[Anj]

I've just had my new (to me) gen3 just checked over at my local garage cos it was wobbling at 60mph, just thought the wheels needed balancing.

It turns out that the car is totally unroad worthy and illegal.

I'm absolutely gutted. I bought the car from a reputable big garage up in manchester cos i didn't want to have any trouble and thought that a garage was the safest option.

We checked the car over as best we could before buying, but we're not mechanics and to tell the truth i think you should be able to buy a legal safe car from a garage without being a mechanic.

I've been in contact with Trading Standards (who say it's illegal to sell a car in this condition) and the Dealer, but they refuse to pay for some one near where i live (dorchester) to do the work and say i have to take it back - but the cars bloody dangerous and i don't see why i should pay to have it towed back to manchester when he has broken the law.
Anyway just wondered if anything like this had ever happened to anyone else or any suggestions on what to do next?

 

[thedupleman]

thats very bad.cant trading standards do anything?

 

[eggcatcher]

Whats unroadworthy about it?

 

[Anj]

Trading standards say we have to contact the dealer first of all and give them the chance to mend it. The problem is the distance i live from the dealer and that i think they should pay for someone local to mend it or they should pay for it to be transported back to them - which they refuse to do. I don't know how i stand legally about this. They did let me drive a very dangerous car 250miles home in a storm.

They problems are numerous but they include very contaminated brake and clutch fluid, brakes that are completely worn out, serious steering pull and misalignment, something about driveshafts outer cv boots perished, the tyres are also perished which i should have picked up on, but i just assumed a dealer wouldn't sell a car in this condition.

It just makes me want to weep and to top it off, they said they had replaced the handbrake cable, but it turns out they had broken one of the bolts off when they replaced it and just left it like that.

So you can see i really don't trust them to do the other work.

 

[thedupleman]

oh mate my heart bleeds for you.i think you need a full refund this car sounds shagged

 

[Jrp210]

Yeah as dupe says, Sounds nackered get a full refund and buy else where. God knows what other under lying problems it has.

 

[Owain]

If they say they'll sort the issues if you return it to them then to be honest I'd be tempted to just agree - confirm with them in writing that if you get the car towed to them then they'll repair all the issues.

I don't believe you have the right to make they pay for transport that far as you travelled to them in the first place, but certainly they need to put it right.

Always helps to **** them up a little, phone them up and say you've been advised to give the name of the mechanic who did the pre-sale inspection to Trading Standards - they'll then start to take you seriously as it sounds as if you're actually taking professional advice rather than just phoning them and swearing a lot.

 

[thedupleman]

are you going to spill the beans on who the garage is?

 

[eggcatcher]

Just a thought, aren't most of the problems you mentioned standard on french cars?
Come on let us know which garage.

 

[LiDL]

I'm reluctantly going to agree with owen on this one, you have got the hard part out of the way, the garage have agreed to fix it, which in many cases takes months of battling to get, go for path of least resistance get it fixed then independendantly checked, then you'll have years of happy motoring. The months of fight aren't worth the money you save, it sucks but you wanna put ti behind you and have a great car as soon as possible.

 

[Anj]

Hey cheers everyone for replying.

Yeah i guess your all right, i just feel so cheated. Anyway i've just had an AA inspection done on the car as the Dealer reckons i've got my mate at the original garage to make up all the faults. And happily the engine is good and the car is structurally sound, so once this little cock up (am i allowed to say that? well i'm feeling reckless so i'll risk it!!) is sorted it'll be a good car.

I'm going back to Trading Standards with the AA repot and discuss what it says and then i'll give in and take it back to A1 Ortos in Oldham, Manchester. There we are i spilled the beans. All the words i want to use to describe the evil little dealer i can't write on here.

All i want is to whizz around in my funky new car, i just can't wait. Unfortunately the cost of getting it back to manchester and the cost of the AA report mean no new alloys. Damn it.

Hey ho cheers again for all your replies, makes me feel better talking to other people about it.

 

[LiDL]

new alloys will come mate, don't worry, plus with a sound engine and structure you'll have the car long after you've forgotten about this hiccup

 

[gavsland]

Hope you get it sorted m8 as it sounds like you have had a bit if a nightmare