My car went in for service last month, when dropping it off I informed the girl at service that the timing chain needed attention as it had developed a rattle, she then went on to tell me it wouldn’t be the chain and would more likely be something else. OK i thought and said nothing more. The same girl then went on to inform me that as it was the cars 4 year service it may be expensive and wait for it………could i pay for the service!!!! At this point i left my keys and left.
On picking the car up she informed me that the timing chain was damaged and that it would have to be replaced and that they would need the car for a couple of days. OK i thought, booked it in for the chain to be done under warranty and also booked a courtesy car as i have tinyhorse jnr to transport and mrs tinyhorse needs the other car.
Called the dealer yesterdy (now 3 weeks since service) to check all was good and that car was in and a courtesy car was ok to be told i didn’t book a courtesy car and they will book it in for a months time.
I asked the guy at service what would happen if the chain snapped in the mean time and he declined to comment and hung up the phone….
Has anyone got an experience with the chains on these cars? They are supposed to be lifetime items as i understand but also that a lot fail?
I have emailed the dealers head office asking how they will deal with the car if the chain is to snap but have had no response.
Yes this is a rant post but im not exactly happy with the service they are giving, i know they aint a premium brand and of course dont expect premium service but there has to be a level that is acceptable??

go somewhere else.

The car is going somewhere else………………still pretty poor for a main dealer don’t you think?

I used to have an Alfa.

My expectations of main dealer servicing are probably a bit low.

I was always grateful if it came back with nothing more wrong than it went in with.

still pretty poor for a main dealer don’t you think?

sounds about right actually. i’ve always had poor service from main dealers – apart from audi.

I have always found BMW to be very good, of course i didnt expect that level of service from them but just thought this was more like what i would expect from a poor backstreet garage (nothing against these either, when i had my A4 and my astra van i used a back street and he was great, corsa only goes to main dealer as the chain is warranty work and i wanted them to check as part of service)

If’s worth trying another dealer, my local one always amazed me with how cheap they would do some bits of work.

I enquired about replacing a headlight bulb last winter and they said they’d do it for the cost of the part, no labour charge. Even better the cost of the part was less than anything I could find online.

I needed a new coil pack once it was about a year outside its warranty. They knocked off a massive percentage of the cost of the part. It started off with 50% knocked off, then when it came to the final bill the guy knocked another chunk off to round it down. The labour charge was something comically low like £2.93.

Since you mention a tick my Corsa’s engine does make a ticking noise, it has done since I’ve owned it at 6months old. The dealer (a different one to which I bought it from) managed to convince me this was normal after taking me out in a new one which made exactly the same noise. Does anyone else’s do this? Its a 1.2 Corsa D

mine is a 1.2 corsa D, the ticking is only present on tickover or very light engine load, its a failed timing chain tensioner

I’ve got an 06 plate CDTi on 144k miles, never had a chain, but I’m getting an increasing sense of impending doom with every passing mile.

Chains do last a lot longer than belts but tensioners can still be faulty. I know BMW had an issue with this on the N47 engine as have Nissan.
If you don’t trust the garage take it somewhere else for their verdict.

Vauxhalls can be very tempting as you can get a lot of metal for your money. I had a timing chain issue with a Vectra that failed (was deemed to need replacement rather than catastrophically failing) just outside of warranty and the main dealer (and Vauxhall UK) were completely shite. Obstructively so, not just doing nothing but putting hurdles in the way to getting me back on the road. I px’ed it and will never go near another.

very tempting indeed, its our 2nd car and i use it all the time for sitting in traffic on the way to work and taking tinyhorse jnr to nursery etc, bought it at 3yr old and almost had it a year, the specification is rediculous with heated seats and stearing wheel etc but the customer service is very very poor! suppose its the old you get what you pay for argument…….

Vauxhall customer services must have a phone number. Not the dealership, Vauxhall themselves. If its anything like I have known with VW Ford & Mercedes (Commercials) then customer services basically tell the dealership to jump and the dealership asks how high.

customer service number now noted and will give them a try 🙂

Guy I work with,his daughter has a 4 year oil corsa bought from new when it was a year old it needed an engine rebuild owing to a problem with the timing chain, about a week ago he said he had another problem with the timing chain (plus in the meantime 2 ignition packs/coils) once the timing chain is fixed he is getting rid.

No issues with coils or anything here but im pretty sure a timing chain issue should be something they should be concerned about…after all if it goes bang its their problem………..they have put it in writing that im ok to use the car