Headgaskets can go true. However they go on high milers, abused or known-problem vehicles.

A 2003 car is too young unless its been taxi'd.

I don't think any dealer could successfully argue that this is wear and tear unless there is a marque-precedent and anyway its 'on the way home from the sale'.

Edit- Does this qualify for #horaclangers?

TBH the Internet is a hard place to get the correct tone across, I suggest you make things clearer in future 😉

On point 3, I would offer a refund to give the customer confidence in me, but I would hope that I could convince them that if put right then they would then have more confidence in the car, & me.

Oh, & if you really don't look at the screen when typing for hours on end then you deserve what you get.

Cheers.

Thats fair enough 2u2r. I would take the same approach IF the customer came to me in the same reasonable manner and gave me the oppertunity 😉

Hora, are you serious that a 6yr old car cant blow a head gasket? It has to be high mileage or abused. I better tell the workshops in the ford/VW & Merc garages i have worked at. Oh and i better tell the father in law who has 40+yrs as a Pug dealer service manager

Storm in teacup.

A HG shouldn't corrode through unless there is a known-design fault?!

Head gaskets do go especially if the antifreeze hasn't been changed. Normally 5years is the limit before cars need a change on the service schedule. At 7years old who knows what's happened to the car.

I think that if the dealer is going to take the car back and fix it then it's a reasonable result.

practical matt. I am really glad for you that the dealer has responded the right way.

2unfit2ride.. what a great offer, sadly overlooked amongst the bickering.

Cooo, I feel like I realy started something here, having just logged on to see the massive trail of posts.

Hobo, hope you have clamed down, sorry for any grief I/you may have incurred on this thread. I had no idea you had trade experience. Your explanation as to your orig comments makes sense when qualified with your details re' buying of trade cars etc.

2u2r- re' tree, that's the sweetest thing that anyone has done for me in a long time (are you really Father Christmas in disguise).

As my handle may suggest I'm used to being a hands on type fixer of things and cars where expensive repair jobs are 'just one of those things' due to wear and tear is a whole new world to me.

I shall keep evryone informed of the progress of my repairs etc and hopefully will be able to get to see some of our families at Christmas without relying on trains that invariably never arrive etc.

Just a question as I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere…you said in your original post that the car was low mileage.

Have you had the mileage verified?

Do all the stamps in the service book match the mileages on the MOTs?

Have you been online and reviewed all the old MOTs for the car? You can do this for free.

Have you had the car HPI checked?

Just a thought…you don't want the car fixing this time only to be bitten again down the line.

dooosuk's right. In theory there should be 3 online MOT's with mileages listed.

Link for online MOT checking:

http://www.motinfo.gov.uk/internet/jsp/ECHID-Internet-History-Request.jsp

Email me the reg number offline and i will HPI the vehicle for you and email you back the results as a way of apologising for any missunderstanding 😉 All it will tell you is if there is any finance outstanding, whether it has ever been in an accident involving a cat write off and when if its had licence and owner changes.

I feel like i should also valet the vehicle with my own tongue and also clean your shoes due to my guilt but i will limit it to the HPI check if you want it.

Very good point about checking mileage etc but then thats a very good point for any vehicle you buy.

Any news? Havent had an email for the HPI. Do you want it??

Come on, I'd like to know what happened too! 🙂

OK all,

story so far.

Dealer agrees to pay for repairs unless they are uneconomical whereupon he will refund us.

I contact garage tell them to contact dealer.

Dealer asks them not to touch anything as he would rather have his man work on it and therefore keep an eye on what's what. Garage have yet tio find anything wrong and want to strip the car down.

Dealer spends a day trying to get a quote to get car from Notts to Manchester.

Yesterday's task was for a flat bed truck to get from manchester to Nottingham load up car and get back in the snow.

I am currently waiting on contact from the dealer as to if the car made it back and what the deal is.

I have requested that we NEED a car for Christmas, dealer has offered to provide us with one if we haven't got a fixed car.

Ideally we need OUR car as my wife needs to get used to it over Christmas with a couple of lengthy Crimbo present runs (Blackpool & Essex) before we go all the way to Aviemore in January in the snow for the sled dog racing (did I mention the car needs to be big to hold two 10 stone Malamutes).

Have done recomended online checks and all MOTs etc match the service history.

Current gueses as to the problem are:
Clutch
or
Mis-timing cranks hitting other things in the engine

however it's really anyone's guess at the moment.

Sound like they're being reasonable

Good stuff on the history all checking out and the dealer playing ball.

Hope it gets sorted.

Cool.

The HPI offer stands. Even now it doesnt hurt to have it on file if you ever come to sell it.

It was the timing belt!

It jumped and then knocked (off?) other bits in the car , so it'll be an engine strip and rebuild.
Except the dealer's Mum has just gone into hospital and the local Citroen mechanic has slipt on the ice and bust his hand.

So we'll not be seeing our car until after Christmas now and instead the dealer will be lending us one of his which e will have to insure.

I declined to travel to Manchester to pick it up (well I couldn't do it anyway as I can't drive). So I'm waiting on the dealer to tell me how he is going to get a car to me in the next two days.

be interesting to see what they finally sort you with and how that compares to my (ongoing) experience with a main dealership.

My 07 plate Toyota Verso (56K miles so still in warranty) seems to have a head gasket problem and they want it in to strip and repair under warranty. But they can't do it until after Christmas and suggest it shouldn't be driven in the meantime. And they don't have any courtesy cars in the meantime. They are currently reviewing with Toyota customer relations to see if they'll 'offer' me a hire vehicle in the meantime.

I felt I had to make the point that i drive a people carrier for a reason, and with wife, children, luggage and presents to ferry about to various locations over Christmas and new year trying to squeeze us all into the smallest / cheapest available hire car isn't going to be accepted. How far can I stick to this – could I if necessary reject what they offer and within reason hire my own 'equivalent' family car and then claim it back from them?

I have a very similar problem, I have two 10 stone Malamute dogs and presents and wife etc to cram in, half the reason we went for teh Berlingo was that we could get the dogs in it and we are going to some races whilst en route to relatives for Christmas.

There's no garuntee you will get your claim honoured however being polite but faintly comedic regarding any substandard attempts to keep you happy has alwasy been my best weapon.