Advice on car issues from new.

[fanle]

Hi guys, I was wondering if you could offer me any advice on my current situation.

I purchased a new SEAT Ibiza Bocanegra last November and since purchase it has been consuming a huge amount of oil. I brought the car back to the dealer and after a week I was told that, after they consulted with SEAT UK, this was normal due to the design of engine and it consumed a lot within the first few thousand miles and to come back after this amount if it was still an issue. After reading online and seeing this was true I followed there advice and kept topping it up every week ensuring that it never dropped low.

Once I reached 6k miles the problem was still occurring so I brought it back and away they took the car for another week, I was then told that the initial diagnosis was incorrect and that the revision I bought actually had the updated piston heads which prevented this fault. That in fact the car had a faulty turbo which required replacing, this was replaced and after a further few days and then taking off for a 150 mile test drive by them I was told it was fixed. Now a month down the line and 600 miles later the oil is half empty and so the issue remains.

As this issue was in the car from purchase and they have thus far been unable to rectify it or even identify the issue I was just wondering if I have any rights as to ask for a replacement vehicle or compensation of some sort after having no car for soon to be 3 weeks or more, buying an godly amount of engine oil and just the general nuisance of the whole matter.

 

Thanks in advance for any advice you can provide.

[MARTIN3030]

Welcome to the site.

As its bank holiday a few of our more seasoned posters may take longer than usual to reply so please be patient.

It seems that from the start,you alerted the dealer to the problems.

Have you got anything in writing,or else kept a log of these communications/visits ?

Can you also confirm that it was a brand new vehicle,and what the current mileage is now ?

[fanle]

Thanks for the welcome.

That's alright, I'm not planning to go back in until Friday when I am off work again so came with the idea of planning ahead. Yes as soon as I noticed the oil light came on the first time I went straight back to them and have been following their instructions since. I have kept all the receipts they have given me for work being carried by them and noted down privately everything they have recommended me to do.

[stu007]

Hi

 

I am enclined to tell you to look at the Sale of Goods Act.

 

Also the 150mile test drive that the garage done did they compensate you for fuel usage and misdiagnoising the fault initially?

[fanle]

They refilled the car with fuel to the same level I left it with, apart for that I have been been given nothing else. I was given the option of getting a courtesy car at 31p per mile and £50 a week for insurance, I declined.

[Conniff]

Oh dear oh dear, please don't wait until the oil light comes on to take action and check the level, you should ideally, (especially now), check it daily or before a long trip. Even though there may be a fault with the car, if there should be mechanical damage because of low oil, it will be seen as your fault especially as you are aware the oil level drops quicker than normal.

 

You should put it in writing that they have one further attempt to cure the excessive oil use problem and if they fail to do so you will expect a replacement car or engine. Compensation is no good to you, there is the high risk of irrepairable damage that you would have to pay for as well as the increased risk of being stranded in the middle of nowhere and the inconvenience that can bring and then there is the amount of money you will lose when you come to trade the car in for a new one.

[fanle]

Hi Conniff, while I agree it was not the best to let the oil light come on in the first place however this was 3 weeks after I purchased the car and I had checked it before I signed off on it. I was not made aware at any time that there was a known issue with the car consuming high levels of oil during it's initial breaking in period and I incorrectly assumed an engine full of oil would have lasted more than 3 weeks. Since then I have regularly topped up the oil and not allowed it to come on again as per the dealers instruction. After reading up on the Sale of Goods Act they have 3 chances to fix the issue before I can claim any compensation, would this be the act I would be using to state what you have said just so I can be as clear as possible when I write any letters. Should I just give this to the dealer or send a copy off to SEAT as well?

[Conniff]

Hello fanle, Any correspondence should be to the seller, it is their responsibility even if it is a manufacturing defect and it is up to them to claim against Seat.

 

Has their attitude been ok so far with the other visits?

 

If so, I think I would be inclined to just ask when you go back "so what do we do if this don't cure it?" and see what they have to say. Their response and tone will be your indicator of how you now go about handling things.

[fanle]

Apart from the ill mannered receptionist they have been pretty good so far, the service manager and head technician who they said was working on the car has always came out and explained what work was done and why as well as keeping my updated through regular phone calls. They have been relaying back with the head office of seat UK on the matter throughout as well. I agree with what you said and give them the opportunity to correct the situation as they have been willing so far to fix it however if they plan to take no further action should this not remedy it, I should inform them that if this does not fix it I will be taking legal action and will confirm this in writing. I realise you said all correspondence should be with the seller, but should additionally would it be a good idea to get in contact with SEAT directly and inform them of unhappy I am with the situation at all?

[Conniff]

If this isn't a once and for all fix, there is no reason why you shouldn't copy all further correspondence to HQUK.

 

I wouldn't threaten court at this stage, courts aren't happy about being used too soon. Have the letter telling them this will be their final attempt at a repair and if it fails you want a personal meeting with the manager to see 'how we take things forward'.

 

Unfortunately the Sale of Goods Act, (although drawn up to protect consumers), isn't a bible of steps that 'will' happen, if you don't get satisfaction and there is resistance to doing anything major like car replacement or engine change, and you have to go down this route, it can take some time. It will all depend on the attitude of the selling dealer.

 

P.S. And draw up a letter of complaint about the receptionist for submission at a later date.

[fanle]

That's awesome, the advice is greatly appreciated. I'll take this forward as you recommended and I'll keep you all updated as to how I get on on Friday. Hopefully it will be nice and easy.

[Conniff]

Well it's not all about the dealer himself, he didn't design a flaw into it, but if the manufacturer is a bit of a sod to him and hard for them to deal with, that unfortunately seems to be passed on to the customer as dealers can't take all the hits when there is a problem, but that's the chance they take and it's not the problem of the buyer.

[fanle]

Just thought I'd give you all an update on this. Brought the car back on Friday and was told to bring it in this morning so they can do another test drive to prove it's consuming oil, they managed to come to the conclusion that it is indeed doing what I claim. I have been told that they have been in contact with SEAT and that they have an action out for this engine for oil consumption and that there is no fix or repair. I have been told that I can bring it back every 1000km and get it refilled with oil until a fix is available at some point in the future. I have checked online with others and there is many people who own the same car/engine who are having no issues at all with oil. Is this really an adequate response?

[Conniff]

So it is either leaking out or being burnt - didn't they explain any further ?

 

No, that isn't good enough, what happens on that holiday to Cornwall, you can easily rack up far more than 600 miles.

 

There is one good thing about it though, will always have fresh oil in the sump.

[fanle]

There is no oil leaking and it is being burnt, they said they didn't know how or where but it's being used by the engine.

 

I agree that it's a step in the right direction that they are at least giving me the oil free now, the under lying problem remains. Seat admits there is a fault and can't fix it so is there even anything I can do now?

[Conniff]

As you bought it new fanle, there is still a way to go before it's first MoT test, but I think I would book it into an MoT center, (nothing to do with the seller) and get an emission test done.

 

I don't know this particular car, but if you are using that much oil, and it has a cat, are they going to replace the cat as well.

 

If it fails the emissions test, you can tell them it is not fit for purpose and doesn't meet current legislation on emissions and you want a different car.

[fanle]

Alright Conniff sounds like the MOT center is my next port of call, the cars co2 emissions are 148 g/km according to the handbook. I can only imagine this level of consumption would push it above that.