Hi,

I used to own a fabia vrs and Ibiza fr and have recently (01/03/2014) changed to a 208 GTI.

I've got an issue and I hope you don't mind me sharing it with you as I respect the knowledge and opinion of members on here (and I'm still a regular visiter).

I picked up my car on 01/03/2014.

On 13/03/2014 I noticed a grating sound coming from the rear offside brake. This did not improve and as such I booked it in for a check on 17/03/2014. The car was 17 days old and had Only covered 525 miles.

I was called in by the technician who showed me the discs/pads on the vehicle. All 4 discs are showing signs of 'pitting' and the rear discs have also been 'scored' badly. I was also told that the pads are showing unusually high wear given the low milage as well.

The technician initially suggested that all this must mean I am riding the brakes! He also stated that you would not normally see this on a vehicle with 15 or 20,000 miles.

I explained that i certainly don't ride the brakes and would not accept that this has caused 20,000 miles worth of use in 17 days!

I do not make this statement flippantly as I have been driving for over 18 years. In the last 15 years I have owned 7 cars from new up to 3 years old (PCP Deals) and 20,000 miles. These have ranged from fiats, mg, citroen and Skoda through to seat. The last 2 have been a Skoda fabia vrs and seat Ibiza fr (both are hot hatches) and to this day in have never had to replace/had any issues with the discs/pads which would suggest that my driving style is not the problem.

I have been running the GTI in properly and in the 17 days if ownership I have only on 3 occasions had a more spirited drive once the temperature was warmed up and these occasions were over a matter is 4/5 miles. Given the fact that the GTI is marketed and sold as a hot hatch I cannot accept that this brake disc/pad wear is normal.

Once I had challenged the technician on this matter he then suggested that it could be caused by the vehicle being left in an extremely moist environment. Again whilst I appreciate we have had a lot of rain and I live in south wales i park the car on a private drive not in a stream!

I appreciate that might seem a tad flippant however when the brake issues have tried to be explained away in the manner outlined I hope you can understand my frustration.

The whole point of taking out a PCP deal is to manage my budget and the fact that you know over the term (3 years / 24,000 miles) that I will not be paying out for break discs/pads. I have never had to do this in the past and would certainly not expect to with a new Peugeot.

Before leaving I was told to book back in in a couple of months to check it again and that if it seized up completely to come straight back! As you can imagine this has not given me any confidence in my £19,000 hot hatch.(not that I paid the list but that's not the point).

Anyhow I have emailed Peugeot HQ with a full version if events as well as photos of the discs explaining that I do not accept any responsibility for the excessive use age (in 17 days) and have requested they change all the discs/pads.

I would really appreciate your thoughts/advice on the matter (and please limit the'french ****e' jokes!!!)

Peugeots have always been heavy on their brakes, my last 3 cars have been Pugs but it shouldn't happen to a brand new car with 500 miles on the clock.

It doesn't seem right at all but let's see what Peugeot HQ say about it.

From what you have told us, you have done the sensible thing.

 

You do not say when you have booked the car back or if the garage checked the braking system to verify that they are not sticking ?

 

Have you tried taking it to s different dealer for a 2nd opinion ?

The garage did a brake efficiency test that came back as a pass but showed imbalance between the front and rear pads/discs.

Haven't got second opinion yet as I sent the request direct to HQ on my return.

Would upload the photos but not sure how to do it from my iPhone!

Out of interest re your previous pugs what milage did you have to change the pads/discs as I didn't even consider I would need to over the 20,000 miles or so ( which is about the longest I keep them!)?

My last one I traded in for my Monte had only done 17500 mls and was just over 3 years old.

The MOT tester noted that the discs were badly scored but they were able to pass the brake efficiency test.

I've never had one long enough to need them changed but I do know that they can go through discs, especially on the heavier diesels like mine have all been.

My last one I traded in for my Monte had only done 17500 mls and was just over 3 years old.

The MOT tester noted that the discs were badly scored but they were able to pass the brake efficiency test.

I've never had one long enough to need them changed but I do know that they can go through discs, especially on the heavier diesels like mine have all been.

I wouldn't mind so much if I got to this sort of milage and age as I'd be trading it in before 3 years old but if they're thus bad after 500 miles god help me!

Hope HQ are reasonable and agree with me that there must be an issue and replace them. Nothing is ever that simple though so we'll have to wait and see I suppose.

Just takes the gloss of a new car so soon its a shame.

Edited 17 March, 201412 yr by FOX1429

That's why I never changed mine as I knew I'd be trading it in at some point.

They had quite a big lip on the edges as the discs are quite soft, the rears weren't as bad obviously but I would've thought that Peugeot's perceived move upmarket would see them improve every aspect of the car and not just the interior.

Wait and see what Peugeot HQ say, the odd trouble I've had in the past has always been dealt with smoothly but I always used the same dealer.

You could try finding out when the car was built and where it was stored when it arrived in the UK, you may find that it stood in a field which could explain the moisture comment. 

I do not park in fields 'much', and Skoda Brakes can have Cosmetic Corrosion on Discs overnight,

and red with rust from being parked for a few days.

Does not need to be in weather with salt on the road.)

 

Just look at other cars discs in and around the Peugeot Dealership.

 

This is a new vRS Demonstrator from last year with not many miles on it.

Just the way they can go.

** Not only do i have a Tyre & Oil fetish but also a Brake Disc one.*

PS,

A new Kia Demonstrator sitting still with a 20 grand asking price, 

and look at the Discs, same discs as on your Pug really.

If it's been standing for long period outside in the weather we've just had the discs are going to corrode so much , you would have had to be very gentle initially do elevate the risk as they would definitely be binding

Ah I see the problem. You bought a Peugeot and as well as their top drawer products you're sampling their unique customer service experience. Peugeot dealers seem both deaf and dumb in relation to the short-comings of their products and to suggest its wear and tear (and to not address anything thereafter) in 500 miles sums up what a shoddy outfit they are. Good luck dealing with their HQ, hope you get an answer soon. Don't be scared to reject the car if they won't be reasonable because there is something obviously wrong. 

Ive had a peugeot and a renault previously and I just find the brakes horrendous in general.. I owned both cars for a year each and never had to replace the brakes though, I think as my cars were 2000 (w reg) and 2003 it was just to do with age I think but I never had to replace them once. So I definitely agree with what you have done, I would of done the same especially with it being a new car

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

I have a Peugeot Van 2010. less than 30,000 miles. Still have the original discs & pads on.

 

Quote " The technician initially suggested that all this must mean I am riding the brakes! He also stated that you would not normally see this on a vehicle with 15 or 20,000 miles."

At this stage I would be rejecting the car unless Peug replace all braking components.

Sorry but this is a safety matter & one that could mean your life.

Quite honestly I think I would reject the car full stop.

Deliver car back to dealer & leave it with them.

If this fails involve Trading Standards as this is a safety item.

CD

PS. This is only my opinion. 

Edited 18 March, 201412 yr by Carlo diesel

I wonder how long said dealer has had the car, if its been stood outside for a couple of months in weather we have had then that might explain why the discs are so corroded,

 

Might find a few 60 to 0 hard stops will clean the surface of the discs up,

 

Do you have any pics of them to post up?????

Frog brakes are notorious but yours seems pretty extreme. My Clio went through discs faster than tyres but it was still 20k.

Pug dealers also seem to take the Stella motto -reassuringly expensive.

I'd say kill it with fire but you've just got it.

What's the fuel consumption like?

I'd say kill it with fire but you've just got it.

 

 

 Substitute for 'reject it with gusto' 

Yep this is standard Peugeot Dealer behaviour - once they've got your money they treat you like scum. I bought one once but never again. The car was actually fine but various dealers customer service skills were severely lacking.

I often see on this forum talk of "rejecting cars". So, not a story you heard in the pub, has anyone actually done it? If so how was it dealt with by the dealer?

Regards all

Juan

Sent from my iPhone using my thumbs

I often see on this forum talk of "rejecting cars". So, not a story you heard in the pub, has anyone actually done it? If so how was it dealt with by the dealer?

Yes.  I did. It took me a total of 8 hours sat in the dealership over a 24 hour period, handing them the keys to the car and having them sign for it, and a very assertive letter documenting the faults with the vehicle, their inability to fix, my loss of confidence in the vehicle (& them), the Sales of Goods Act and their blatant breach of contract.  They dragged their feet for another week, and during that week I reminded them (in writing) that I would make be exercising my full legal rights and launch proceedings against them. They delivered the cheque for the full price of the car the day before the 'deadline' I'd given them.

Thanks for the replies so far.

The mpg first tank was 34 (same as my old Vrs) so not too bad.

My car was built and delivered to the dealer on 19/02/2014 and I picked it up on 01/03/2014 so don't know if this would cause the issues with the brakes?

I have emailed hq with the details and requested that all the pads and discs are changed ASAP. They have 5 days to get back to me (from their reply).

Will have to wait and see what they come back with.

Hope I don't have to start the process of trying to reject the car as I've never had to do this before and is prob a nightmare!

I've started keeping a log of events and keeping all emails and correspondence in case I have to go down that route.

Not a good start to my first peugeot experience.

Anyone know how I can post photos direct from my iPhone?

I often see on this forum talk of "rejecting cars". So, not a story you heard in the pub, has anyone actually done it? If so how was it dealt with by the dealer?

Regards all

Juan

Sent from my iPhone using my thumbs

 

 

 Yes I have and it wasn't all that difficult. A two month old Ford Fiesta suffered ECU failure and the dealer was adamant that they'd be footing no part of the £2000 bill. Sought advice from a solicitor and after affording the dealership several opportunities to rectify the problem the car was returned as being an unsatisfactory product. Its even easier now with all these consumer programmes, templates and advice.

 

 As stated above the OP has every right to be concerned over the quality of the product, 20k brake wear at less than 500 miles is a sign that all isn't well.

Quote "has anyone actually done it?"

 

Last year, when they said nothing was wrong, I was just hours away from rejecting the car.

I took it back for the 4th time and told them this is it.

The dealer kept it two and a half days & finally corrected the problem.

4 re-alignments in all.

I say corrected the problem, what I mean is they have Masked the problem with 4 new tyres.

 

Last week I took it back for a slight pull to the left Again, they re did the alignment (was out again) & at present its behaving itself.

For how long, again time will tell.

 

Very Impressed with the dealer, after the initial problem, (customer service was lacking at first)  they realised there was going to be a rejection & pulled their finger out.

Further update.

Took the car out this morning.

The lie speed grating still present however this time for the first 4 miles it felt like the brakes were almost seizing up as there was a really load grating/squeeling noise that could be heard over the radio and through closed windows!

Had to stop the car at one point as I could 'feel' the resistance and thought they were going to lock!

It's stopped now (low speed quieter grating still present)

I have sent a third email to hq and have booked it back in with the dealer tomorrow morning.

I want to give them the keys and tell them I expect all the pads and discs changed before I will accept it back as it is a safety issue now as far as I'm concerned.

Do you think this is appropriate as I want to be reasonable with them but am just gutted with the issues this early on.