Was talking to a friend about my car (June 2008 vrs diesel) coming upto 4 years old, so it will be due a service and according to VAG it will need a timing belt done at the same time. "He then said why are you having to foot the bill for a belt change as when you bought the car the book says it will not need changed for a long time". He thinks a person would have a very good chance if they used the sale of goods act (not fit for purpose) He's got me thinking what about you guy's and girl's or is he taliking out his rear end lol.

Who exactly has said it needs done at 4 years to you I assume its the CR TDi listed in your profile? If in any doubt call SUK for guidance on when your specific one should be changed.

Your friend is an idiot. A cam belt is part of normal scheduled maintenance and doesn't in any way make the car not fit for purpose.

Your friend is an idiot. A cam belt is part of normal scheduled maintenance and doesn't in any way make the car not fit for purpose.

Think he means the time the belt has to be changed going by my book when i bought the car and what Vag are now saying. So if i bought the car and the book says 80'000 mls or 6 years and now vag are saying 60'000 mls and 4 years (age and times are just a guess dont have book to hand) Plus i dont think the belt is a normal scheduled maintenace as it not checked at any service till its due to be replaced. and please dont call any person a idiot you dont know or have never met, and what they said is also coming through a third party who may have miss understood what they mean.

Just because it's not "every year" doesn't mean it's not part of the normal scheduled maintenance. There's no set time/distance for brake pads - are you going to go to Skoda and ask to replace them FOC? What about tyres? Or wiper blades? Bulbs? Washer fluid?

It's absolutely ridiculous to attempt to even try to reason this as "not fit for purpose".

If I was a Skoda dealer, I'd love you to come in and try this. I'd just say "ok, see you in court"

Again......whos vag ?????? the same engines spread across VW Audi and Seat can have different timing belt intervals so unless its Skoda UK policy you shouldn't have a problem. As said above it is scheduled maintenance if book said it needs to be done at 100 years or 1000000 then that would be scheduled for 100 years or 1000000miles regardless of any change.

But the over all thing "IF" since you were sold the car new with expectations stated to you that timing belt (being a fairly costly service) was a certain time/mileage and you were relying on that then they say after you bought it no actually we have changed out minds lets make it shorter costing you more I would think there must be something a person could do but under what I have no idea, nor what could be expected to be achieved. If I kept my car as per the instructions in my service book and it changed timing belt to earlier and I wasn't told and it snaps after new time but before it was originally due I would not be paying for it you can be dam sure!

Its a strange one this, having just bought an approved 57 Vrs Tfsi from a Skoda Dealer with full Skoda service history I presumed that the cam belt would have been changed, but on investigation i found it hadn't been done. When I contacted them they said it's only recomended to change it then and not needed!!! I think it is some thing i should take up with SUK.

Simon

You are not duty bound to have your car's timebelt changed - it is up to you. Let it break and then see if you can get compensation if it does so before 6 years or whatever period you consider that you were promised by the seller that it would last for.

Edited 2 May, 201214 yr by keith3289

Just because it's not "every year" doesn't mean it's not part of the normal scheduled maintenance. There's no set time/distance for brake pads - are you going to go to Skoda and ask to replace them FOC? What about tyres? Or wiper blades? Bulbs? Washer fluid?

It's absolutely ridiculous to attempt to even try to reason this as "not fit for purpose".

If I was a Skoda dealer, I'd love you to come in and try this. I'd just say "ok, see you in court"

They are consumables ect not service items.

To the OP I would go off your book as someone on this forum went to a skoda dealership for their 4 years service and the timining belt wasn't touched so its a load of bull. If the belt snapped then you would have a decent chance of claiming for the repairs due to premature belt wear as the books states 6 years (or whatever) nowhere does it state 4 years, not even on new cars.

On a side note my dad changed the belt on his 1.9tdi at 100,000 mls and 7 years as the book only said 100,000mls (no time listed on the MK1) and the belt was still like new.

Idiot or not, anyone who suggests that the replacement interval for the cam belt has any bearing on fit for purpose under the sale of goods act clearly has no idea what they're talking about I'm afraid.

That said, if it needs doing quicker than you were told id have thought it reasonable for the supplying dealer to offer (say) £50 off the cost of the work as a goodwill gesture. If I were you that's what I'd aim for, so lerhaps go in asking for £100 off if you feel that sore about it......

Lawyers will tell you "the courts are full of rich men and fools".

IMHO. There is little justice for a poor man. Don't rely on the courts if you don't have to.