Continuous problems on lease car

[robby71]

I'm hoping someone can help as i've gone through google and can't find an answer to my problem.

 

I have a car on lease (2 years) which was delivered in november 2014, this has only done 3000 miles due to my problem.

 

The TPMS (tyre pressure monitoring system) was leaking meaning the tyre would go flat overnight (valve leaking). The valves at the time (april 2015) were on back order for 2 months with Ford so the dealer fitted a rubber valve which worked but kept the dash warning lights on.

 

Several weeks later the new tpms came into stock so the dealer fitted a new 1 - this lasted a day before the tyre was flat again so i went to a tyre garage where they put the wheel into their bath and found the valve leaking again.

 

The wheel + tyre was dropped back off at the dealer where they fitted another new tpms.

3 days later the tyre was flat yet again so dealer agreed to collect the wheel + tyre from my home (i'm now on a spare wheel) and repair it. They said it would be ready the next day (saturday) and to call in and they would fit it to the car. The next day i called in and waited 1/2 hour to be told the manager wasn't working and the wheel hadn't been fixed? They said they'd call me on the Monday.

 

While the new valves had been removed and refitted the dealer has damaged the paint around the valve hole and is saying i've had a repair done (which i haven't as it's under warranty and they're the only ones to have removed the tyre since new).

 

The dealer collected the car a couple of days later and fitted yet another new tpms and valve. When i got home i sprayed soapy water on the valve to check and it was leaking yet again?

I called the dealer the next day who said it might be someone messing about letting the tye down? i explained the car went straight home and into locked garage as always so it definately wasn't this.

 

I've been speaking to and emailing ford uk who wont speak to me as i'n not the owner (according to them) - i've spoke to the lease company explaining it's costing me time going back and forth to dealer, money in fuel and money in loss of overtime having to miss saturday mornings work to get to the dealer.

I've told the lease company i want to give the car back as it isn't fit for purpose (can't go off for weekend as tyre goes down overnight) and i'm fed up going back and forth to dealer who can't fix the problem. The lease company told me i have no right to cancel the payments and they will pursue me through the courts if i do.

 

The problem is still ongoing after 3 months and 9 visits to dealer which i think is unacceptable and i don't think i should have to put up with this.

 

I'm paying for something not fit for purpose, losing money from work, losing my little spare time (saturday mornings) and have a car which i can't use apart from short distances.

 

Can anyone help?

[Conniff]

As the car belongs to the lease company, send them a letter by recorded and repeat your story giving them 7 days to repair the fault or you will return the car as they have not kept to contract and that you will also claim damages from them. Say, failure to do either will result in further action being taken.

[robby71]

Hi

I've sent them several emails saying they have 1 last chance to sort the problem or i'm cancelling the payments, they reply by saying it's not them at fault and my problem is with the dealer.

I have sent a full list of dates of the visits to dealer, phone calls made and outcomes.

I said if i cannot cancel the agreement then could i claim for expenses (loss of earnings, taxis, fuel, etc) and they say i would have to make a claim through the dealer.

 

Ford UK wont speak to me as i'm not the legal owner, the lease company keep passing me back to the dealer, the dealer is incompitent (3 months for a wheel repair) and there is no end in sight. I cannot use another dealer as this problem is being paid to current dealer under warranty so another dealer wouldn't be able to claim for the same repair.

[Conniff]

They can say what they like, the car belongs to them and is hired to you at the amount of depreciation that it would lose over the lease term.

 

If you send it by recorded deliver in a brown envelope you got from your local newsagent, it would look more authoritative. You mustn't threaten further action ie court, if you are not prepared to go through with it.

The other choices you can give them is that you take it to another dealer or tyre specialist and send them the bill.

[heliosuk]

Actually the problem lies with the Ford dealer.

 

 

TPMS is going to rear it's head on here time and time again shortly as it is now a mandatory fitment on any car made from 2015 model year. More unnecessary EU regs.

 

 

You are able to go to another dealer despite it being repaired incorrectly by the current one. It all suggests to me that the original valve is still on though.

 

 

Many manufactuerers are experiencing difficulties at the moment as TPMS is a relatively new thing.

[p3t3r]

Actually the problem lies with the Ford dealer.

 

hi, can you explain why the problem lies with the Ford dealer?

 

I thought as the OP contract was with the leasing company, then this problem is between the leasing company and OP?

[robby71]

 

You are able to go to another dealer despite it being repaired incorrectly by the current one. It all suggests to me that the original valve is still on though.

 

 

The problem is the dealer damaged the paint around where the valve comes through the alloy, due to this corrosion has started under the paint so when they fit a new valve it can't seal properly (think of a metal flat surface trying to be perfectly flat on an uneven surface - tiny gaps cause it not to sit flush so no perfect seal) - if i go to another dealer they'll just say the wheel is damaged and warranty will reject the claim.

The origional dealer has tried to blame me saying i've had the wheel repaired (i haven't as it's never been damaged) so i'm not sure what they'll do as they seem reluctant to order a new alloy in in case they can't get it under warranty - they should have to pay for the wheel themselves not under warranty as they damaged it, this is what i told the lease company but they keep passing me back to dealer

[robby71]

I thought as the OP contract was with the leasing company, then this problem is between the leasing company and OP?

 

This is what i thought - as the dealer seems unable to sort the problem i expected the lease company to step in and tell the dealer to fit a new wheel then either try a warranty claim or pay for it themselves (dealer) - they don't seem bothered i can't use the car as intended - probably because they know they'll be getting it back with less mileage at the end of the lease?

[Hammy1962]

'I cannot use another dealer as this problem is being paid to current dealer under warranty so another dealer wouldn't be able to claim for the same repair'.

 

Yes they would.....................

 

H

[Conniff]

At this particular time I would say to you to make sure you have paperwork to show what is being done or not being done and take some pics of the wheel. If for some reason you just give in and believe what the lease company are telling you, then you will need proof of what happened to that wheel when the lease ends or they will bill you for it.

[robby71]

'I cannot use another dealer as this problem is being paid to current dealer under warranty so another dealer wouldn't be able to claim for the same repair'.

 

Yes they would.....................

 

H

 

As the dealer has damaged the wheel the other dealers would (hopefully) see this is the cause of the problem - as it isn't premature wear/ tear of a manufacturing defect but the dealers fault it wouldn't be covered under warranty.

[Conniff]

This is what i thought - as the dealer seems unable to sort the problem i expected the lease company to step in and tell the dealer to fit a new wheel then either try a warranty claim or pay for it themselves (dealer) - they don't seem bothered i can't use the car as intended - probably because they know they'll be getting it back with less mileage at the end of the lease?

 

You don't seem to be very pushy on this robby. You asked for and paid for a car with a lease company, it matters not who supplied that car. The car is not fit for purpose or of satisfactory quality so the lease company have broken the contract.

You must demand they put it write and give them a time by which to do it with the threat that further action will be taken if they continue to refuse. You can also claim damages for breach of that contract.

 

Are they a member of the BVRLA which has a conciliation service you can use. http://www.bvrla.co.uk/advice/guidance/using-bvrlas-conciliation-service

Edited July 7, 2015 by Conniff
correct spelling typo

[Hammy1962]

As the dealer has damaged the wheel the other dealers would (hopefully) see this is the cause of the problem - as it isn't premature wear/ tear of a manufacturing defect but the dealers fault it wouldn't be covered under warranty.

 

Yes it would, the 'damage' could\would\should be classed as consequential to the TPMS fault and if correctly administered could still be claimed under warranty by any interested Ford dealer.

 

A close up picture of the damaged valve would be helpful.

 

What is premature wear\tear of a manufacturing defect? If it's a manufacturing defect, its not worn or torn.

 

Anyway, what do I know...............................................

 

H

[robby71]

What is premature wear\tear of a manufacturing defect? If it's a manufacturing defect, its not worn or torn.

H

 

Mistyped - should have read "or a manufacturing defect"

[robby71]

You don't seem to be very pushy on this robby. You asked for and paid for a car with a lease company, it matters not who supplied that car. The car is not fit for purpose or of satisfactory quality so the lease company have broken the contract.

You must demand they put it write and give them a time by which to do it with the threat that further action will be taken if they continue to refuse. You can also claim damages for breach of that contract.

 

Are they a member of the BVRLA which has a conciliation service you can use. http://www.bvrla.co.uk/advice/guidance/using-bvrlas-conciliation-service

 

I've been very pushy stating i'm going to cancel the payments (they said they'd chase up outstanding payments through court if nessessary), told them i was going to contact CAB and Watchdog (made no difference - "do what you have to" was their reply),

 

I've been in contact with the Financial Ombudsman Service who are looking into the case and will get back to me within 2 weeks

 

Lease company called today to say ford uk are sending a loan car to the dealer who will deliver it to me this week, they're taking my car away until it's sorted? how difficult is it to fit a valve? you don't see back street tyre garages getting the same cars back every week for these problems so why can't a multi million pound main dealer sort it?

[Hammy1962]

OMG...................................cancel payments, CAB, watchdog, FoS.......................whaaaaay over the top. All threats that they hear everyday, none of which will get your TPMS fixed. How, exactly, is one of the drones from the FoS going to fix your TPMS?

 

Just take it to another Ford dealer and say help me out here. They should, and if they provide a satisfactory solution, maybe you'll use then for servicing etc in the future.

 

No need for a courtesy car or to over complicate things. Just sit down, get a coffee and wait for someone who is interested to diagnose and hopefully offer you a fix.

 

Where are you located geographically?

 

H

[robby71]

OMG...................................cancel payments, CAB, watchdog, FoS.......................whaaaaay over the top. All threats that they hear everyday, none of which will get your TPMS fixed. How, exactly, is one of the drones from the FoS going to fix your TPMS?

 

Just take it to another Ford dealer and say help me out here. They should, and if they provide a satisfactory solution, maybe you'll use then for servicing etc in the future.

 

No need for a courtesy car or to over complicate things. Just sit down, get a coffee and wait for someone who is interested to diagnose and hopefully offer you a fix.

 

Where are you located geographically?

 

H

 

FOS is involved to try to claim back some of my expenses (loss of overtime having to get to the dealer 3 saturday mornings, fuel back and forth to dealer).

 

The dealer collected the car today and left a loan car (no fuel and disgusting inside and out - it'll be returned in the same state) so hopefully this should be the last time they see the car as when it's fixed it'll be going to the next town for any other repairs/ servicing/ etc

[Conniff]

Take photos of the car inside and out, (with a date stamp if poss), just in case they say you did it and try to bill you for valeting.