sold a broken car from a VW dealer

[chris021_in]

Hi, wondering if anyone could give me some advice here...I recently purchased an so called approved used car...from VW.( Golf 04 reg)..I took out for a long drive once and noticed that the gears were difficult to engage...since I don't use the car for work...it sat with me for 3 months...till I realized this problem...when I took it back for vehicle inspection..I'm told the clutch is worn and the total cost is amounting to around £1000...I feel completely ripped off by the VW sales dealership for buying their so called approved cars...I spoke to the business and sales managers in Stafford from where I purchased the car..and they claim they dont know how the car has been driven for the 150 miles that I had it....which is absolute nonsense because they claim the car was in a drivable condition with no problems....This just goes to show how these dealers work and ready the car in a drivable condition...The warranty company either wants to nothing with this..because the car is about 6 years old...the car has about 59k miles on the odometer....all I could do make a complaint to the VW customer service department which I think has fallen on deaf ears....! any advice....is much appreciated..Thanks..

[crem]

SOGA covers you for 6 months from purchase which puts the onus on them to prove the fault wasn't present at teh time of the sale.

 

If you have only driven it for 150 miles since you purchased it, I would be suprised if they could successfully maintain that it had no problems when sold, but now needs a new clutch!

[Dragons Dennis]

I could burn a brand new clutch out in 5 minutes if I wanted to. A clutch is a consumable item, just like brake pads.

 

This long drive. Was that the test drive? In which case why di you go ahead and buy. If it wasn't the test drive, how was the clutch during that test drive?

[esmerobbo]

.I took out for a long drive once and noticed that the gears were difficult to engage...

 

Did you mention this to the salesman at the time, if it was difficult then it was only ever going to get worse! As DD says you can destroy a clutch in minutes so the problem is going to be proving the clutch was faulty when purchased.

[heliosuk]

This is a somewhat unfortunate problem. I would put money on that in reality there is nothing wrong with the clutch itself, it's down to lack of use. Secondly, as pointed out, it is a wearing item. SOGA's 6 month (and highly contentious) vauge rule cannot apply in this case as it could be deemed that the vehicle has been put through adverse use in that it has not been used.

 

I would suggest that if the problem was not present on the test drive that you give the car a bit of use and I wouldn't mind betting that it will go away. If the issue was present at the time of test drive then you need to ask why you didn't point out at the time.

 

Lack of use under some conditions can lead to more problems in the future than in use especially with older cars.

[esmerobbo]

I would suggest that if the problem was not present on the test drive .

 

It was the OP had trouble selecting gears on the test drive. Hopefully he mentioned this to the salesman and a note was made of it! What we don't know is how the garage has concluded the clutch is worn? As you say if the OP had not used it and the dealers had it for a while things could just be a bit sticky, it may well have been better to give it a good run before taking it back.

[heliosuk]

It was the OP had trouble selecting gears on the test drive..

 

That's not clear from the original post. My interpretation of the wording is that the OP bought the car and 3 months and 150 miles later has trouble selecting gears. If this is not the case then why accept the car at delivery if there were problems with gear selection?

As you rightly point out, how have they concluded the clutch is the guilty part. Golfs and to a certain extent all front wheel drive cars with a clutch suffer from linkage wear which gives the same effect. Some are adjustable and from what I remember (certainly early Golfs) you could do this.

Fitting a new clutch is not necessarily going to fix the problem.

Where the OP will run into difficulties is with the lack of use and it being a used car unfortunately.

[esmerobbo]

That's not clear from the original post. .

 

Yes reading back its not clear I read it as he took it for a long test. But it indeed does not read that.

[Hyundai Problems]

Please take a look at buythishere .com : LK03EGF

 

It will give you an idea of the type of people that you deal with at Hyundai UK.

 

LK03EGF was very badly damaged in a car accident, the After Sales Manager was over the drink drive limit and pleaded GUILTY.

The car was then rebuilt with costs of rebuilding being put to other cars in the accounts, LK03EGF was then auctioned through a trader to hide its history.

 

Two senior directors know about this but seem to be unwilling to assist in helping with this complaint.

 

 

By

 

Colin Foxley

 

 

I have paperwork to back up all the claims that I have made.

[chris021_in]

Yes reading back its not clear I read it as he took it for a long test. But it indeed does not read that.

 

All, thank you for all the advice....yes I admit...I should have taken it on a longer test ride...since driving for me just to local shops..and not too work...I dont use the car very often....I had the clutch and some bearing replaced @ £580 at the dealership..I didnt want the work done outside...definitely the gear selection is smooth...came back after a holiday and the battery died after 3 weeks...turned out the car battery had 04 stamp...that means it was never replaced even once in 6 years.....weird....anyhow got a new battery fitted as well..

[scaniaman]

Heliosuk, perhaps you could enlighten me as to these figures. Estimate £1000 to replace a small car clutch???? Final bill £580 for clutch and bearing????? Where the Helen B Merry do these prices come from???? ---a phone book.

Surely these prices are for a 38ton truck.

[chris021_in]

lol...not from phone book...but thats what the VW dearlership charged...the labor itself costed £340 ....the clutch and pressure plate are around £140 with the bearing about £22..this all before VAT...