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I realise that this is an old thread, but I was curious as to how your issue was resolved with Jeep.
I have an Alfa Romeo GT that I purchased in Aug 08 and which has suffered from (amongst other things) a persistent belt squeak throughout my ownership. I have repeatedly recorded/discussed the issue with Alfa and they have tried (& failed) to fix the problem on 8 separate occasions to date.
The net result of the above is that I am giving serious consideration to rejecting the car and returning it to the dealership. What is the process following this and how long does it take to resolve?
I would be grateful for any advice/information that you could offer. Thanks. GG
Re: Rejecting new car - anything else I need to do?
I'm afraid that you have had the car too long to reject it. You only have a reasonable time to do this and it is usually weeks and not years.
The amount of time that is classed as 'reasonable' is not stipulated, but courts have allowed rejection after a few months where dealers have turned the rejection down, but I have never seen a rejection being allowed after it has been owned for than a few months let alone more than a year.
Your only hope of rejection would be where there has been very frequent visits to the dealer for repairs of 'serious faults' where the car has been in the garage more than on the road and the likelyhood of those serious faults being cured is practically nil.
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Re: Rejecting new car - anything else I need to do?
Thanks for the response - I understand the logic of your response, but given that I originally reported the fault to the Dealership and Alfa Romeo in Sept/Oct 08 (& have retained all subsequent correspondence) and Alfa and the various dealerships that have tried, and failed, to resolve the issue do not dispute the existence, and persistence of the same issue, I do not agree. In instances of inherent defects there are 3 potential solutions 1. Refund (I agree that my chances of getting this are slim) 2. Repair of the existent vehicle (I have given Alfa every possible opportunity to do this - a fact that they recognise, and therefore this option is similarly exhausted) and 3. replacement - this I believe is my best hope, but to force the issue I believe that I must first reject the car.
What I am looking for is some advice with regards to this process - if I wanted someone to give me reasons why I should give up and live with a defective car I would ring Alfa Romeo Customer Services.
Re: Rejecting new car - anything else I need to do?
What other problems have you had with the car that have been back for repair?
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Re: Rejecting new car - anything else I need to do?
Various generic Alfa creaks & groans (which as an experienced Alfa owner you grow to accept), but it has been in 8 times for the same fault - (3 times prior to Nov 08, 3 more between Nov '08 and April 09, and twice since June 09) - and is going back in next week (I'm giving them one final chance to sort it out). It typically goes in the service centre for week or 2, then I have it back for 2/3 weeks problem free, then the squeak comes back and progressively gets worse.
I realise that I'm going to have my work cut out trying to get anything out of Alfa (other then empty promises), but am concerned regarding both the long term damage the problem may be causing to the engine & the impact it will have upon the residual value of the car.
Legally I would not dispute that I have accepted, used & had (limited) benefit from the car, but hopefully I can qualify that by reference to the lengthy correspondence trail - i.e. I have retained ownership of a car with a recognised defect on the premise that the vendor would fix the defect.
Simplistically I have lost all confidence in this car, and having been very reasonable with Alfa Romeo, am hoping that (given the weight of the evidence in my favour) at some point Alfa will be reasonable and replace the thing - I don't want and can't really afford a legal battle, but can't see any other way of bringing them to the table.
Re: Rejecting new car - anything else I need to do?
You might be very disappointed with what you are legally entitled to. The VAT and car tax are not recoverable and the reduction for your enjoyment for the 14 odd months you have owned it.
Rejection must be done by letter and you must stop using the car.
I honestly don't know how you would word such a letter, in these circumstances, under the SOGA if at all you can reject under soga.
The normal is to list the problems and then to say you reject the car under the soga 1979(amended) and where the car can be collected from.
You don't have to let them have any further attempts at rectification, they have been given the chance on more than one occassion so you can take it elsewhere and give the bill to them for payment.
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Re: Rejecting new car - anything else I need to do?
Thanks for your advice - the reason I posted my question in the first place is because the person with the Jeep (see earlier in this thread) appeared to be in a similar situation (in having had the car for in excess of a year) and therefore I was interested to learn how it ended for them.
I wish I'd acted earlier now, but the sad thing is that anyone who has bought an Alfa Romeo before knows that 2 or 3 trips into the dealership during the first few months is par for the course (if everyone enforced SOGA Alfa would have a factory full of used cars) - I started to get concerned after about 5 months (& 5 failed attempts to fix the problem), even then arguably it may have been too late.
I think if this attempt to fix it fails I will get the RAC or AA to do an independent inspection of the car, and see if that takes me anywhere - or maybe ask Alfa to part-ex the thing for another car (I would be very interested to see how they value my squeaking beauty!).
Re: Rejecting new car - anything else I need to do?
What belt is it?
If it's a V belt, they work by contact with the side of the pulley V. If the belt is of the wrong size and is sinking too low into the V, then it will be contacting the bottom of the V and no adjustment will correct the slip. Overtightening to stop a belt in contact with the bottom of the V will put undue strain on the bearings of the pulleys attached and they will suffer premature failure.
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Re: Rejecting new car - anything else I need to do?
I (we) don't know - Alfa has actually changed all the main belts, auxiliary belts and the main front pulley to date, but obviously without joy. I'm not mechanically minded but if they keep changing the belts and it doesn't cure the problem, then the problem isn't the belts. HR Owen have dealt with it the last few times (& they are actually good guys) they say it may be linked to the a/c or the alternator - so hopefully this time they will change something other than then belts.
Re: Rejecting new car - anything else I need to do?
You say your not mechanically minded, but would you be able to remove a belt. You will be able to eliminate the belt it is not by removing them one at a time until the noise is no longer there.
If you remove the ac belt and it still happens, then replace that belt and remove the alternator belt. You will be able to drive the car some distance on the battery alone, and certainly enough to see if that is the cause.
One of the belts might be driving two components ie alt and ps pump, all that power steering pump belt removal will do is make the steering heavier so be aware of that, but when you know then it isn't too hard to drive, but will eliminate that one.
You might be able to eliminate the alt belt by switching on everything you have electrical in the car and that will put a heavy load on the alternator.
Of course they should be doing this as it could be a pulley bearing and not a belt at all that is causing the noise.
I've asked for this to be moved to it's own thread
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