Help with Smart Car PLeeaasse

[Chimera]

HI,

 

I have a smart car which is about 4.5 years old now.. had it's first MOT this summer. Last service was sept 2004, so not been serviced for two years (down to not being able to afford it). The engine has gone on it, something to do with the pistons and them letting oil in.. I asked the garage to put in an eskulab claim because after researching it, it seems not be a 'not so common' but inheriant fault. By not so common I mean, it doesn't happen to everyone, but if you do a search on smart engine problem - this is the thing that always comes up. It is nothing we ahve done, but a problem with the engine. Yes, they can say, we should have had it serviced last year and it may have picked up on the problem, but it may ahve not.. and that's a bit stupid... pay us x amount of money each year, or the car may break. It has been kept well, and looked after. I am sooo annoyed... anyone got any tips... I mean.. it's only done 37000 miles - it should not need a new engine... that's just silly. I also have a T reg saxo - and that just goes and goes... done farmore miles, been serviced less and not even that well looked after (sorry car!!)... and it works fine... never really been a problem - and this is a mercedes... should be a fine tuned car designed well etc... PLease please help.. They ahve quoted near enough £3k to have it bakc on the road... not the smae value as car, but getting there... I think it's disgusting - I really do... Please help me fight back...

 

Thanks in advance

 

Nici

[meggyweggy]

The thing is with putting claims in with regards to the dealers and engine problems the first thing they will say is when was it last serviced. How long was the warrenty for and also how can it be 4.5 years old and only just had its first MOT.

[Chimera]

The thing is with putting claims in with regards to the dealers and engine problems the first thing they will say is when was it last serviced. How long was the warrenty for and also how can it be 4.5 years old and only just had its first MOT.

 

Sorry.. my mistake... it is 3.5 years old... warranty is 3 years, but then they reduced it to 2 years.. so don't know if the three year warranty still stands..

[meggyweggy]

With reards to the warenty when you purchased the car you got it with a 3 year warrenty, how did you know they changed it to a 2 year only warrenty

[ivorbiggun]

Smart cars have always had a 2 year warranty and with a lower mileage restriction of 25,000 miles.

 

The crux of the argument will be whether it was serviced according to the manufacturers recommended interval. Unfortunately I don't think you'll win on this.

 

My gearbox on my Dads Merc went kaput and Merc want £5k for a new 'box. We went to a specialist recommended by Honest John in the Motoring Telegraph and he fixed it for £1,300.

[meggyweggy]

I agree this is one i dont think you will win purely on the service thing as they will claim that, that contirbuted to the fault

[petrolhead]

when you say you never had it serviced do you mean you never had it serviced at a garage but had someone change the oil and filter for you or do you mean you just completely neglected to do anything to it at all? if you done nothing at all its no wonder its failed as the garage will quite rightly say its a small, highly tuned for its size motor that needs proper (not necesarrily dealer) maintenance and you wont have a hope in hell of getting anywhere with the claim. If you did have it serviced just not at a garage see if you can find the reciepts for the parts and get whoever done the service to write in the history what work was carried out. you might have a better chance then. if you arent succesful take this as a warning to look after your vehicle, it needent cost much for a basic service, 7 quid for oil 5 quid for an oil fiter, 5 quid for an air filter, half an hours labour to do, if you cant afford that maybe trying to run a modern expensive car isnt for you, theres plenty cheaper older cars that withstand neglect a lot better, £300 would buy you a car that gives you a couple of years then scrap it when its done.

[Chimera]

It last got service by the dealer in sept 2004.. The car has been well looked after since - my partner is quite anal about it. How do I prove that though??

[Chimera]

It last got service by the dealer in sept 2004.. The car has been well looked after since - my partner is quite anal about it. How do I prove that though??

 

Also.. this is not a problem that has happened due to lack of maintainance. It has happened because of the design of the engine. The only thing a servcie would have done was 'perhaps' (small chance), of picking up the problem. It would not have prevented it in anyway at all.

[petrolhead]

Did he keep the reciepts for the oil and filter he fitted? they might help.

[meggyweggy]

Yes but that small chance is what they will say.

[mdecker]

I've got a Smart car, a 2004. I think yours would be a 2003, therefore it must have the newer engine which doesn't suffer from the particular problem the 600cc engines had.

 

The warranty is dependent upon service schedules being adhered to, so you've got a problem. Contractually they don't have to do anything for you. The dealer wouldn't get any of his cost rebated from the manufacturer/warranty vendor, therefore he's not going to do anything for you - why should he?

 

I should think the best you might achieve is to pay trade cost for the parts and try to negotiate a lower price on the labour. Frankly, you're in a poor position to make demands, so see what they'll do as a favour.

 

Seeing as you're out of warranty, and if the dealer won't give you a deal on the work - go to one of the independents. I go to Smartarse Design in Watford, who are passionate and reasonable - they would be my first port of call. Also try asking on the large number of Smart car sites and forums in the UK. Here's one: smartimes magazine but there's lots of others.

 

I'm guessing, but an independent will do you a much better price - at a guess you could get a whole new engine for less than £2k.

 

 

Hope this helps; regards Michael

[patdavies]

It last got service by the dealer in sept 2004.. The car has been well looked after since - my partner is quite anal about it. How do I prove that though??

 

I'm sorry, but two years between services is definitely not "well looked after". I would hazarc that it could actually be unsafe.

[meggyweggy]

I agree not well looked after but you not say unsafe, all a service does is change filters and oil if these are checked regulary you can get away without servicng

[patdavies]

I agree not well looked after but you not say unsafe, all a service does is change filters and oil if these are checked regulary you can get away without servicng

 

I'm sorry, but this is utter nonsense.

 

Go and get the service book for your car and read through what is involved in a service.

 

Many things are tested and checked. Things which if ignored will render a car unsafe. If nothing else, brakes and tyres are checked for correct operation and excessive wear. Spark plugs, fuel filters, fan belts, etc. don't last for ever. Hinges and catches need lubrication. ECU fault codes need to be checked.

[bigboyprice69]

Here's a link to the Smart ABC Services, including service intervals and everything that should be checked. One thing they check at every service is engine leakage, I guess this is where they would have picked up on your fault and corrected it before your engine was bu99ered. Unless you can prove you've adhered to thier schedule I don't think you have a case against them.

 

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