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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To have gotten into this situation with car dealership and borrowed car?

115 replies

Carfarce · 28/08/2019 18:18

We bought a used car from a dealership which within two weeks broke down due to major mechanical failure. On advice we took it back to dealership who agreed we would split repair costs (it wasn't really their fault, equally we did have some consumer protection) which seemed fair and amicable.

They told us the repairs would take 2-3 weeks and although we'd already been without a car for 2 weeks at this stage we were happy with this.

Today is the third week and from previous conversations we expected it back today or tomorrow but have been told it will now be another 2 weeks and a different remedy is proposed to that we agreed on (cheaper but not what we were advised by the AA and we aren't comfortable with it). We agreed to revert to original plan but the timescales won't be altered. This is we're told because it's August and people are away which we understand but would have appreciated communication so we knew what to expect.

The car dealership said we could have a courtesy car which we thought was reasonable and when we turned up a car was there, albeit it is filthy, dented, rusty, smelly etc. There is no formal agreement and although I am covered on their insurance for "test drives" I have found on calling my insurance I can't insure it fully comp as they suggested since I don't own the vehicle and therefore have no "insurance interest" according to my insurance company. They told us it was taxed but when we checked at home it isn't (maybe giving them the benefit of the doubt it just hasn't updated if they'd just done it)

So we now have this smelly vehicle on our drive and we don't know if it's taxed or insured (I will call the dealership in the morning before driving it) and I feel like a right idiot.

Is there an insurance solution in this scenario? I guess they can update their's to cover more but I'd like to see a copy. To be honest I'd like to return the damn thing as having no written courtesy agreement seems dodgy as hell. On the other hand we've already spent hundreds on hire cars and do need a vehicle really to get to appointments as public transport to one hospital we have attended for example takes four hours each way when it's otherwise a 40 minute drive.

They do seem trustworthy, just clueless in customer service. Their trust pilot reviews are excellent so just bad luck I guess.

OP posts:
lemonyellowtangerine · 28/08/2019 18:29

I don't understand why you keep agreeing to things you're not happy with.

What are these repairs that take a month? How many actual hours labour? How many parts? When will the parts arrive?

Surely it's a case of ordering any parts they don't hold, parts arriving (usually very quickly) and then taking the next slot in their booking schedule for however many hours. Which part of that have they actually done?

If the courtesy car is really that bad, I don't understand why you even drove it off the premises and brought it home.

Cheeserton · 28/08/2019 18:30

How is the broken car not their fault? Used or not, you have a right to expect it to be fully roadworthy and not break on you immediately. They should be fixing it entirely for free, never mind the borrowed car issue (which does sound ropey).

RB68 · 28/08/2019 18:34

its not fit for purpose argue for a full refund and give them back the worthless courtesy shitheap

Wilmalovescake · 28/08/2019 18:34

If your own insurance doesn’t cover courtesy cars, you can take out separate insurance. Google “temporary courtesy car insurance”.

FrenchSchnoodle · 28/08/2019 18:38

I was going to say the same as others. Who advised you to pay half of the repair costs? Was it the AA? Also what consumer protection are you referring to that covered you when you'd agreed to pay?

Original poster
Carfarce · 28/08/2019 18:39

We were happy with everything really (well, as happy as you can be with ££££ repairs) until we were told today about the change in plan (new head on existing engine instead of new reconditioned engine we'd agreed on)

They are now installing the reconditioned engine we'd first agreed on as we insisted on it, and I don't exactly agree to it taking two weeks more but it is going to so I can't see a way around it.

I wish we hadn't taken the courtesy car but I need one urgently and it does have a valid MOT so I suppose the rest is purely aesthetic.

OP posts:
loutypips · 28/08/2019 18:40

Do you have courtesy car cover on your insurance? Or legal cover? If so, they should be covering the courtesy car cost for you. Also, look into the legal cover, it's very handy for disputed with garages.

Original poster
Carfarce · 28/08/2019 18:42

Consumer rights 2015.

It wasn't their fault since it was a chain event of a small unpredictable failure ultimately leading to engine failure. We spoke to an AA garage.

I'll look up the temporary insurance, thanks

OP posts:
ButDoYouAvocado · 28/08/2019 18:43

YOU NEED A WHOLE NEW ENGINE??!! That's outrageous!

Original poster
Carfarce · 28/08/2019 18:43

I don't think we have legal cover and courtesy cover only for courtesy vehicle supplied by insurer following an accident.

I know we could take the dealership to court but if we lose we'd face court costs, and we wouldn't have the money for a vehicle in the meantime. We just need the car back and fixed.

OP posts:
Gin96 · 28/08/2019 18:44

Usually curtesy cars are insured for you by the dealership unless you have moe than 6 points on your license

ButDoYouAvocado · 28/08/2019 18:44

You don't have legal cover as part of your home insurance or similar do you?

Missingstreetlife · 28/08/2019 19:07

Make them replace the car

Original poster
Carfarce · 28/08/2019 19:12

Hmm maybe the home insurance, I'll check, it's a pretty comprehensive policy

Thanks for that

Tbh we want to be fair, I do think a 50/50 split is reasonable, I'm just disappointed about the courtesy car situation

OP posts:
WhosH00Wh0 · 28/08/2019 19:15

Ask for your money back, buy from someone else

Cabezona · 28/08/2019 19:19

Why on earth are you paying for the damages? It's not their fault but it's their risk. That's why they make approx 30% profit on each car.

You do not need to pay and should retract that offer. If it needs a reconditioned engine, there are other risks that come from that and you wouldn't pay full price so if anything, they owe you money. They will be laughing about how kind you're being to split the bill.

Honestly, I'd return it and go elsewhere.

Original poster
Carfarce · 28/08/2019 19:20

If we try to insist on our money back they are going to say no, they sold the vehicle in good faith and it was sound at the point of sale.

If we take then to court we might lose and face months without a car.

OP posts:
Flower64 · 28/08/2019 19:21

I don't understand how a car has such serious mechanical failure within two weeks of purchase but it wasn't the garages responsibility? A "chain of small unpredictable failures" within two weeks of buying it should still be the responsibility of the garage!
How small were the failures and how many were there to suddenly cause engine failure?

I bought a car from a local garage and three weeks later the head gasket went. Full replacement straight away, no cost to me and a replacement courtesy car whilst it got repaired. Which took a day.

You can also insure any car fully comp without owning it so I would be interested as to who you're insured with. But you cant drive an untaxed vehicle and the garage shouldn't have given you one either!

adaline · 28/08/2019 19:21

They've treated you appallingly!

You've only had the car two weeks - I'd be insisting on a full refund or replacement.

Cheeserton · 28/08/2019 19:22

Nope, they owe you free repairs or refund. Point of sale is not where this ends. No way should it be in this state two weeks in. You've been mugged.

Original poster
Carfarce · 28/08/2019 19:23

That said I have asked for opinions and it seems the overwhelming majority think we should return it so I'll look into that rather than just dismissing it

Do we actually have rights to do so though? It's now outside the initial 30 days albeit we spoke to them about repairs within 14 days of purchase when the incident occurred

It was a used car to be clear, not new

OP posts:
Ffsnosexallowed · 28/08/2019 19:24

Not the main point, but why do you want fully comp insurance on the shitty replacement car?

Parker231 · 28/08/2019 19:25

I would return the car and claim the full cost back as the car isn’t fit for purpose. Why would you agree to pay for any repairs - it shouldn’t have needed any. If it did why you agree to buy it? How did you pay for it - credit card?

Original poster
Carfarce · 28/08/2019 19:26

So as not to be cryptic about the nature of the repairs, it was a snapped auxiliary belt which went into cam belt housing and in turn wrecked the engine in what sounds like one fell swoop. Luckily it was pulling into our road as the car felt like it was having a heart attack and lost power and would have been very dangerous on the motorway

OP posts:
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