Shortest life of car?

[PKLD]

Ok I've just about recovered from my rage earlier today. My new Smart For2 (picked up from dealer on Monday - new factory order) failed to start this morning. The Smart garage then asked me to bring it in for a check cue first level of rage. Then they phoned back to ask if I had re-charged it?! They thought it might be electric, cue rise in rage. AA come round after 30min plugs in his laptop and confirms that it is indeed fked.

I then have to get an enterprise rental as it doesn't qualify for a loan care from the dealer. Then I get phoned to tell me it needs a new ECU and software. Did I buy a fking laptop?

So 200 miles and 3 days is all my new car lasted, can anyone beat that?

Edited by PKLD on Thursday 1st December 19:30

[750turbo]

PKLD said:

Ok I've just about recovered from my rage earlier today. My new (picked up from dealer on Monday - new factory order) failed to start this morning. The Smart garage then asked me to bring it in for a check cue first level of rage. Then they phoned back to ask if I had re-charged it?! They thought it might be electric, cue rise in rage. AA come round after 30min plugs in his laptop and confirms that it is indeed fked.

I then have to get an enterprise rental as it doesn't qualify for a loan care from the dealer. Then I get phoned to tell me it needs a new ECU and software. Did I buy a fking laptop?

So 200 miles and 3 days is all my new car lasted, can anyone beat that?

Quoted, just in case...Well we all know..

OP, keep us informed please I am very interested in this.

[AARONM3]

I bought a new 206 in 2000- drove it from Brentwood to Guilford the afternoon I picked it up, kept surging but I put it down getting used to the car. Took my mate out for a spin and it revved it's bottom off and it came back to the garage the next day on a low-loader so about two hours from 0 to about 60ish miles and it was busted!

Think it turned out to be the fuel pump but it really was a shoddily put together bit of kit in contrast my 106 had managed 20k in 9 months(!) without issue. Kept it for six months before being unable to take the poor build quality any more!

[littlebasher]

I had a Honda Civic as a hire car

Just as it clocked up it's 60th mile on the A34, the bottom end exited through the sump.

[PKLD]

after those posts I feel positively lucky :P

Just a shock after my 318d (2009) did 74k miles in 2 years with only tyres, diesel and oil being changed.

[br d]

My neighbour used to be a salesman at fords Dagenham. Back in the day he sold a new Escort with all the options to a young lady who backed off of the showroom forcourt into the path of a lorry on the A13, Write off.

[750turbo]

PKLD said:

after those posts I feel positively lucky :P

Just a shock after my 318d (2009) did 74k miles in 2 years with only tyres, diesel and oil being changed.

Colleague has a 320ed (?) Company Car. 2011

Now reckons to have had 15K worth of warranty work done.

Steering rack. (Apparently this is a nightmare to do)
Gearbox x 2
Clutch
Steering wheel
Seat belt(s?) Poor material
Head Unit, very poor reception

Not good

[insideline]

I had a brand new Passat for 105 miles and all of 2 hours before driving into flood water and writing it off! Company car, explaining to the boss was 'interesting'.

[mikef]

MG-F threw a rod on the pre-delivery inspection run. 30 miles on the clock, 2nd engine. Only UK-build car I'v ever owned...

[IrrElephant]

We sold a Clio to s girl who had just passed her test, a week later with just 44 miles on the clock it ended up stuffed into the back of a lorry!

[66comanche]

750turbo said:

Colleague has a 320ed (?) Company Car. 2011

Now reckons to have had 15K worth of warranty work done.

Steering rack. (Apparently this is a nightmare to do)
Gearbox x 2
Clutch
Steering wheel
Seat belt(s?) Poor material
Head Unit, very poor reception

Not good

I suspect you are talking ste.

[Waugh-terfall]

My mate bought a MINI Cooper, 10 days and almost 300mi later he put us into a crash barrier at 55mph and wrote it off. Admittedly the poor little thing had already lived 5.5yrs/54,000mi...

[Fox-]

Waugh-terfall said:

My mate bought a MINI Cooper, 10 days and almost 300mi later he put us into a crash barrier at 55mph and wrote it off. Admittedly the poor little thing had already lived 5.5yrs/54,000mi...

I am not sure what makes you think, at 5.5 years old, your mates Mini is in with a shout for this thread.

[230TE]

One week after the VW Corrado was launched in the UK I saw one in a breakers yard near Oxford. Comprehensively rolled, every body panel bent.

IIRC a couple of Japanese journalists beat that by writing off a Merc SL at the world press launch.

[wildcat45]

1976 Exeter. My dad had just picked up a Suntor Marina camper van from the builders in Torrington. He was at a friends house for the night before driving it home to Newcastle. There is a knock on the door and an apologetic Ambulance man is there to tell him he'd just rolled the ambulance into the new car's side.

MD of my dad's firm gets a call from the dealer to tell him there would be a delay in the delivery of his new Daimler Double Six. They were building him a new one after the one he ordered got written off falling from the transporter. It was on the top deck, at the front. The transporter braked heavily and it was then that it was discovered it hadn't been lashed down. Apparently it flew over the cab and landed on its roof. Not even delivery miles.

[Waugh-terfall]

Fox- said:

I am not sure what makes you think, at 5.5 years old, your mates Mini is in with a shout for this thread.

Calm down dear. Tongue in cheek.

[Du1point8]

Think it was in an old copy of CAR but I seem to remember that when the XJ220 was being demoed to journalists/prospective owners that one of them may have down shifted instead of upshifting at high speed and put the car into first and fubar'd the car.

[Davie]

I've sent a couple tech out to push a car off the back of an ECM transporter. Begs the question, did it decide to randomly break en route up the M6 or did they push the thing on at the port...

[Ozzie Osmond]

Brand new car with a Saab badge - 60 miles - airconditioning pump seized and caused the main serpentine drive belt to jump off its pulleys, lighting up every warning lamp on the dashboard. Dead car. Car taken back to the dealer on a trailer and all was well once a new A/C pump and belt had been fitted.

[Matt UK]

wildcat45 said:

MD of my dad's firm gets a call from the dealer to tell him there would be a delay in the delivery of his new Daimler Double Six. They were building him a new one after the one he ordered got written off falling from the transporter. It was on the top deck, at the front. The transporter braked heavily and it was then that it was discovered it hadn't been lashed down. Apparently it flew over the cab and landed on its roof. Not even delivery miles.

Winner