to thank you and your sales team( Warren) for making sure it got put right in the end.
Iain
I would like to start by saying that I can not fault Dove House for the action that yourselves and the salesman (Warren) took in putting the car right after my troubles. In fact it couldn't have been any better.
However I cant help feeling that if the car had been serviced properly pre-sale at a Noble specialist then a lot of cost to yourself could have been avoided.
I was very angry after having waiting in anticipation (while a few bodywork niggles were sorted,) a good 2 weeks after putting a deposit down to go and pick the car up to then find it wasn't right.
I took two days off work to do this at a large personal cost to myself (i'm sefl employed), not to mention the fact it ruined the time I had planned to spend with my grandparents in Lancaster.
The misfiring as mentioned before was solved by Peter Smiths and was down to incorrectly gapped plugs at the service.
Anyway I shall summarise what happened when the car was in Peter Smiths (to the best of my opinion). I’m not sure if you know the full story Mark, sorry if I’m covering old ground.
Drive belt changed, existing one was brittle, frayed and half the thickness in places
Spark plugs removed and gapped properly
Car taken for a test drive by mechanic
Mechanic returns to report that the car is back up to full boost but can hear a boost leak from somewhere.
Problem found, turbo gaskets gone, chunks missing from at least one
Turbo’s out, problem with removing one
Said turbo then had to be re-studded.
Hoses found to be knackered and required replacing (not sure which ones)
New gaskets fitted
Car put back together
Flatbedded to me 11 days later.
So basically I spent over 40k on a car that I drove for approx 1 hour to see it trailered off only to get it back 11 days later. I think that would be enough to make anyone’s blood boil !
How Templetons (pre-sale service company) failed to notice that the car was misfiring has led me to one conclusion, they didn't drive the car on boost after "servicing".
I am very pleased to hear that you have moved your Noble servicing to a different garage and I apologise for going on a bit, well actually a lot but I feel it had to be said.
There is a happy ending to the story as I am now very happy with the car and again would like to thank you and your sales team( Warren) for making sure it got put right in the end.
Iain
Mark
Happy to have my assumption corrected but my comments were based upon what the owner had written...
Appreciate your point that no owners like to have test-pilots in their cars but these 'oversights' do seem a little obvious and should have been identified before the car was returned.. or is that another massive assumption?
Happy to have my assumption corrected but my comments were based upon what the owner had written...
Iaing01 said:
Anyway I drove to a nearby relatives house. It was at this point I opened up the engine compartment to investigate. I didn't notice anything out of place but i did notice a belt to the right of the engine that was knackered, it had chuncks missing and was frayed!!!
So Mark, who does your inspections.. Stevie Wonder ?Iaing01 said:
The car was then taken out for a test drive and the mechanic then found another problem, he could hear air leaking aorund the turbo. Problem, the gasket after the front turbo was knackered, rear also needed attention.
And Mark, who did the test drive, Beethoven ? (He was deaf by the way!) Appreciate your point that no owners like to have test-pilots in their cars but these 'oversights' do seem a little obvious and should have been identified before the car was returned.. or is that another massive assumption?
From an outsiders point of view...
I don't even know where Dove House is, so I've got no axe to grind, but it seems to me that apart from employing a cowboy (and how easy is that?) they have behaved in an exemplary manner.
Martin.
Lakelord said:
So Mark, who does your inspections.. Stevie Wonder ?
That'll be the garage they just sacked...Lakelord said:
And Mark, who did the test drive, Beethoven ? (He was deaf by the way!)
That just proves they don't thrash the ar5e off customers cars...I don't even know where Dove House is, so I've got no axe to grind, but it seems to me that apart from employing a cowboy (and how easy is that?) they have behaved in an exemplary manner.
Martin.
Edited by V6GTO on Wednesday 21st November 15:38
Iaing01 said:
So basically I spent over 40k on a car that I drove for approx 1 hour to see it trailered off only to get it back 11 days later. I think that would be enough to make anyone’s blood boil !
Iain, I spent over £56,000 on a new car and it visited the factory 5 times in the first year for up to 3 weeks at a time. Notwithstanding the fact that I'm an extremely fussy barsteward, I only had the use of the car for 7 clear months in year one. Noble's magnificent (of old, that is!) customer service eventually got my motor to the state it's remained in for the past 3 years - perfection! 
So, the point I'm getting to is that pain in the arse that it is, ALL motors and ALL car companies WILL dissapoint some of the time but it's their level of customer service and willingness to support you that makes the difference and should be the yardstick for measurement here. Yes, DH sold you an unprepared car but YES they are standing up here in public admitting it! We can't expect any more. Of course, if we hear of a similar story again then their name will have become mud andbut they know this so I doubt it will happen again.
Edited by AMG Merc on Wednesday 21st November 16:23
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