New car, seatbelt recall, can’t use it!

[VWtriedtokillmykids]

AIBU to be livid about this? Brand new car, less than a month old. Got a safety recall notice today to say don’t use one of the rear seatbelts in conjunction with another as it could fail!!! I’ll upload the letter shortly but it literally means we can’t go out as a family now. On hold to the garage now but WTF??? I’ve been driving my children on the motorway 😩

I guess yes, livid that it's annoying and really disruptive. But better that you found out from a letter and not from your seatbelts failing in an accident.

That's not meant to sound dickish btw, I'm just thinking of the reality behind safety recalls.

And after a ridiculous conversation, apparently the official recall won’t be issued until November so they can maybe give me a courtesy car until then! Not sure what the legal position is but surely than can just take the whole car back as it’s not fit for purpose?

Bloody hell. That is terrifying as well as annoying.

Call trading standards and your insurance company for advice.
Failing that, can you get it fixed by a local garage and bill the manufacturer?

Name and shame please, you could stop someone else making the same mistake.

I’m going to guess at SEAT or VW they publicized a seat belt issue back in May where the middle seatbelt Buckley’s in use in extreme circumstances can ride up over the outside belt buckle depressing the button and releasing g the outside belt.

As per my username, yes it’s a VW. Fluffy - do you know where you saw that in May? I bought my car in June so have effectively been sold a dud!

What vw is it? I got a new t-roc in April.

I saw it in Auto express, but if you google it it was widely published around in many newspapers and auto websites 9/10 of May.

It’s a Polo. New style.

Thanks Fluffy.

This is the letter.

Video can be found here -

www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/industry/volkswagen-and-seat-seatbelt-issue-passengers-advised-not-use-middle-seat

I would most definitely be going back to the dealer and expecting a solution as you are correct they have sold you a car with a known safety flaw.

YANBU, that is unacceptable and I would expect to be given alternative transport that met my needs.

Are you sure you can't use the car for family trips though? It only seems to be a problem with using the middle seat in the back. Are you really a family of five with a VW Polo?

Ahh that legendary German engineering... Only an issue if you use all 5 seats surely?

So - just had a call from the local dealer. He tried to tell me that the car has had the safety measure implemented. Turns out he was talking about the problem labeled 69W3 in the letter and that 69X5 is still required.

As I said to him, the non-cynical me would think the second error is something that has just been discovered. The cynical me would argue that they knew fine well when they sold me the car that this was already another issue in the pipeline.

Calling trading standards now.

Re the five seats, yes, only an issue if you use all five. But I do! It’s a little run around, but I got it as soon as we moved back to the UK (been abroad for a few years) as I’d had Polos before and knew it would be reliable (ha!). The plan is to get a bigger family car in addition at some point but I wasn’t expecting to have to go and get one (or pay for one, come to that) this weekend as this one isn’t safe for us all anymore. Should I really be forced into buying another car as the 3 week old one I have isn’t safe?!

So they knew about the fault in May, but were prepared to sell you a faulty car in June, not even bother to tell you , and then not even give you the flipping "warning sticker" !!

Surely not impossible to make sure that new cars are sorted before they leave the forecourt! It would be interesting to see what a court would say about anyone injured by their negligence. I don't think even the elusive warning sticker is going to be of much use in a crash......

I got the same letter for my SEAT - luckily we have no children but it's still scary that they've been selling them with this defect!

europe.autonews.com/article/20180511/ANE/180519918?template=mobile02&X-IgnoreUserAgent=1

Article dated 11th May 2018 saying VW would recall Polo’s

viques - yes. That’s the long and short of it, though from what I can fathom, newer ones like mine had a ‘temporary fix’ (ie not a fix at all!) put in place before sale, in the knowledge that another fix was needed. But that won’t be done until November!!!

I would be fuming, can you ask to return it buy a different model instead?

Do you have legal insurance on your house insurance? (or bank account or union membership etc)

Worth using if you do...

Serena - surprised you were allowed a new car in Gilead 😂 It’s just crazy they’re allowed to sell something that has a fundamental fault like this.

Hi,

Just found this thread now, have you got any further forward with your claim?

I purchased new polo in February 2018 and only got the letter at end of July, had the temp fix done but I'm writing to VW as car is not fit for purpose.

Thanks,
Will