RE: Non, non, non
Friday 12th July 2002
Non, non, non
No overseas breakdown cover? What happened when your car gave up the ghost abroad?
Discussion
A couple of years ago a friend of my dad’s picked up his brand new XK8 convertible and drove it down from London to the Portsmouth ferry for a trip down through France. He stopped off on the way to show off his pride and joy, bright red, magnolia leather etc very nice – I was suitably impressed not to mention very jealous.
Anyway getting to the point two days into his journey he had left his missus at the hotel put the top down and gone for a blat down some lovely straight French roads when to put it in his words ‘the lights went out’. What had happened? As he was driving down the road a horse had jumped over a hedge running parallel to the road and straight into the car. Apparently he then hit a tree which was not a very good thing for the horse as it had forgotten to put its seatbelt on.
Needles to say there was not much left of the horse or the jag, and he was lucky to get out with a few broken ribs a broken arm and collar bone, all of which I believe was inflicted by the horse……ouch!!!!!
Matt
Incidentally, pointless bit of info – I used to work for Andy Briscoe, bloody nice bloke and he drives a 5.0 Chimp.
Anyway getting to the point two days into his journey he had left his missus at the hotel put the top down and gone for a blat down some lovely straight French roads when to put it in his words ‘the lights went out’. What had happened? As he was driving down the road a horse had jumped over a hedge running parallel to the road and straight into the car. Apparently he then hit a tree which was not a very good thing for the horse as it had forgotten to put its seatbelt on.
Needles to say there was not much left of the horse or the jag, and he was lucky to get out with a few broken ribs a broken arm and collar bone, all of which I believe was inflicted by the horse……ouch!!!!!
Matt
Incidentally, pointless bit of info – I used to work for Andy Briscoe, bloody nice bloke and he drives a 5.0 Chimp.
Going to France last year, only remembered to get the European coverage as my car was emerging from the Euro tunnel. Girl at the AA said she wasn't really supposed to give me the cover unless I'd arranged it before leaving the UK, but she bent the rules a bit and I paid by £20 or whatever. Bloody good thing to coz three days later the car blew its coolant and was hauled back to the UK on a truck. Met an entertaining French mechanic who used to rally 911s. He insisted on peering into the bonnet with a fag glued to his lip. He didn't have any eyebrows.
Had cover(£22 with Brittania) for the Carlton in 1990 odd for a trip to Brittany. Master cylinder went 3 days into a 14 day stay. Hire car provided for the rest of the stay. Needless to say we flashed and waved our fist's at almost every UK plated car.
The garage tried 6 (I was told by the help line) replacement cylinders, never got the right one so after 14 day's the car was low loadered back to the ferry, towed on and met the other side by the breakdown and low loadered home to drop off kit then car delivered to the garage. All in all a good trip.
The garage tried 6 (I was told by the help line) replacement cylinders, never got the right one so after 14 day's the car was low loadered back to the ferry, towed on and met the other side by the breakdown and low loadered home to drop off kit then car delivered to the garage. All in all a good trip.
Bit of a long story but....
Back in August 2000 we went off to France for two weeks in the Audi - A6, around 90,000 miles at that time. Took the green flag cover that came with the gite booking - I think it cost about forty quid. First week, all goes well, temp runs a bit high but it was bloody hot in the Loire valley that week. Second week, moved across to the vendee and on Wednesday went for a run to the Ile de Re but didn't make it. Whole bloody thing seized up solid and wouldn't play any more. It turned out that the oil cooler had gone but the oil had found it's way into the water system. Therefore, hot oil and water, agitated by the pump led to emulsification and an engine full of brown sludge which would have passed for chocolate spread.
Green flag organised the tow to a garage and a hire car. The garage then proceeded to pronounce it cured, then not, then cured, then not and then decided that they needed more time. By this time the holiday had been extended for five days, waiting for the fix then they decided that the parts needed had to come from Strasbourg but they couldn't be brought because there was no diesel available for the truck! So there were we, driving a hire car with no bloody fuel in it, waiting for my car to be fixed. On the the Wednesday we decided to fly home and again green flag picked up the tab, plus the hotel in Nantes because we couldn't do ninety k in six hours (no transport - no diesel)
. Finally flew home on the Thursday evening and again green flag arranged a hire car to drive home from the airport.
Eventually (mid-October) I was told that car was fixed and finally collected it on the 28th - it had spent more than nine weeks being ungunged and, thank heaven for french autoroutes, did Sables d'Olonne to the tunnel in less than six hours, including the run around Paris. But, would you believe it, I was held up for an hour and a half when I went to collect the car because they insisted they had to clean it!
Overall green flag saved me about eight hundred quid so I'd definitely use them again if I went for a proper trip.
BTW - if you're an AA member you get five (I think) day trips included - you just need to call the day before.
Back in August 2000 we went off to France for two weeks in the Audi - A6, around 90,000 miles at that time. Took the green flag cover that came with the gite booking - I think it cost about forty quid. First week, all goes well, temp runs a bit high but it was bloody hot in the Loire valley that week. Second week, moved across to the vendee and on Wednesday went for a run to the Ile de Re but didn't make it. Whole bloody thing seized up solid and wouldn't play any more. It turned out that the oil cooler had gone but the oil had found it's way into the water system. Therefore, hot oil and water, agitated by the pump led to emulsification and an engine full of brown sludge which would have passed for chocolate spread.
Green flag organised the tow to a garage and a hire car. The garage then proceeded to pronounce it cured, then not, then cured, then not and then decided that they needed more time. By this time the holiday had been extended for five days, waiting for the fix then they decided that the parts needed had to come from Strasbourg but they couldn't be brought because there was no diesel available for the truck! So there were we, driving a hire car with no bloody fuel in it, waiting for my car to be fixed. On the the Wednesday we decided to fly home and again green flag picked up the tab, plus the hotel in Nantes because we couldn't do ninety k in six hours (no transport - no diesel)
. Finally flew home on the Thursday evening and again green flag arranged a hire car to drive home from the airport. Eventually (mid-October) I was told that car was fixed and finally collected it on the 28th - it had spent more than nine weeks being ungunged and, thank heaven for french autoroutes, did Sables d'Olonne to the tunnel in less than six hours, including the run around Paris. But, would you believe it, I was held up for an hour and a half when I went to collect the car because they insisted they had to clean it!
Overall green flag saved me about eight hundred quid so I'd definitely use them again if I went for a proper trip.
BTW - if you're an AA member you get five (I think) day trips included - you just need to call the day before.
This looks suspiciuosly like an advertising campaign to me but here goes ..
Last summer took my 18 month old Impreza to France for a week, on the way to the ferry it started jumping out of 5th gear when I eased of the throtle . Not good news , but mid week we lost reverse completely .... Imagine your daily drive without reverse gear , then put yourself on the wrong side of the road in medievel (sp?) cities you have never been to, surounded by the less than helpfull french (no offence to any French people , but you have to admit you aren't like the Dutch)never able to park unless you are nose up or clear in front.
Made it home but got a £2000 bill for gearbox re-build , still trying to get some compensation out of Subaru if anybody knows thier japan E-mail address Id be pleased to get it .
Off to france again next week in a new Pug with assistance this time .
Ive learn't the hard way
Last summer took my 18 month old Impreza to France for a week, on the way to the ferry it started jumping out of 5th gear when I eased of the throtle . Not good news , but mid week we lost reverse completely .... Imagine your daily drive without reverse gear , then put yourself on the wrong side of the road in medievel (sp?) cities you have never been to, surounded by the less than helpfull french (no offence to any French people , but you have to admit you aren't like the Dutch)never able to park unless you are nose up or clear in front.
Made it home but got a £2000 bill for gearbox re-build , still trying to get some compensation out of Subaru if anybody knows thier japan E-mail address Id be pleased to get it .
Off to france again next week in a new Pug with assistance this time .
Ive learn't the hard way
quote:
This looks suspiciuosly like an advertising campaign to me but here goes ..
Last summer took my 18 month old Impreza to France for a week, on the way to the ferry it started jumping out of 5th gear when I eased of the throtle . Not good news , but mid week we lost reverse completely .... Imagine your daily drive without reverse gear , then put yourself on the wrong side of the road in medievel (sp?) cities you have never been to, surounded by the less than helpfull french (no offence to any French people , but you have to admit you aren't like the Dutch)never able to park unless you are nose up or clear in front.
Made it home but got a £2000 bill for gearbox re-build , still trying to get some compensation out of Subaru if anybody knows thier japan E-mail address Id be pleased to get it .
Off to france again next week in a new Pug with assistance this time .
Ive learn't the hard way
Surely the Subaru 3yr warranty would cover a broken gearbox if the car was only 18mths old? The Synchromesh went on 5th gear on my Impreza when it was 4mths old and they fixed that under warranty (after a bit of ranting and raving from me when they insisted on pretending there was nothing wrong with it!)
Also, my Jan 2000 model came with 3yrs Europewide assistance, didn't yours come with this?
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