New Clio, with issues - Should I be using the SOGA?

[adams172]

I bought a Phase 2 Clio 172, '52 a few weeks ago - after a few days or so the car developed a bit of a strange fault handling-wise, turned out that I had to have a new rear spring + suspension damper. So then I find out that the following things have gone too recently:

- Dephaser pulley (so I need a new cam-belt too, big job!)
- Climate control stuck on hot
- Passenger seat cable come off, cannot recline seat using top lever
- Brief scraping sound on press / release accelerator, sound coming from engine bay

So my question is: can I go back to the dealer and force them to pay for these fixes? I think the dephaser has literally gone in the last few days but tbh I may just not have noticed it when I bought it so perhaps that one wasn't there when I drove it off the forecourt, same with the scraping sound. Truth be told I didn't even know what a dephaser was until my car started sounding like a taxi

Other faults including spring / damper / climate control & seat release must have been there from the start.

Car came with a 12-month RAC warranty - upon inspection maximum claim is just £300 on that! Useless!

Just wondering what other people would do in the situation? Called the dealer but he said it was running fine when I bought it, so not sure I've got a leg to stand on. Starting to wish I hadn't bought it now... I got new tyres, brakes and the suspension bits sorted for ~£400 in total and thought that was it, but now I'm looking at another £650 or so!

Thanks in advance!

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[Revels]

Climate is resistor pack. Fairly cheap for a recon one. £30ish
Not sure about the seat.
Noise from the engine on acceleration is probably an engine mount
Dephaser is going to be a big job. £600+ from someone good.

There's various laws with which a dealer has to rectify but I'm not 100% on it all. 'Daniel' would be someone worth sending a PM too and asking him. But you say these things have 'gone' you mean since you bought it? Cars do develop faults. That's just the way it is.

The £300 would probably cover all but the dephaser.

 

[adams172]

Thanks mate, that's good advice - thing is I've only had it 3 weeks, that's why I'm so annoyed. Feel like I've been stitched up, come to think of it dephaser can't just have gone, that'd be really unlucky - I must have not noticed. When I called up the dealers today they hadn't even heard of a dephaser before! I understand that may be the case, but I traded in a mint car and seem to have done so for an absolute lemon...

 

[Revels]

When I bought mine it sounded fine. I knew it needed the cambelt so the extra dephaser wasn't a big deal. I'm not technical so I don't know the reasoning behind it but sometimes it was quiet as a mouse, othertimes it sounded like a 400 year old diesel taxi.

Speak to the dealer and them what they're prepared to do. Citizens Advice might be a good shout. Car has to be fit for purpose etc etc.

 

[cod98]

you dont have to get the cambelt done as well if its just the dephaser? or has the cambelt never been done?

 

[adams172]

I think the cam belt has about another year on it before it needs its second change, so I guess I need to do them at the same time
See that's fair enough - but this dephaser going means I have to fork out for it now, and that part is £170 itself!

I wouldn't be so annoyed if I hadn't already payed out for suspension fixes and then realised these issues, I was annoyed enough about that before - selling the car with just a cracked rear spring and leaking damper surely isn't right. Problem is the guys at the garage seemed decent, and I don't think they knew about any of this, called them up earlier and they said they have someone who can do the work for me for a reduced price. But then, parts alone for this work is at least £300, labour is ~5-6h, I'm really stuck with this one

 

[cod98]

where about are you based?

 

[Wests Renault]

cambelt should always be replace when removed.

the seat cable has probably just come unclipped at the bottom of the seat.

If you have only had the car a short while, the garage (if reptuable) should be inclined to have the repairs done FOC for you

 

[Mason-G-]

TAKE IT BACK.

THE DEALERS TALKING NONSENSE IF HE SAYS IT WAS RUNNING FINE WHEN IT LEFT. SOLD AS SEEN IS AN ILLEGAL STATEMENT TO MAKE AND THATS QUOTED FROM CONSUMERS ADVICE. ITS ALL WELL AND GOOD IF YOUR A PRIVATE SELLER BUT AN INDEPENDENT DEALERSHIP/TRADER CANT FOB YOU OFF WITH THAT MATE

TAKE IT BACK PARK IT UP AND SHOW HIM THE FAULTS THAT HAVE COME UP, YOU HAVE TO BE RELENTLESS AND FORCEFULL OTHERWISE THEY WILL WALK ALL OVER YOU. I GUAANTEE HE KNEW IT WAS A DODGY MOTOR BEFORE HAND AND EVEN IF HE DIDNT IT TURNE DOUT TO BE BUNK AND YOU SHOULDNT BE FORKING OUT THAT KIND OF MONEY ON MAJOR JOBS.

ALSO THE RAC WARRANTY SHOULD BE UP TO £1000? CHECK THAT I MIGHT BE WRONG BUT MYNE CERTAINLY IS

 

[.Andy.]

I'd go back to the dealer, if they told me to basically put up and f*ck off I'd park in the entrance to the dealers and sit there until they do whats right! Sort the issues FOC!

 

[lee182RS]

Citizens advice -> dealer.

 

[pendulumx]

FFS! If you wanted the risk of buying a car with problems you would have gone to an auction and bought one yourself, at trade price, and bypassed the dealer completely. Tell him to fix, its his responsibility.

 

[rizzel]

I have literally just taken mine back to the dealer for oil leaking into the cambelt casing, demanded a refund and he said he will fix it... being sorted at the moment...

If your dealer says its not his problem then you can take them to small claims court. I have read that more often than not, if you threaten them with this they will sort it out for you, because they will lose in court