Nurburgring 2017
Discussion
UPDATE FROM MCLAREN ASCOT:
Good morning Mr. Townsend,
We have now been able to look at your McLaren and have identified a coolant hose that has burst. It has a hole in it and needs replacing.
Unfortunately it is not covered under your warranty.
The cost to repair is about £670.00
We then need to test the car afterwards to make sure everything else is ok.
MY RESPONSE:
Thank you for confirming the failure on my 12C and that it can be fixed.
I am, however, extremely disappointed to hear you will be charging me for the repair since: I only bought the car from you in December last year (with full official warranty); I had the car pre-track inspected by you at no small cost; I was given verbal assurances that if I had the pre-track inspection the car would enjoy full warranty protection; the failure happened only after around 4 individual laps of the circuit (two of which were sighting laps); and, the result of the coolant hose bursting almost caused me to lose complete control of the car at high speed, which could have led to a major accident.
All-in-all my confidence in the car and the brand has been badly shaken. Reading through your company literature it is clear McLaren prides itself on engineering excellence built over many years in completion and on the track. My recent experience has been the opposite.
I would like McLaren Ascot to please re-consider charging me for the cost of this repair.
I would also like to add that because of the failure on the car: my first track day with the car in Germany was almost over before it started (at cost); I had to arrange trailer transportation of the car from Germany to you; and, the car has been with you for many weeks.
I intend to track the car at 3-4 other club events later this year. Whilst I appreciate you can't give a 100% guarantee that the failure I experienced (or similar) won't ever happen again, I need to be reassured that the repair will be top quality to ensure, as far as possible, it doesn't happen again.
If not, then I think it best McLaren Ascot buys back the car from me.
Good morning Mr. Townsend,
We have now been able to look at your McLaren and have identified a coolant hose that has burst. It has a hole in it and needs replacing.
Unfortunately it is not covered under your warranty.
The cost to repair is about £670.00
We then need to test the car afterwards to make sure everything else is ok.
MY RESPONSE:
Thank you for confirming the failure on my 12C and that it can be fixed.
I am, however, extremely disappointed to hear you will be charging me for the repair since: I only bought the car from you in December last year (with full official warranty); I had the car pre-track inspected by you at no small cost; I was given verbal assurances that if I had the pre-track inspection the car would enjoy full warranty protection; the failure happened only after around 4 individual laps of the circuit (two of which were sighting laps); and, the result of the coolant hose bursting almost caused me to lose complete control of the car at high speed, which could have led to a major accident.
All-in-all my confidence in the car and the brand has been badly shaken. Reading through your company literature it is clear McLaren prides itself on engineering excellence built over many years in completion and on the track. My recent experience has been the opposite.
I would like McLaren Ascot to please re-consider charging me for the cost of this repair.
I would also like to add that because of the failure on the car: my first track day with the car in Germany was almost over before it started (at cost); I had to arrange trailer transportation of the car from Germany to you; and, the car has been with you for many weeks.
I intend to track the car at 3-4 other club events later this year. Whilst I appreciate you can't give a 100% guarantee that the failure I experienced (or similar) won't ever happen again, I need to be reassured that the repair will be top quality to ensure, as far as possible, it doesn't happen again.
If not, then I think it best McLaren Ascot buys back the car from me.
Sorry to hear this Baronbennyt, that's a bit of a joke. That said, my mate who drove his R8 GT down to the RIng with me was not tracking it because he'd had a similar issue with oil pipes weeping and needing replacement - it'd shook his confidence in the car a bit. Fortunately, I did persuade him to follow me around for a couple of touristenfahrten laps, so he went home happier that he'd actually driven around the circuit.
In my next life I want to be reincarnated as a McLaren dealer principal...
£670 for a coolant hose and I am certain they would charge for their time during the road test. What a joke!
In fairness, I had a similar issue years ago. BMW was going to sting me for two new front calipers after they seized on my then brand new Z4MC. The car had done 19k miles in my first year and about 300 Ring laps. The dust seals had perished from the heat, let water in and the pistons had corroded. Anyhow, BMW Warranty had dug out pictures of my car at the Ring and refused to honour the Manufacturer's warranty saying it was not valid since the car had been tracked. Kind of ironic, given that the mini specific Z4MC brochure that came with the car had made lots and lots specific references to spirited/track driving. I think 3 emails fired in quick succession to head office sorted the issue, but the sour taste was there for sure.
£670 for a coolant hose and I am certain they would charge for their time during the road test. What a joke!
In fairness, I had a similar issue years ago. BMW was going to sting me for two new front calipers after they seized on my then brand new Z4MC. The car had done 19k miles in my first year and about 300 Ring laps. The dust seals had perished from the heat, let water in and the pistons had corroded. Anyhow, BMW Warranty had dug out pictures of my car at the Ring and refused to honour the Manufacturer's warranty saying it was not valid since the car had been tracked. Kind of ironic, given that the mini specific Z4MC brochure that came with the car had made lots and lots specific references to spirited/track driving. I think 3 emails fired in quick succession to head office sorted the issue, but the sour taste was there for sure.
Wh00sher said:
Never mind the fact you took it in for a pre-trackday ingspection which you paid for and as already said, the hoses are a known issue already. 
The coolant hose issue imo reflects very badly on Mclaren generally. It's been a known problem, the dealerships all know it, the factory knows it (although mainly it has been the clips coming loose than the pipe bursting) and yet there is absolutely no pre-emptive replacement on the older 12c's and 650s as "it looks normal sir" as regularly said when asked about it.. To be fair the inspection wouldn't necessarily have picked it up as the hoses just tend to be ok until they are not but I'd have thought that having done the inspection it should be in the dealership's interest (especially having bought the car from them too) to help out on the claim this time round....LATEST RESPONSE FROM MCLAREN ASCOT:
Good morning Mr. Townsend,
Thank you for your email.
I can totally understand your point of view and frustrations with the track day.
So I have asked the Sales team if they can help with the cost on this basis.
And good news they have come back to me and we are going to cover the cost of this repair for you.
Good morning Mr. Townsend,
Thank you for your email.
I can totally understand your point of view and frustrations with the track day.
So I have asked the Sales team if they can help with the cost on this basis.
And good news they have come back to me and we are going to cover the cost of this repair for you.
Cheburator mk2 said:
refused to honour the Manufacturer's warranty saying it was not valid since the car had been tracked. Kind of ironic, given that the mini specific Z4MC brochure that came with the car had made lots and lots specific references to spirited/track driving.
Yep, had the same with Porsche and a GT3, and Caterham with the 620R (the "R" being for "Race") - both made statements to the effect that they won't honour warranty on track. I could sympathise if these cars weren't primarily marketed at those interested in taking them on track.Order66 said:
Yep, had the same with Porsche and a GT3, and Caterham with the 620R (the "R" being for "Race") - both made statements to the effect that they won't honour warranty on track. I could sympathise if these cars weren't primarily marketed at those interested in taking them on track.
On the 620R it really takes the biscuit, given that from memory they made a big thing of entering the 600R (on which it is based) as a "works-supported" car in the Mag 7 with the CSCC... 
It was good to meet you also, Digga. Thank you for the pax lap.
I hardly made it out in the rain on my Direzzas. Currently shopping for race wets but they are not easy to find to fit 7x16 wheels.
Every time I go to the Ring I swear I'll drop the 924 and get an E46 M3, but I always end up taking it back.
I hardly made it out in the rain on my Direzzas. Currently shopping for race wets but they are not easy to find to fit 7x16 wheels.
Every time I go to the Ring I swear I'll drop the 924 and get an E46 M3, but I always end up taking it back.
nsa said:
It was good to meet you also, Digga. Thank you for the pax lap.
Every time I go to the Ring I swear I'll drop the 924 and get an E46 M3, but I always end up taking it back.
Good to chat with you too Digga, I really should have blagged a PAX lap off you - Doh!Every time I go to the Ring I swear I'll drop the 924 and get an E46 M3, but I always end up taking it back.
It's usually a mistake for me to try to follow Nick, as his corner entry speeds are significantly quicker than mine, with the sole exception of the Karussell.
nsa said:
It was good to meet you also, Digga. Thank you for the pax lap.
I hardly made it out in the rain on my Direzzas. Currently shopping for race wets but they are not easy to find to fit 7x16 wheels.
Every time I go to the Ring I swear I'll drop the 924 and get an E46 M3, but I always end up taking it back.
No problem. Thank you for being a calm passenger! Although I think at the start of the lap at Hoheneichen, when I took a hand of the wheel just to give Jochen the "thumbs up" you might have had reason to be perturbed. I hardly made it out in the rain on my Direzzas. Currently shopping for race wets but they are not easy to find to fit 7x16 wheels.
Every time I go to the Ring I swear I'll drop the 924 and get an E46 M3, but I always end up taking it back.
IKWYM about M3s, E49 and earlier - I always think they look a great car for the RIng, but at the same time, your 024 does look a fantastic beast.
ukkid35 said:
Good to chat with you too Digga, I really should have blagged a PAX lap off you - Doh!
See above. Would be more than happy to next time.itcaptainslow said:
See that a biker and ex volunteer marshall was hit by another car and killed at the weekend on the Ring. 
Tragic. I don't know what happened but I've seen plenty of Ring-goers standing by their car or bike and not BEHIND the barrier when they've broken down and/or had a crash. Get yourself to safety first. lucido grigio said:
Just read who it was killed this weekend.
He was with the group of people I was with on Friday evening in the car park and in the Comfy Corner later in Adenau.
I didn't know him well but so sad given he was getting out of it all after many years in the area.
Really sad to hear this He was with the group of people I was with on Friday evening in the car park and in the Comfy Corner later in Adenau.
I didn't know him well but so sad given he was getting out of it all after many years in the area.
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