How to 'threaten' a Renault dealer - ref. Warranty??

[172saints]

The clio i bought just turned 3 when I got it. My dealer gave me 6 months first class warranty. This is a main dealer.

Firstly, my car has done 28k, the 24k service stamp was missing in the book. They LIED and said "i have the print out it HAS been done"

cutting long story short, it had never been done as my SERV light stuck on for a start! Thankfully they serviced my car for free.

The car has made great use of its warranty, a free tow to the dealer as back box fell off.

Upon changing the back box they "advised" me "The front section is blowing"... WHY DIDNT THE WHOLE LENGTH OF EXHAUST NOT GET CHANGED?!

It is now blowing very loud. they are now changing the front section on Friday...for Free.


Having had the 24K service, my rear tyres (look OK) only have 2mm and 3mm of tread. Is this a point to complain about? Should they have been changed? Front are good.

"If the car needs new service, new brakes or tyres our "Safety Inspection" prior to delivery will soon pick it up and we shall change them immeadiately before collection"

FINALLY My service last week brought BAD news. "Immeadiate: The rear discs are very badly grooved, the rear pads are worn. 20% life left, not long"

grrrrrrrrrrr. CLEARLY NO SAFETY INSPECTION!

Also, I may contact VOSA (mot people or whoever) as my car passed with "flying colours".

Brakes which are almost dead on the rear, and an exhaust doesnt rust overnight and fall off or start blowing...it MUST have as the mot was only 1 day old when I collected the car.


So if the service chap said he will sort the new front section for free under warranty. But the brakes are totally up to "sales".

Im telling you, if they make me pay for new rear discs and pads...that is it!!

What form of 'threat' does a dealer take serious? Suing? my car was dangerous, the rear box could have fallen off in traffic. My rear brakes rust on when hand brake in use. And finally, the car has passed MOT with blowing back box and near on no rear brakes :evil:

 

[Guy]

when did you buy it and when did this stuff happen?

 

[172saints]

sorry for the essay!!

had the car for a grand total of.... 3 weeks!

 

[Neil G]

Sorry to hear this news....pretty appaling really.

Could try trading standards

 

[Tom1]

I would want everything sorting out mentioned above and would not leave until they agreed to do it.

 

[Griff]

The "SERV" light that stayed on could have been for a million reasons. I can't actually recall mine ever coming on when the car was due for a service.

I'm not sure what the issue over the rear tyre's is? Renault will have checked that they had legal tread and that's it. It's down to you as the owner and driver to decide when they need changing.

"Also, I may contact VOSA (mot people or whoever) as my car passed with "flying colours". " - A safety inspection is hardly the same thing as an MOT and Renault can check as many or as few items as they want and still pass it off as a "Safety inspection"

 

[172saints]

Thanks all. Understand tyres are OK

as for VOSO ..cant think what it stands for now Griff - but it passed the MOT with the exhaust, brakes etc. So what I mean is, could threaten to take action with that at least!

they dont even apologise or make you feel wanted! they shouldnt have a business if they treat all used/new cars like this

 

[Griff]

I see - you didn't make it clear in your original post that it had passed an MOT.

On one line you refer to a safety inspection and the next you mention Vosa and "it passed...." so people would assume you meant the safety inspection.

 

[matt the cat]

assuming the exhaust wasn't blowing when you got it then theres no reason why the MOT inspectors would have picked up on it.

if the cars 3 years old with 20% on the rear then its fair to assume approx 8 months or so before you have to change them.

Not trying to be funny but i dosent appear that they have sold you an unsafe car, just a car that i just safe if you know what i mean.

the tyres are just legal, brakes too and the exhaust, well that was obviously on its last legs too. seems you have been unlucky.

IMHO the best way forward is not from the safety angle but from a ' dissappointed customer of joe bloggs garage' - complain to customer services about the fact you bought the car in good faith for a fair price etc etc and three weeks down the line you are being asked to fork out again - UNACCEPTABLE!!

Then if you dont get any joy then get heavy.

 

[Leeshez]

The brakes can be very low but if they pass the brake test at the time of the M.O.T there car is ok. As long there not grinding. The exuahst can be rust as long there is no holes in or it is not hanging off it will pass also. My exuahst was rusty on my nova, 1 day it was a small hole and with in 2 days it was off on the floor. The tyres could have been on the front and put on the back, most people look at the front tyres and if there ok they buy the car. Not many realise about the back. The service seemed to missed and they wanted to save some money. Sorry about the essay.

 

[edde]

Having 2~3mm left isn't a reason to fail MOT etc I don't see why they should pay for new tyres there a wear and tear item and so long as they have over 1.6mm on them over 75% of there with there legal for the road.
I'm guessing the garage didn't do the MOT? Ever time my cars been in for service they say brakes 90% worn or 80% orn anc crached due to heat now maybe there just covering there back but there never that bad and they've never been trouble giving me my car back with destroyed brakes.
Rear brakes do very little so wear isn't that obvious. Don't forget new pads ar eonly 6mm so if they've got 1mm left thats still 15% or so.

New rear disks are about £60 pads £25 or so you can fit them yourself its wear and tear IMO not down to the dealer.

Rear brakes don't rust when your using them they rust when you don't use them. You need to brakes had a few time to get rust of them otherwise pitting etc will happen as they never get fully used.

Even if the car had a service 1k miles ago a bad exhaust or brakes don't have to be done as the garage (unless its realy serious to the integrity of the car) are down the the owner there just noted on the service.
The rear box is unliky to have fallen off. No one I knows has ever falled on in traffic the mounts hold it on, the pipe just corrodes and there no reason not to drive with it (its just noisy) like that.

The rear brakes don't have to be that good to pass an MOT maybe there were just acceptable at time of MOT.

 

[James_Extreme]

to be honest you should have spotted the tyres when u bought it, did you not test drive it? you should have seen the service light too

 

[Bluebeard]

Thanks all. Understand tyres are OK

as for VOSO ..cant think what it stands for now Griff - but it passed the MOT with the exhaust, brakes etc. So what I mean is, could threaten to take action with that at least!

they dont even apologise or make you feel wanted! they shouldnt have a business if they treat all used/new cars like this

Why the hell did you buy it from them then??!!

 

[Day]

Sounds like a well known dealer on the South Coast...

 

[CupJonny]

Only had the Cup about a month or so and it had an MOT before I picked it up. Took it to Reno yesterday and they reckon I need new discs and pads on the front!!! Have I got any come back with the garage I bought it from??

 

[Cupster]

Renault check for 3mm tread depth on used cars. If it is below that they change them before selling if not the car is sold with those tyres. Thats what they told me!

I checked my service history before I bought my cup and renault service should come with a check list where it shows how much meat on the brakes left, what was changed etc - saved myself 50 quid off the price.

Your list of probs aint much compared to the probs I had with my 3yr old Golf V6 motion and the best VW could do was tow it for free and change the affected parts under warranty about 10 times! All the warranty reciepts added up to almost 3K before I finally got rid of it!

IMO Tyres were your problem you could have seen that but I would question the brakes, zorst etc and see how much they will help you out. don't expect any compo for this. I got none from VW!

 

[BRUN]

one thing you should do, move the best tyres to the back, its dangerous having worn tyres on the back and good ones on the front, trust me ive experienced what it can do and its not nice

 

[172saints]

Yea firstly sorry guys, makes me sound like im gonna murder someone haha!

I was just annoyed that i have had to take days off to follow the warranty work up, and as a final straw i come to realise my brakes are shot at the rear and I MAY HAVE TO FOOT THE BILL.

As for testing/inspecting the car myself:

The tyres look fine IMO! where do they check for 2mm tread? the wear indicators or their tools? The outside/inside off all tyres look just fine to me.

As for the SERV light, it did flicker but it did go out...how am I meant to know its not meant to do that when the engine is started. Week after using the car it stuck on.

Lastly, thanks for your advice. I understand if it was OK on the minute it passed the MOT i agree.

The dealer just has no time for service, just sales! They are always pretty busy too...its like everyone I see there are being sweet talked on sales like i was, then kicked in the teeth the minute you drive away

but then, that is life!