Shortest life of car?

Author
Discussion

nobrakes

2,988 posts

199 months

Friday 2nd December 2011
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Got a call from the Merc dealer to say the delivery driver of the car we were waiting on had been involved in an accident on the Motorway. The driver was OK. Two side doors, arch and rear quarter had a scrape /dent Transit van stripe down it, and the car was on it's way to a Merc bodyshop. "Did we want it repaired?..."

We hadn’t even seen the car, other than internet pics, and had taken a leap of faith with them....They sourced another newer model for the same price, just off internal lease. 10/10 for customer service effort.

Twincharged

1,851 posts

206 months

Friday 2nd December 2011
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Odhran said:
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)
Pah, you call that a Golf crash?

This is a Golf crash:

For people who didn't come across the story at the time:
  • Young lad driving a new Golf GTI through Wolfsburg with his friends, just hours after it had been picked up from the factory (car is registered to his father)
  • Drives very quickly, and has a massive accident
  • Sadly, kills himself, and his three friends

ajprice

27,527 posts

197 months

Friday 2nd December 2011
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230TE said:
IIRC a couple of Japanese journalists beat that by writing off a Merc SL at the world press launch.

hehe

neiljohnson

11,298 posts

208 months

Friday 2nd December 2011
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Have a friend that used to unload cars from ships at the docks many cars dont make it either being damaged on the way over or unloaded.

Pushing new cars off transporters is fairly normal as the alarms tend to go off & it flattens the battery normally a jump pack gets them going but after 3 or 4 cars the jump packs dead so you have to push rolleyes

A train carrying many mercs in Germany hit the stops in a station a bit hard cue roofs being dented on all the cars yikes

When i worked at a dealer a salesman was doing a new car handover with a customer & started the car in gear launching it into another new car due to be collected that day so two got destroyed without the customers picking them up hehe


Obiwonkeyblokey

5,399 posts

241 months

Friday 2nd December 2011
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Many moons ago I used to be an NSX salesman, one of about 12 in the country ( yes more salemen than cars sold!) Despite their fantastic reputation ( and I love them) I once picked up a brand new Honda NSX-T from a dealer in London to take to a potential client in Peterbrough. About 40 mins out of London it made some nasty expensive noises before expiring on me.

Honda came and picked it up on a covered low loader and as it turns out the dealership had only just done the PDI but hadn't either topped up the oil or put any in, after PDI which led to the engine lunching itself. Thats what I was told despite the car not displaying any warning lights at all at the time.

I believe the engine was taken back to Japan for inspection. All I know is that I never got my CD or sunglasses out in time and lost them forever.

I reckon I had done about 25 miles in it.

warch

2,941 posts

155 months

Friday 2nd December 2011
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Obiwonkeyblokey said:
Many moons ago I used to be an NSX salesman, one of about 12 in the country ( yes more salemen than cars sold!) Despite their fantastic reputation ( and I love them) I once picked up a brand new Honda NSX-T from a dealer in London to take to a potential client in Peterbrough. About 40 mins out of London it made some nasty expensive noises before expiring on me.

Honda came and picked it up on a covered low loader and as it turns out the dealership had only just done the PDI but hadn't either topped up the oil or put any in, after PDI which led to the engine lunching itself. Thats what I was told despite the car not displaying any warning lights at all at the time.

I believe the engine was taken back to Japan for inspection. All I know is that I never got my CD or sunglasses out in time and lost them forever.

I reckon I had done about 25 miles in it.
Honda? Engine failure? Nah its never happened mate they're infallible (like the pope)... biggrin

JulianHJ

8,746 posts

263 months

Friday 2nd December 2011
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About 8 or 9 years ago I worked for a car hire firm. One Saturday morning a lovely middle-aged American couple turn up to collect their reservation. They'd booked a Corsa or similar, without knowing just how small the UK definition of small is. I did my best salesman effort and upgraded them for a tidy profit to a brand new Avensis that we'd had delivered a day or two beforehand. I also sold them the zero excess cover, so I was feeling pretty chuffed with myself.

Shortly after waving them off a call came in - they'd had an accident. They made it 200 metres to the bottom of the road and turned right. On to a roundabout, where they had a head-on with another car. They had no idea what a roundabout was. It was a hefty shunt and the car was written off.

750turbo

6,164 posts

225 months

Friday 2nd December 2011
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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 frown
I suspect you are talking ste.
And I suspect you are a knob of the highest order then?

Why would I waste my valuable time to troll?

I have far better things to do... I will be meeting my colleague in a few weeks time so will get an update and report back. He is not too bothered as the dealer has been supplying a nice loan car each time it is in, and as he is a bit of an enthusiast loves driving different models.

As an aside, the German brands have delivered this image of unfailing quality, well "my @rse". My daily job very often involves visting Dealerships, of most marques, delivering manufacturer specific training. I always have a word with Warranty Clerks/Service Advisors and you would not believe some of the stories... VW being the worst IMO.

And finally 66comanche, hows about updating your garage.... I am keen to see your history, or are you just another snotty nose kid who has not a fekkin clue, apologies if you are not though.

Now back to todays job, wonder what product I am reviewing? OOOHH! Look it is a new DMS Warranty Interface smile

LuS1fer

41,140 posts

246 months

Friday 2nd December 2011
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warch said:
Honda? Engine failure? Nah its never happened mate they're infallible (like the pope)... biggrin
Ah, anyone remember the Honda motorcycle lousy reliability years? 70s and 80s.
Friend bought a CX500 and it didn't even make it home - Honda fitted incorrect big end shells to early CXs.
Another bought a Honda CB750KZ which suffered the chocolate cam chain syndrome within a short mileage though that was a replacement rather thasn a failure.
Honda's first two-stroke moped venture, the MB5 and MTX5 suffered constant failures of the generator within very short time frames too.

750turbo

6,164 posts

225 months

Friday 2nd December 2011
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LuS1fer said:
warch said:
Honda? Engine failure? Nah its never happened mate they're infallible (like the pope)... biggrin
Ah, anyone remember the Honda motorcycle lousy reliability years? 70s and 80s.
Friend bought a CX500 and it didn't even make it home - Honda fitted incorrect big end shells to early CXs.
Another bought a Honda CB750KZ which suffered the chocolate cam chain syndrome within a short mileage though that was a replacement rather thasn a failure.
Honda's first two-stroke moped venture, the MB5 and MTX5 suffered constant failures of the generator within very short time frames too.
I remember that period well, I was never a fan of Honda bikes because of the Chocolate Cam syndrome frown

Saying that I had a GSXR1100K that required the cams replacing at the first service, more through pitting than melting though smile

stu67

812 posts

189 months

Friday 2nd December 2011
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Many moon's ago had a couple of very short life cars, luckily not owned by me. I worked for VW up in Milton Keynes and would get a new company car every 3-4 months dependant on milage.
1. Golf V5, dead gearbox M1, the car only had about 100 miles on it and at the time VW couldn't get a spare gearbox
2. Passat 1.8T, picked up from depot other side of MK coming back through town center somone T boned me at a roundabout
3. Wife had Polo lease car, thought I'd use it the day after I picked it up and a beer lorry ran into the back of me whilst I was stationary at jct14 of the M1. Had to climb through what was left of the front screen, unrecognisable as a car! 42 miles on it.

Obiwonkeyblokey

5,399 posts

241 months

Friday 2nd December 2011
quotequote all
LuS1fer said:
Ah, anyone remember the Honda motorcycle lousy reliability years? 70s and 80s.
Friend bought a CX500 and it didn't even make it home - Honda fitted incorrect big end shells to early CXs.
Another bought a Honda CB750KZ which suffered the chocolate cam chain syndrome within a short mileage though that was a replacement rather thasn a failure.
Honda's first two-stroke moped venture, the MB5 and MTX5 suffered constant failures of the generator within very short time frames too.
I think that they can still stand by the " weve never had a VTEC engine fail on us" , due to some numpty not checking the oil at PDI. However it still doesnt explain the oil light not coming on.

warch

2,941 posts

155 months

Friday 2nd December 2011
quotequote all
750turbo said:
As an aside, the German brands have delivered this image of unfailing quality, well "my @rse". My daily job very often involves visting Dealerships, of most marques, delivering manufacturer specific training. I always have a word with Warranty Clerks/Service Advisors and you would not believe some of the stories... VW being the worst IMO.
People believe this nonsense though, even people who really should know better. My favourite is that myth about Honda vtec engines having a 100% reliability record. Hondas are generally very well made in my experience but I seriously doubt that.

McFarnsworth

284 posts

150 months

Friday 2nd December 2011
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Mate buys new Mazda workvan.
Mate stalls it while driving through the gate off the dealer lot.
Gate crushes new van.

Distance travelled under new ownership: Half a car(van) length.

Dr G

15,197 posts

243 months

Friday 2nd December 2011
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warch said:
People believe this nonsense though, even people who really should know better. My favourite is that myth about Honda vtec engines having a 100% reliability record. Hondas are generally very well made in my experience but I seriously doubt that.
The claim does not relate to the engine, it relates to the VTEC system specifically.

Morningside

24,111 posts

230 months

Friday 2nd December 2011
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Not sure about shortest life. But we did order an Escort Finesse estate that was supposed to be delivered from Germany but never arrived in the UK. They know that it had left and what car transporter but we never got it and it was never found.

Shame as it was black and we had it ready to be window tinted so we finished up with a silver one instead.

warch

2,941 posts

155 months

Friday 2nd December 2011
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Dr G said:
warch said:
People believe this nonsense though, even people who really should know better. My favourite is that myth about Honda vtec engines having a 100% reliability record. Hondas are generally very well made in my experience but I seriously doubt that.
The claim does not relate to the engine, it relates to the VTEC system specifically.
The original claim may well do, its a common misconception that this referred to the entire engine though, especially with Honda fanboys

Mikeyboy

5,018 posts

236 months

Friday 2nd December 2011
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750turbo and the OP, why bother to get these cars repaired they have supplied you with defective goods. Get them to actually REPLACE THE CAR. Its your right and doesn't show up when you want to sell the car as one that has had all sorts of work done on it just to make it move

And yes 750turbo i'm aware its your colleagues car.

Also the person who buys their kid a new Golf GT. More money than sense. Of course the son is going to right it off. Why do they think insurance costs are so high for new drivers?

Zerotonine

1,171 posts

175 months

Friday 2nd December 2011
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About 10 years ago I worked for a accident repair shop. We had an import Impreza WRX come in, hadn't had it's UK inspection yet and some people had rammed it trying to steal cars from the importers. needed 2 new doors either side. As it was a custom paint job it wasn't cheap. The following week it was back as when it went for it's inspection the numptys drove it in to the inspection bay too quick, mashing the front bumper and then decided to nearly rip the NSF door off with a scissor jack. Replaced that door, resprayed all 4 doors again (as the previous paint job was not good enough) and sent it back out. Came back in again the following week as it's first ever owner lost it and put the front wheel through the wheelarch. I do not know if this car lives to this day but it had a shocking start in life!

Miocene

1,342 posts

158 months

Friday 2nd December 2011
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Colleague of mine took the day off work to pick up her new 206 CC. She'd pre-ordered and was picking it up on the launch day, so one of the first in the country. Made it 2 miles down the road before someone went into the back of it.

Two weeks in the bodyshop being repaired, she picks it up... makes it 200yds down the road before someone did exactly the same.