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Original poster

Help! Car written off in France on first day of hols

146 replies

theAntsareMyFriends · 08/08/2022 06:57

Having a holiday nightmare and any advice would be amazing.

Our car broke down on the way from the Eurotunnel. Black smoke and oil dripping out. We were on the motorway and got towed to the nearest town but the man told us the car was finished.

Lucky we are travelling with family who ferried us and all our stuff in their very small car to our holiday place so are in a safe place where we can stay for 2 weeks.

We now have to work out what to do to sort out or scrap our existing car, get a car we can use to enjoy the next 2 weeks (in a very rural location) and some way to get all 5 of us, plus luggage and bikes home at the end.

My DP is even considering getting a train to the UK, buying a car and coming back. If the current car is totally unfixable then this might be our only option.

We don't have European cover with my breakdown service (thought I did but turns out not) and we don't really want to spend lots of money towing my current car around to still find out it can't be fixed or it can be fixed but would take months.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

OP posts:
astoundedgoat · 08/08/2022 07:03

Your DP’s suggestion sounds good - it sounds like you were going to need a new car anyway, whether you knew it or not, and you presumably don’t want a left hand drive one in England. If he can line up a couple of options on Autotrader & zip back and grab it, that might be the best option.

Bumtum126 · 08/08/2022 07:04

Hire a small car to get around in and then something bigger to get home in. You can get you car recovered back home with shiply .

Summerholidays204949393 · 08/08/2022 07:05

Is the car old? Tons of milage etc?
might be worth enquirying in the local village if there is anyone who can look at it as it might not be as bad as seems.

if all else fails then I’d look at DH idea of flying back to U.K. and picking up a car- either to hire as a temp measure or buying one and bringing it out?

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Original poster
theAntsareMyFriends · 08/08/2022 07:06

Thank you so much for the quick responses.

@Bumtum126 is it possible to hire a car in france and return it in the uk?

OP posts:
Nishky32 · 08/08/2022 07:07

www.sixt.com/one-way-car-rental/france/#/

I found this. The trains in France are pretty good, so even if you had to get to a nearby town to collect hire car it may be an idea

Original poster
theAntsareMyFriends · 08/08/2022 07:09

@Summerholidays204949393 the car is 6years old with 50000 so not too bad.

We would have needed a new car at the end of the year with new addition to the family on the way but were just going to get a few more months from this car. It had no indication of problems before and has never broken down.

OP posts:
Summerholidays204949393 · 08/08/2022 07:11

I’d say if only 50 on the clock and 6 years old that is worth getting it fixed…. Or looked at as one of ours is a 2016 plate and I wouldn’t expect it to be doing that and be finished!!
deffo worth a search around for a local mechanic. I’d ask in the local bakery or butchers if they’d recommend anyone… they would be the best people for local knowledge

tanstaafl · 08/08/2022 07:13

Off topic but what car was it and how old?
you could take out European cover but I’d expect it wouldn’t include having the car brought back to uk.

im sceptical about the advice that the car has had it, unless you mean you’ve had an estimate for repair and it’s more than the car’s value.

you could post your luggage back home with UPS or DHL?

you and bikes on the train. Eurostar takes bikes? Otherwise it’s as a foot passenger on the ferry.

if DH comes back to uk to buy a used car, he needs to explain what he’s doing with it when he leaves the forecourt. If there’s anything slightly suss, give the dealer the opportunity to offer an alternative.

good luck

Dancingintherain19 · 08/08/2022 07:15

Depends on what is wrong with the car and your budget. Our Focus (7y) packed up in May. Ford wanted £8000 including 6 for a new engine. We started off saying we’ll buy another car but 2nd hand cars have gone up so much we couldn’t afford it. Ended up getting engine reconditioned elsewhere and all in paid about £2,500.
We were also offered £1500 for Focus if we hadn’t repaired just for parts and scrap.

FAQs · 08/08/2022 07:15

That’s a pretty new car. That is low mileage I’d be pissed off, hire car whilst working it out, how annoying for you.

Offandonagain · 08/08/2022 07:20

Oh no OP! I’m so sorry!… We are driving to France on Weds and this is my worst nightmare! Our car is 11yrs old with 150000on the clock!

I’m not sure how usual it is for a car of 6yrs
old to breakdown compeltelty?

Did the cam belt go?! That happened to us once and we got a refurbished engine for around £1500

PiranhaTank · 08/08/2022 07:21

I can't imagine such a new car with that mileage is unfixable.I second the advice to speak to locals and get a second opinion. Even it's only repaired enough to get you back home, you are saving yourself a whole heap of hassle and, if you do it as soon as possible, you can enjoy the rest of your holiday. Good luck!

HeyJackKerouac · 08/08/2022 07:21

is it possible to hire a car in france and return it in the uk?

No, I don't think so. When my car broke down in France my breakdown insurance arranged a hire car for the time we were on holiday but we weren't able to take it back to the UK. We had to drop the hire car in St Malo, then we crossed as foot passengers and there was another hire car waiting for us on the UK side for the drive home.

The whole thing was quite stressful and I don't know what I would have done without breakdown insurance sorting it out.

I think your DH's idea is quite a good one. Sounds like you will be needing a new car anyway. Although in my case, the garage in France said my car couldn't be fixed but when it was delivered back to me in the UK (also arranged by my insurance) I took it to my usual garage and they fixed it in no time.

SwedishEdith · 08/08/2022 07:26

What type of car is it and did the mechanic tell you what is wrong? Your car seems way too new to be unfixable but someone here might have an idea about what it could be if you can say the make and model.

HeyJackKerouac · 08/08/2022 07:28

the car is 6years old with 50000 so not too bad

Now I've seen this my advice changes. I second the advice to try to find another garage to repair it.

BTW, when this happened to me I had to wait for about 2 weeks for my car to be delivered back to me. Got chatting to the guy that delivered it (he was bringing back loads of broken down cars from all over Europe). He told me that the people without insurance were charged £2000 to have their car brought back.

Endlesslypatient82 · 08/08/2022 07:28

6 years old and only 50000?

good grief op - when did this car last have an MOT??

Endlesslypatient82 · 08/08/2022 07:29

Presumably you had a service before driving to France?

Beecham · 08/08/2022 07:29

What type of car is it and what was the exact problem? Sounds like it should be fixable if it's only 6yrs old.

Original poster
theAntsareMyFriends · 08/08/2022 07:31

Thank you.

It's got a hole in the engine. We only have the breakdown recovery man's opinion as it happened on Sunday afternoon and the garages were closed. I think getting it fixed would be the easiest option but worried it will take too long and we'll need to return home while it's still in the garage. We are going back to the garage to see if they can fix it this morning. I will update.

OP posts:
Offandonagain · 08/08/2022 07:34

What type of car it is? When was it last serviced?

knittingaddict · 08/08/2022 07:35

6 years old! That's nothing. I would not be scraping that. Has it not been serviced regularly?

The vast majority of cars last a lot longer than that. Mine is 16 years old and still going strong.

Plantpotpetal · 08/08/2022 07:35

Do you have any kind of warranty or extended warranty in place? It’s odd to go to Europe without specific insurance in place too, particularly given the post-Brexit changes. Can you get to a dealer who specializes in that make of car?

Pollydon · 08/08/2022 07:36

Have the garage told you exactly what the fault is, or just that the car was finished ?

Endlesslypatient82 · 08/08/2022 07:37

Do you or a family member speak French op?

Original poster
theAntsareMyFriends · 08/08/2022 07:37

@Endlesslypatient82 I get it serviced annually with its MOT in November and no issues at all then. It's never had any issues.

I think our plan A will be to first try to get it fixed. Plan B will be to get it recovered to the UK and for DP to go back to get a car. I don't really want to get a hire car and spend the rest of the holiday worrying about how to get home at the end of it. It's trying to work out what is the best option for salvaging the holiday and not throwing money away.

Thanks for the advice so far.

OP posts: