To think a car 2 months outside warranty shouldn't need £5k+ repairs

[Idontwanttotalk]

Our car was registered new in March 2016. We bought it on 25 Apr 2016 from Arnold Clark with 9 miles on the clock.

On Friday evening my DH was driving home from work when it went into 'limp mode'. It went to the Mazda garage today. First DH was told £95 + vat to diagnose what's wrong. They then phoned a little later and said that was inconclusive as the engine was loud and further tests were needed so it would cost £330 (not sure if incl or excl vat).

They phoned not long ago telling my DH that the oil pump chain has snapped causing scoring and the guide for the chain has broken. This has caused big end bearing scarring. We need a short engine and gaskets and it will take 24 hours labour which will cost £5,533.47.

I know it is just out of warranty but the garage said even if they phone Mazda that is all they will say. He also said Mazda won't cover it as they haven't done all the services (they have either been done by Mazda or Arnold Clark and we have receipts and service records).

We just don't know what to do. Are there any circumstances where car manufacturers do pay for work just outside the warranty? Anyone know our legal position?
Surely there must have been something wrong with the chain before the 3 years/60,000 miles warranty expired? (We have 64,000 miles on the clock).

Any advice? - we're totally shell-shocked.

Bump. Anyone?

Fully exhaust their complaints procedure and if you have the car on finance take them to the FOS. If not, refer to consumer rights act 2015. There's help on the internet if you look for Which? articles.

If it's outside the warranty and you have used a non approved garage for services, you're a bit stuck. It sounds like bad luck although it's an awful lot of miles on a newish car.

I can't see what you can do other than the take the hit and pay for it. You'll lose more by selling it.

Give them one opportunity to fix the vehicle at their cost.

www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/my-new-car-is-faulty-can-i-get-it-fixed-or-claim-a-refund

www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/the-second-hand-car-i-bought-has-a-problem-what-are-my-rights

Sorry, no experience of this to help, but isn't that incredibly high mileage for 3 years? I heard the UK average was about 8,000 annually. If true, yours has the equivalent of 7 years on the clock. Could be wrong though...

Get a 2nd opinion I would. When dps went into limp mode it was the egr valve needing a clean..

Are you a member of the RAC or AA and can get an opinion or advice from them. It would do no harm to contact someone like Watchdog and check if they have had similar complaints.

If it had a full Mazda service history then you might be in line for some goodwill but as it hasn’t I think you’ll be on a hiding to nothing. It’s worth trying if course, if you don’t ask, you don’t get. I would also be contacting a trusted Mazda specialist and get them to price up a salvage engine, I’d be surprised if it was more than £2k.

How much would a three year old car with such high mileage be worth?

OP doesn’t specify model but if a 2 then £6-7k and if a 3 £8-10k

I had to join to tell you that this happened to me. Car was 1 month out of warranty. The miles were really low... around 20k in total. The timing belt blew and the engine needed rebuilt at a cost of 2k.
Arnold Clark cared not a jot. The manufacturer didn't care as although it has always been serviced because Arnold Clark had serviced it at a different branch (think Nissan instead of the Ford garage)
Anyway thing is it was out of warranty and as such I was completely shafted. Sorry.

Hence borderline whether worth getting repaired

Sometimes with cars like buildings you can just be really unlucky. That’s why lots of people trade in as soon as about to be out of warranty

I would try googling to find out if this is a common fault. I would also try speaking to Mazda uk head office to see if they could have some leeway on the warranty. If I was forced to pay for the repairs myself I would find a small independent garage, no way would I pay main dealer prices.

Good luck!

A friend of mine had same thing, fuel injectors went and around a fortnight out of warranty. Honda paid so I would suggest it's worth a try asking Mazda.

That is very high mileage, an average car would have been well over 5 years old by the time it had done that mileage and I don't think you would be linking it to the warranty period in those circumstances

It's really expensive, over £100 to do a diagnosis test is well OTT for a start. Have you priced the repair at a reputable local garage

Get a couple of quotes from independent garages. It should be a LOT less.

Were you not advised to get the chain changed at 40k miles?

Have a look through your service books to see if it’s been done as you may have some recourse under warrant for that part.

Second change is usually 100k and then 60k every other change.

Were you not advised to get the chain changed at 40k miles?

Why would anyone advise a timing chain replacement at 40k miles?

They can't force you to have your car serviced at a franchised dealers' garage in order to maintain the warranty, it can be serviced by any registered garage or mechanic but the schedule does have to be adhered to and any parts have to be manufacturer parts not pattern ones, see here.

@HereForAdvice2019

"Get a 2nd opinion I would. When dps went into limp mode it was the egr valve needing a clean.."
On Friday evening when it happened my DH noticed another Mazda following him who pulled alongside him and indicated for him to pull over. Turned out he was wearing his Mazda ID badge and he was trying to protect my DH from other fast-moving traffic. After looking at the warning codes he suggested it was a build of carbon that would probably just need burning off. He is on holiday this week but he works at the garage we've taken it to.

@Neverender
The car isn't on finance. Thanks for the links, I'll take a look at them.

Re: mileage
Garage said we've done the equivalent of 5.5 years mileage. DH works around 50 miles away 3 days per week and 2 days a week only 8 miles from home.
Historically diesel engines last about 4 times as long as petrol engines. They're workhorses.

@bellaBasset
We are in the AA but I didn't know they'd give advice. I'll get in touch with them and Watchdog. Thank you.

I'm shocked because (as well as the cost) our previous car was a Mazda 6 too and we had that for 13 years. Blooming amazing car. That was a petrol engine. This one is a skyactive diesel engine.

Get a second opinion and have it repaired elsewhere.

Arnold Clark won't budge and their prices are far more expensive than many places.

The used to charge £42 an hour labour when I was 16 (Saturday job) and no job was costed at less than 10 minutes - even if the apprentice changed your wiper blades in 2 minutes you got charged for 10 minutes of the time of a proper mechanic.

I thought you were going to say you had a Ford Ecoboost engine.They are notorious for needing new engines at a cost of around £5k at around three years old/30,000 miles done and when just out of warranty. Some owners have had a new engine put in only to find it's already on its second or third engine🙄😂🙈. Its big open secret/scandal in the industry.

Why would anyone advise a timing chain replacement at 40k miles?

Because most manufacturers recommend around that mileage?