Hi

This is a little story to follow on from my Main Dealer Charges.

Took the car into dealers on Monday but heard nothing till lunchtime Tuesday only to be told sorry but the power steering pump which we replaced under warranty in January needs replacing again but as your warranty ran out in March the pump is out of warranty, they then went on to say that they had been on to Skoda and they are willing to pay half the cost of the pump as a good will gesture leaving me with a bill for £500.00 and also the air con does not work and needs 2 new seals where the pipes go through the bulk head plus a re gas leaving me with another bill of £200.Also when picking the car up a bill for £78.00 for telling us what was wrong.Didn't think this was right so took it to another Main dealer who have been as nice as pie they took the car into the workshop and came back about 10 minutes later saying that they don't think its the pump at all and would recommend changing the steering angle (yaw) sensor at a total cost of £172.00.Now i think i should be entitled to a refund from the first dealer as they obviously don't know what they are doing they also pi---- my wife off with there attitude as i would have coughed up the best part of £600 and still had the same problem.

Any Thoughts.

Mike

What do you want the refund for, the £78 diagnostic work?

Problem you have is you at least need to fix the fault before you can disprove their diagnostics. As nice as the new dealer maybe they might not be right.

If a part is changed under warranty and it fails with the first year, does the item not come with an automatic self inclusive warranty anyway. If you had paid for the item with cash you would expect that. And in a way you have paid for just that anyway, as the warranty costs are guestimated (on a new model)/averaged out and added to the cost of a new car, so you stumped up money for such things.

just my thoughts

It's a car, things go wrong. Mechanics aren't supermen, they can't listen to the engine and magically produce the solution to the problem. The majority of the time, what appears to the driver as one problem could have dozens of possible solutions. Just because one dealer is saying it's one thing doesn't make them right - you could take it to another dealer who may say the solution is a different one. If the magic code box doesn't come up with the error then it's back to the good old trial and error.

Edited 30 July, 200817 yr by djswivel
Grammar

If a part is changed under warranty and it fails with the first year, does the item not come with an automatic self inclusive warranty anyway. If you had paid for the item with cash you would expect that. And in a way you have paid for just that anyway, as the warranty costs are guestimated (on a new model)/averaged out and added to the cost of a new car, so you stumped up money for such things.

just my thoughts

To claim under parts warranty the customer has to provide proof of purchase, i.e. an invoice saying that the customer had paid £x for the part. As the part was replaced under the new car warranty the customer has no such invoice. If however the customer had paid anything towards the parts, even at 90% discount and had an invoice saying such, then that part would be covered for two years.

Your arguement works the other way in that if the part was replaced when the car was quite new (say 6 months old), it would imply that the part would be out of warranty when the car is 30 months old (Skodas standard 2 year parts warranty), even though the new car warranty would still have another 6 months to run.

To claim under parts warranty the customer has to provide proof of purchase, i.e. an invoice saying that the customer had paid £x for the part. As the part was replaced under the new car warranty the customer has no such invoice. If however the customer had paid anything towards the parts, even at 90% discount and had an invoice saying such, then that part would be covered for two years.

Your arguement works the other way in that if the part was replaced when the car was quite new (say 6 months old), it would imply that the part would be out of warranty when the car is 30 months old (Skodas standard 2 year parts warranty), even though the new car warranty would still have another 6 months to run.

I wonder if anyone has taken this to court. As you pay for the insurance/assurance of replacement parts when you buy the car (it being inherent in the cars cost and is worked out to cover the 3 year standard warranty) could you claim to have paid something towards anything that was replaced under warranty. It kind of makes sense in a funny way.

i would have the thought the warranty on the parts would run for the length of time they should if it exceeds the original cars manufacture warranty.

Parts fitted under the new car warranty are only covered until the end of that warranty. As has already been posted they do not carry a separate parts warranty which would continue even if fitted the day before the three years was up.

Parts fitted under the new car warranty are only covered until the end of that warranty. As has already been posted they do not carry a separate parts warranty which would continue even if fitted the day before the three years was up.

well that sucks but not much you do i guess.

The charge of £78 to diagnose the car is for one hours work, the tech was actually on the job and working with Skoda tech for 3.34 hrs. The additional time was written off as a goodwill gesture from the dealer because of the previous warranty repair. The dealer tried to get goodwill for the complete repair from Skoda UK before you were called and they declined it not the main dealer. Why should dealers carry out tests and checks on cars for free, it costs a fortune for training, tools and equipment. Hopefully the steering angle sensor will fix the car, but it was working ok when tested. If it does not will you be wanting the nice dealer to give you the £172 back after all they are only recommending it.

The "parts replaced under warranty" thing is very much black and white - it is the remainder of the car's warranty period that is the cover term, if a part normally covered, if you paid for it, by a 24 month money back period, fails after 6 months say - and the car's warranty has now expired then you are stuffed - the part should not have failed but there again did the warranty wording demand that a new VAG part had to be fitted - or just that the repair cost would be covered by the warranty.

On the subject of any main dealer's staff competance, you have a right to expect that any staff who have an influence in the direction taken to effect a repair on your behalf should be up to the mark - that is what you are getting charged for! A guy at work, who admits to being totally clueless about cars, ended up paying for a bad judgment on the steering pump front - the fault reappeared a few months later by which time the dealer was being evasive, a month later while he was on holiday in another area he called the AA out - who took him to the local Skoda main dealer who replaced the sensor. Basically you are a "cash cow" dealing with a closed society that just wants to protect itself - its really the same when dealing with support for any consumer product. I'd find a proper independant VAG specialist as they only exist on their good performance. On the subject of dealers doing A/C work, you are lucky with this one as they seem to want to cure the leak - I told my VW that and where I had a leak "no leak system recharged" - oil still being pushed out at the bulkhead pipe junction with the evaporator - what a waste of time and money! Do they expect/hope to see me again with the same problem next summer?

I wonder if anyone has taken this to court. As you pay for the insurance/assurance of replacement parts when you buy the car (it being inherent in the cars cost and is worked out to cover the 3 year standard warranty) could you claim to have paid something towards anything that was replaced under warranty. It kind of makes sense in a funny way.

It is true that the manufacturer does allow for a proportion of the cost of a new car to cover warranty repairs, it would be stupid not to. It is not itemised on the new car invoice as it is part of the overall package (new car with 3 year warranty), it would also be quite a silly thing to itemise a projected warranty cost at the time of sale - that wouldn't do customer confidence in the product any good. Along the same lines you wouldn't go into a Skoda dealer and walk out with their showroom displays, justifying it by saying that as you have purchased a car there is a cost for marketing built into every car it is my entitlement to do this.

At the end of the day Skoda have fulfilled their obligation with regard to the length of time of the warranty period. What everyone seems to be forgetting is that the warranty is in addition to your statutory rights. There may be recourse through the sale of goods act, discounting that the pump had been replaced, the question would be, should the car have suffered such a failure after just over 3 years?

KTP Re: Main Dealer Rip Off

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i would have the thought the warranty on the parts would run for the length of time they should if it exceeds the original cars manufacture warranty.

By the same arguement, you will expect them to not to be covered if their warranty period falls short of that of the car.

Parts warranty applies to the purchaser of the parts who is not necessarily the end user.

Parts warranty applies to the purchaser of the parts who is not necessarily the end user.

That quote above is the definative key fact wrt "parts replaced during warranty" - ie the warranty agreement, or policy paid to keep the car in a servicable condition.

As said, if you can approach the importer - ie Skoda UK - and seek help using the logic that the first failure was unexpected and if it is the same failure again (I'd use the second garage to confirm or disprove this if you are in any doubt). Remember the car's manufacturer is not represented in UK directly - it is the responsibility of that marque's importer to help you out. Just remember that if you are treated fairly taking everything into account, then you might just suggest "buying a Skoda" to a friend - conversaly, if you get treated unfairly then you should "turn on " Skoda and let them know that you will be doing so! In the past I've done this to Ford, giving them good press with my friends when things go well - but sending them letters when it has not gone well, usually if you have a genuine case the car importer will "come good" - if you are just complaining about spending money on parts due to wear and tear then its not so cut and dried (I'm not suggesting that you are doing this at this moment!)

It is true that the manufacturer does allow for a proportion of the cost of a new car to cover warranty repairs, it would be stupid not to. It is not itemised on the new car invoice as it is part of the overall package (new car with 3 year warranty), it would also be quite a silly thing to itemise a projected warranty cost at the time of sale - that wouldn't do customer confidence in the product any good. Along the same lines you wouldn't go into a Skoda dealer and walk out with their showroom displays, justifying it by saying that as you have purchased a car there is a cost for marketing built into every car it is my entitlement to do this.

At the end of the day Skoda have fulfilled their obligation with regard to the length of time of the warranty period. What everyone seems to be forgetting is that the warranty is in addition to your statutory rights. There may be recourse through the sale of goods act, discounting that the pump had been replaced, the question would be, should the car have suffered such a failure after just over 3 years?

KTP Re: Main Dealer Rip Off

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i would have the thought the warranty on the parts would run for the length of time they should if it exceeds the original cars manufacture warranty.

By the same arguement, you will expect them to not to be covered if their warranty period falls short of that of the car.

Parts warranty applies to the purchaser of the parts who is not necessarily the end user.

I am guessing you would have to prove an implied agreement that the charge for the warranty meant a replacement was being effectively ‘paid’ for. I also assume that hell would freeze over before any dealer/manufacturer would be daft enough to admit or even proffer this idea to a customer. At least the Dealers I worked for wouldn’t. I wonder how much it would add to the cost of the car to add this feature though?

It has a lot to do with marketing, it's better to advertise a car that comes with a 3 year warranty, than to advertise a car that we have built so much profit into that hopefully we will come out on top after 3 years. Car manufacturers are extremely reluctant to acknowledge any short comings in their products.

For the brand of car that we sell new at work, it is not unusual to look at the claim history of a 3 year old car and find that there have been none. There have been some months where not one claim was submitted.

It has a lot to do with marketing, it's better to advertise a car that comes with a 3 year warranty, than to advertise a car that we have built so much profit into that hopefully we will come out on top after 3 years. Car manufacturers are extremely reluctant to acknowledge any short comings in their products.

For the brand of car that we sell new at work, it is not unusual to look at the claim history of a 3 year old car and find that there have been none. There have been some months where not one claim was submitted.

Porkers?

The whole steering pump / steering angle sensor thing seems to be a very weak point with fabias. It amazes me every time someone states that a main dealer has replaced a very expensive pump only to find it was the relatively cheap sensor all along. Can they simply not put a new pump in and if the problem still exists then change the sensor. If then the problem has been rectified replace the pump with the customers original one and then charge the customer for the angle sensor plus the additional labour incurred for messing around with pumps. Much cheaper I'd wager than replacing a costly pump.

Main dealers suck (granted there are no doubt good ones about, but far too many are rubbish).

Hi

thank you for all the replies seems to be a bit of an issue with the steering pump and or sensor replacement .I just think that if a pump had been fitted only 6 months ago maybe they should have been checking the sensor maybe it just one of the things but the second garage took the car put it on the VAG COM and with in 10 minutes were sure that it needed the new sensor.its just strange that the car has now done over a hundred miles and not one warning light.Vokey i apologize if they did spend that long on the car but if they had told the wife that when she picked the car up rather than the frosty reception that she received then maybe things would have panned out differently.Also just a quick note the nice dealer has offered to credit back the cost of the part if it does not fix the problem.

Mike

Edited 31 July, 200817 yr by mikebh50