Hi,
This is my first post since joining a while back when researching about gettin my bank charges back from barclays, which I did sucessfully to the tune of £975
However, having loads of trouble since my 53 plate Vauxhaul Astra 1.7td blew up on me nearly 4 weeks ago on the m6 and its still sitting in a garage awaiting repair!
The story is as follows.
I bought the car from Black Horse Car Sales in Oldbury Birmingham (
Quality used cars – Black Horse Car Sales) who sell on ex-fleet cars from the LLoyds TSB group. My parents and I had previously had 2 cars from them, my Ford Focus 1.8tdci (which i managed to wrap round a lampost) and my dads Ford Mondeo, the focus was fine, but my dads car needed £1300 worth of repairs only weeks after getting it, which they paid for and gave him a Black Horse courtesy car, Ive sadly not been as lucky.
Got the car on the 31st of June this year (07) and within 3 weeks the radiator overheated while going down to london . New radiator was fitted for £175 which black horse paid for. Everything was sorted so I thought.
However, about 3 weeks ago the same thing happened, except this time the coolant gauge didnt indicate any problems, no warnings, there i was going along at about 80mph in the fast lane , and suddenly lost all engine power, came to a stop, motorway had to be closed and my car recovered by the police. Called the AA and they said they reckoned the head casket had gone. The next day got them to take the car to a garage recommended by Black Horse and the warranty company (Id taken out a £500 warranty from "car care plan" who do all the black horse warrenty's at the time I purchased the car).
It took them 2 weeks to faff around and get an engineer to look at it, all the time I had no replacement car (black horse didnt have any left) . After complaining over and over again they finally said i could have 7 days in a hire car (which i had to sort out myself and pay upfront, and they would pay me back). While a bit of pain this has been ok.
My problem is now that they have got this engineers report and are trying to claim that I drove the car while I knew the head casket had gone and therefore caused damage to the pistons, which have welded onto the engine and wrecked it, meaning both a new head casket is needed and a new engine. I had no warning that there was problems with the head casket and they have suggested I must have been driving for 15-20's fully aware of the problem, which is absolute rubbish, I had only been on the m6 for 10mins!!!
As its just my word against theirs is the anything I can do to make the honor the warranty, which clearly states that engines are covered. My parents suggested getting our solicitor involved , I wondered if anyone had any experience's of dealing with warranty company's who try and swindle their way out of things.
Any help anyone could give me would be great.
Thanks for reading.
Black Horse Warrenty - help needed!! 
