PH'ers help/opinions needed - new car issue.
Discussion
I will try to keep this short but if it goes on a bit then I apologise.
Bought new car for Mrs JohnnieM (leased actually). Car was delivered on 22nd Sept (with 8 miles on the clock) when I was hooning in Spain with the TVR boys
She was driving it for 6 days before I got home and she loved it. All good so far. The fact that they didn't fill it with diesel or provide carpets, as per our purchase agreement, was annoying but not the end of the world and was dealt with easily.
I got home and 'had a go' by driving it to a local restaurant. I told her that I felt that there was something wrong with the brakes as they were very spongy and didn't bite unless one pumped the brake pedal or got the final inch of play. I contacted the dealer and he agreed to get the service chaps to check it out. They found that the brakes servo was 'full of air' and they wouldn't let my wife take the car away (obviously!). Not only was the car not properly checked in the PDI but it was actually delivered to our house by one of the salesmen from the dealership!! How the hell didnt he know there was a problem I have no idea! He drove it for about two miles which includes roundabouts and traffic lights. Anyway, the garage sorted it and we got the car back.
All the while the manufacturer (who had been notified of the problem by the dealer) was all over me like a rash (recording our telephone conversations and repeating and summarising everything we/I said). In short, they have today agreed to supply and install front and rear parking sensors (which we thought we were getting anyway but weren't - a misunderstanding between the salesman and I) to recompense us for the general aggravation. The fact that my wife could have been killed in a crash, due entirely to the stupidity of the garage, is another matter but how far does one go with this sort of thing? The problem was discovered, they fixed it and no-one was hurt. We were lucky. End of. Well, so I thought!!
Earlier this week we found an high pitched sqeak coming from the rear end (fnar fnar!) when driving around corners. Today my wife got into the car to drive home from work. The radio didn't work and a lot of information usually displayed on the sat nav screen was missing. I couldn't find the problem, so called the dealer and he didnt know either. 'Bring it in at the weekend sir' I was told.
Later on this evening a friend came round (after dark) and let me know that the dashboard lights were on. I couldn't turn them off and the inevitable flat battery would definitely occur before Mrs JohnnieM needed the car for work tomorrow morning. Called manufacturer, they called the AA and the AA couldn't find the problem either (although they did find that the brake fluid level sensor was shorting to earth!!).
The AA man and I delivered the car to the dealer with a note to tell them to call me tomorrow to discuss. The flat battery problem could be theirs!
Sorry that was a bit of a trawl chaps but it needed to be detailed in order to ask you all this. What woud you now do? What is the legal position now we have had the car for three weeks today? Would you keep the car or demand a refund? Would you demand a new (as in different car)? It is a very new model of a European manufacturer and at £20k new, isn't a cheap, cheap car.
I'm not the sort of chap who demands this, that and the other because of a bit of a problem but I think this has gone beyond that. I don't feel comfortable about asking for a list of extras as this doesnt make anything right.
The PH'ers views would be most welcomed. Thanks in advance. Let the battle commence!
JohnnieM
Bought new car for Mrs JohnnieM (leased actually). Car was delivered on 22nd Sept (with 8 miles on the clock) when I was hooning in Spain with the TVR boys
She was driving it for 6 days before I got home and she loved it. All good so far. The fact that they didn't fill it with diesel or provide carpets, as per our purchase agreement, was annoying but not the end of the world and was dealt with easily.I got home and 'had a go' by driving it to a local restaurant. I told her that I felt that there was something wrong with the brakes as they were very spongy and didn't bite unless one pumped the brake pedal or got the final inch of play. I contacted the dealer and he agreed to get the service chaps to check it out. They found that the brakes servo was 'full of air' and they wouldn't let my wife take the car away (obviously!). Not only was the car not properly checked in the PDI but it was actually delivered to our house by one of the salesmen from the dealership!! How the hell didnt he know there was a problem I have no idea! He drove it for about two miles which includes roundabouts and traffic lights. Anyway, the garage sorted it and we got the car back.
All the while the manufacturer (who had been notified of the problem by the dealer) was all over me like a rash (recording our telephone conversations and repeating and summarising everything we/I said). In short, they have today agreed to supply and install front and rear parking sensors (which we thought we were getting anyway but weren't - a misunderstanding between the salesman and I) to recompense us for the general aggravation. The fact that my wife could have been killed in a crash, due entirely to the stupidity of the garage, is another matter but how far does one go with this sort of thing? The problem was discovered, they fixed it and no-one was hurt. We were lucky. End of. Well, so I thought!!
Earlier this week we found an high pitched sqeak coming from the rear end (fnar fnar!) when driving around corners. Today my wife got into the car to drive home from work. The radio didn't work and a lot of information usually displayed on the sat nav screen was missing. I couldn't find the problem, so called the dealer and he didnt know either. 'Bring it in at the weekend sir' I was told.
Later on this evening a friend came round (after dark) and let me know that the dashboard lights were on. I couldn't turn them off and the inevitable flat battery would definitely occur before Mrs JohnnieM needed the car for work tomorrow morning. Called manufacturer, they called the AA and the AA couldn't find the problem either (although they did find that the brake fluid level sensor was shorting to earth!!).
The AA man and I delivered the car to the dealer with a note to tell them to call me tomorrow to discuss. The flat battery problem could be theirs!
Sorry that was a bit of a trawl chaps but it needed to be detailed in order to ask you all this. What woud you now do? What is the legal position now we have had the car for three weeks today? Would you keep the car or demand a refund? Would you demand a new (as in different car)? It is a very new model of a European manufacturer and at £20k new, isn't a cheap, cheap car.
I'm not the sort of chap who demands this, that and the other because of a bit of a problem but I think this has gone beyond that. I don't feel comfortable about asking for a list of extras as this doesnt make anything right.
The PH'ers views would be most welcomed. Thanks in advance. Let the battle commence!
JohnnieM
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