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

[Carfarce]

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.

I'm guessing its a range rover isn't it? Known for expensive repairs?
I upgraded to a second hand car this year, cost 14k. Came with 6 month warranty on top of the 3 months left on original one. I wouldn't pay a penny after 2 weeks.
I had mine looked at by main dealer to confirm ok after i had some nerves about transmission and exhaust.

What car with 78 000 miles on the clock costs £11K?

Have a look at Autotrader, some othe more upmarkert makes Land rover Audi, Mercedes and BMW..

www.autotrader.co.uk/
or
www.cargiant.co.uk/

Milage isnt the be all and end all which it once was. A low age car thats done a lot of motorway miles is quite a good buy my upmarkert german Diesel is quite young but is running fine at 238,000 miles! A lot of Taxis clock up Twice that and are still OK.

What the problem is here from reading most of the thread is that the car in question has a broken CAM BELT now for the engine to work the cylinders have to receive the fuel mix, compress it, ignite it burn it devlop the power then exhaush the burnt gasses.

Sometimes called: Suck, Squeeze bang and blow;)

Now to do this several valves have to open and close at precise times and they are driven via a cam shaft witch in turn as turn it does is driven via a CAM BELT that runs of the main crankshaft thats where the engine outputs its power to the gear box.

Now if that belt breaks the valves are stuck where they are and if an upcoming piston hits an open valve then its buggered up big time often requiring a new cylinder head and sometimes pistons the engine is now in need of a rebuild or replacment thats expensive no matter who's paying.

Now if that is the case the dealer or vendor might try some subterfuge to get out of coughing up for it as its probally now costing them more that they made on the sale of the car. They might have been looking round for a secondhand cylinder head or engine even and they for that model in question may not be avaialble. I very much suspect that or somethimg close to that is going on.

The OP has in my opinion been too tolerant and easygoing and should push them harder for either the car to be repaird or returned to the road or a cash refund for it.

She would be well advised to talk to the local trading standards office.

If it were me, well i'd go there on a busy day and indicate my displeasure on the matter:)

They've sorted out the tax and insurance now and sent the policy. I'm going to speak to them further but at least have a vehicle to use in the meantime which was the main purpose of thread so thank you for all the advice as it helped

I've checked the MOT and tax status myself, and tyres

Unfortunately I don't think it gets THAT busy, it's a small dealership on a country lane so alas my displeasure would be unwitnessed. There is social media - I just wanted to get stuff sorted amicably and quickly

How did you pay for it- if it is finance/ credit card(even only £100) you may be able to claim against credit company under consumer credit act.

Paid in cash in full out of savings and inheritance 😩 it was my first "nice" car albeit not as upmarket as some of the brands mentioned

Paid in cash in full out of savings and inheritance 😩 it was my first "nice" car
This just gets worse and worse... You really must assert your rights properly. You should not be paying.

Never make big purchases by cash - always a credit card.

Ah hell OP- even the deposit in cash? I generally put at least £100 on a credit card, even if paying the final balance by cash/transfer. It does give you more rights. A debit card is also better than cash, though not as good as a credit card/finance from that POV. If you didn’t know, then it’s one for next time. (Worth looking up). Hope they sort your car ASAP, and you have many years of trouble free motoring to come .

Sorry, actually it was debit card rather than bank transfer. I don't have a credit card but would be helpful for this purpose in future.

We don't have anything on credit really except our mortgage.

I think it's easy to admonish a poster in a difficult situation and I appreciate I did ask on AIBU. I did know about consumer protection on credit cards and did know about consumer rights 2015 as per OP, but my concern really was about the courtesy car situation which is now resolved. Whatever your thoughts on the resolution and payment we just wanted it sorted as quickly as possible and have little interest in a legal or social media battle.

That said I am considering some of the advice given although it differs a little from what we were told by AA and a paralegal I used to work with.

Not RTFT but is it a Ford Focus?

Having gone through a couple of case law examples myself I agree with PPs on our rights, but as I've said before I don't want to take it any further legally or make threats. I don't want to go through ADR etc. My experience with disputes in another industry is that an agreed solution is sometimes (not always) a better way forwards for all parties whatever the lay person may insist that the law says (its often not black and white although this instance probably is as PPs have said.).

We've been through some really difficult events recently and don't need the stress of no car and an open dispute. We are ok with the remedy agreed so long as the car is back in two weeks and now that the courtesy car is viable (if a bit insulting).

If the dealers were rude or anything more than completely clueless I might feel differently.

You may all think we are mugs and I don't care too much about that because I'd be more of a mug to start a chain of events that I don't want to just because mumsnet told me to. If anything else goes awry though I'll be going to town.

Hopefully this thread will be helpful to others in the future and the smelly, scruffy horror outside gets us through the next couple of weeks.

We did think of putting a big sign in it saying "Another fine vehicle courtesy of *** Autos" though

Not a Ford

FORD?, they used to be known as; Fix Or Repair Daily

I once had a LOTUS Esprit very nice motah but that was a:

Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious

and

Lot Of Time Underneath Serviceing

All too true back in the day;!

Colin Chapman of LOTUS the makers and they racing team once said

"If it hangs together for more than one race then we built it too well"

All too true:(

Do use CREDIT cards you have far far more product protection it's the credit card companys responsibility not yours and OP do put your foot down with them you've been far too easygoin and they are taking the Mick!..

Also do try your best to get anything they say in writing very usefull if push comes to shove:)