Shortest life of car?
Discussion
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.
My dad's Citroen BX 16V in "Meteor Grey" got dropped at the docks. This was at the end of July and the factory was shut in August, so he ended up with a black one from the dealer network. Was a company car so not so bad.I pdi'd a brand new car once for my then MD. we were instructed not to road test it and send it straight valet, as the MD was going straight off to some swanky do after work.
Someone at he dealer needed to get something in the post before collection at 4.45, and for whatever reason, the only car available was the MD's new one. He was given the keys, and told not to get it dirty
Less than 350 yards up the road, a LR defender pulled out of a T junction in front of him, he swerved, hit the kerb and rolled it onto it's roof. When he got back to the dealer and explained to the MD that he'd had a 'bump', the MD asked where the car was, to which he explained it was still up the road. The MD then gave him a bking for leaving the stereo faceplate in the car
When he finally saw the wreck, he was a little less concerned about the faceplate!!
The car was written off, with just 4 miles on the clock
Someone at he dealer needed to get something in the post before collection at 4.45, and for whatever reason, the only car available was the MD's new one. He was given the keys, and told not to get it dirty
Less than 350 yards up the road, a LR defender pulled out of a T junction in front of him, he swerved, hit the kerb and rolled it onto it's roof. When he got back to the dealer and explained to the MD that he'd had a 'bump', the MD asked where the car was, to which he explained it was still up the road. The MD then gave him a bking for leaving the stereo faceplate in the car
When he finally saw the wreck, he was a little less concerned about the faceplate!!
The car was written off, with just 4 miles on the clock
66comanche said:
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.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
Genuinely sorry to hear your plight. Can't help thinking that it went wrong here though:
Having said that, the worst headache I've ever had with a new car was an E90 M3, which meeded a radiator and a gearbox in the first 4 weeks.
PKLD said:
My new Smart For2
Just my view, obviously.... Hope all turns out OK.Having said that, the worst headache I've ever had with a new car was an E90 M3, which meeded a radiator and a gearbox in the first 4 weeks.
My old boss, new Audi of some sort - I think an A5 when they were just out - on order, given his delivery date, kept upto date, told when car was complete and where it was - apparently sat in Germany waiting to be shipped over.
Phone call next day - massive hail storm of freak proportions had struck, done untold amounts of damage to several dozen cars all parked waiting to be shipped.
Not 100% sure on how much truth there was in it, he was a bit of a billy bullstter sometimes.
Phone call next day - massive hail storm of freak proportions had struck, done untold amounts of damage to several dozen cars all parked waiting to be shipped.
Not 100% sure on how much truth there was in it, he was a bit of a billy bullstter sometimes.
EDLT said:
66comanche said:
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.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
Sold a new Saab (yes it was a while ago)... got a phone call to say car would be delayed by 4 weeks. At the time this was a new delivery order time. Cue some digging turned out a few cars were written off.... a top deck of the delivery cargo ship collapsed and landed on the middle deck. Alot of flat Saabs!
While at a dealer I remember watching an elderly woman pick up the keys to her new car (it was a Focus or Astra or something along those lines) and hear it go straight into the "power band" revs from cold, not to mention the clutch smoking as she reversed out of the parking space at half a mile an hour.
Think I've posted before about a white R8 I've seen driving around before, it's relatively new but is covered in dents and dings, I haven't seen it driving around recently so it may possibly have been written off. With the way I saw it being driven I would not be surprised in the slightest.
ETA: The shortest life of a car I actually know is a friend's 911, it was one year old when something in the exhaust system failed. Not sure on the exact details but by the look on my buddy's face it didn't look like an easy fix. However I think it was covered under warranty and a week or so later the car was back on the road, and he's very happy with it.
Think I've posted before about a white R8 I've seen driving around before, it's relatively new but is covered in dents and dings, I haven't seen it driving around recently so it may possibly have been written off. With the way I saw it being driven I would not be surprised in the slightest.
ETA: The shortest life of a car I actually know is a friend's 911, it was one year old when something in the exhaust system failed. Not sure on the exact details but by the look on my buddy's face it didn't look like an easy fix. However I think it was covered under warranty and a week or so later the car was back on the road, and he's very happy with it.
Whilst collecting my car (1978 Fiat 128 3p Berlinetta - happy days!) from Minories bodyshop in the West-end of Newcastle, I witnessed a woman collecting her brand-new Talbot Alpine from the showroom. The salesman explained all the controls and switches to her, she started the engine and reversed six feet into a concrete bollard, creasing the entire nearside of the bodyshell and roof. Mucho tears (her, not me).
Not a car, but my brother recently bought a BMW 1200R motorcycle, took delivery, jumps on her, gently got her down to the dealerships driveway, takes off changes into second then the shaft I believe seizes, brother hits the road and walks back into the dealership telling us what happened. Then had to wait another 4 weeks for a new one.
Not even 50 metres.
But for the sake of the thread, this does not count as it's a motorcycle...you may all continue.
Not even 50 metres.
But for the sake of the thread, this does not count as it's a motorcycle...you may all continue.
Went with my oldest sisters boyfriend last year to pick up his new car which was a focus 1.8tdci, he thinks its funny after we both light a cigarette with the windows down, he drives through what admittedly looks like a shallow puddle, turned out to be 4 foot deep! 10 minutes off the forecourt and about a mile and a half and it was written off, all electrics damaged. I got the last laugh from the TT
Mate got a brand new Golf Mk5 GT sport for his Birthday in March a few years ago, passed his driving test a month later, 2 hours later the shiny new golf looked like this after some exuberant driving. Only 30 odd miles on the clock
(and yes the wheel/suspension did go walkabouts on impact)
(and yes the wheel/suspension did go walkabouts on impact)
I can remember traveling back from Aberdeen with my Dad about 13 years ago and seeing a 911 turbo on a transporter.
It was the strangest car I have ever seen. The general shape was 'ok' but every panel was rippled and distorted.
About a week later he called me and told me that he had just looked at an insurance claim for that 911 turbo.
Turned out the guy had picked it up brand new from the dealer and then thought he could straightline a roundabout with a stone wall in the middle at high speed.
I seem to recall it was about 15 miles from the dealer.
It was the strangest car I have ever seen. The general shape was 'ok' but every panel was rippled and distorted.
About a week later he called me and told me that he had just looked at an insurance claim for that 911 turbo.
Turned out the guy had picked it up brand new from the dealer and then thought he could straightline a roundabout with a stone wall in the middle at high speed.
I seem to recall it was about 15 miles from the dealer.
Dan_1981 said:
My old boss, new Audi of some sort - I think an A5 when they were just out - on order, given his delivery date, kept upto date, told when car was complete and where it was - apparently sat in Germany waiting to be shipped over.
Phone call next day - massive hail storm of freak proportions had struck, done untold amounts of damage to several dozen cars all parked waiting to be shipped.
Not 100% sure on how much truth there was in it, he was a bit of a billy bullstter sometimes.
it was true, loads of cars affected...Phone call next day - massive hail storm of freak proportions had struck, done untold amounts of damage to several dozen cars all parked waiting to be shipped.
Not 100% sure on how much truth there was in it, he was a bit of a billy bullstter sometimes.
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