Car dealers responsibilities – clutch gone after 7 days..

Ok So I bought a car from a dealer 200 miles away from me. Now the clutch has gone. He has been perfectly nice about it and wants me to bring the car back to him to repair, my problem is:

a) do I have to can I not get it done locally?
b) do I have to bear any of the cost of recovering it to him?

I would say you would have to take it back to him at your expense if you want it repairing.

Seems reasonable that he should have the opportunity to repair it.
under SOGA you have the right to have it repaired or your money refunded ( or it replaced) but your contract is with the dealer so he is the one to repair it. I can’t see that you have the right to have him pay for it to be repaired locally as that would cost him far more than if he repaired it. He might give you something towards a local repair
AS for recovery I don’t know but my guess would be you have to get it to him.

Best to chat with him to contribute to a local repairer..

It will cost you a fortune to take the car to him..

also I seem to remember (i could be wrong) that the dealer are only responsible for bits that can make a car dangerous, i.e dodgy brakes… not sure if the clutch is covered..

the dealer are only responsible for bits that can make a car dangerous, i.e dodgy brakes… not sure if the clutch is covered..

But the dealer has said he will repair it so that isn’t an issue – no problem about something not being covered.

I would suggest the OP talks to the dealer and explain the situation to him. As he seems to have been fair so far, he might suggest a resolution (perhaps they are part of a chain/network and someone closer could do it?

Decent of the garage to offer repair, but what would concern me is a clutch “going” after 7 days. Where’s it gone, started slipping, won’t engage gears etc, what mileage and what car, does it now make you think the cars been ragged previously? I can’t believe they wouldn’t have noticed it before selling on, but as I said fair play to them for the offer of repair, is it now undriveable?

Dealer sounds perfectly reasonable and is offering what he’s obliged to. Got AA relay?

Sorry, to clarify: the clutch is slipping, not badly, if you sit at 2000rpm in 2nd,3rd or 4th and accelerate it will slip a bit before taking up drive. I have stopped driving it since I discovered it, I am worried about making it worse or breaking the DMF.

I think the dealers offer is the minimum I would expect, I do not see why I should have to bear the cost of recovery to him.

What Wrightyson said, what are the symptoms?

Replacing a clutch is expensive s worth getting him to do it, but it’s highly unlikely to just go all of a sudden, you can nurse a slipping clutch for 1000’s of miles before it becomes undrivable.

Clutch cables snap and are a cheep job to replace, less than 400miles of petrol anyway.

Hydraulic clutches are much less common but aren’t much more bother to rebuild, if you can do MTB brakes you cna do a cars clutch.

Or it could be one of the other components in the clutch (spiggot, release bearing, release arm, spring plate) which usualy go and result in lots of noise when they go, but are usualy built to last at least as long as the friction plates unless you sit with your foot on the clutch a lot or use it as you would a motorbike clutch.

I would suggest it’ll be perfectly ok to drive it to the garage then if its only just started slipping, just take it steady, gonna be a minimum half days repair tho so you’re either gonna have to hang around or travel it twice! Maybe you could tap them up for a free fill up to cover your fuel costs??

edit: too slow

Yup, worn clutch (or less likely oil leak from the engine or gearbox bearing seals), take it back to him, but he’s not responsible for recovery, otherwise you’d get shops refusing to sell goods to anyone outside the city center.

Tough luck I’m affraid.

I’m with those two, drive it up there and make sure he knows you’re coming so he can do it whilst you’re there

can i ask what car it is, and what milage is on it?

Sorry, to clarify: the clutch is slipping, not badly, if you sit at 2000rpm in 2nd,3rd or 4th and accelerate it will slip a bit before taking up drive. I have stopped driving it since I discovered it, I am worried about making it worse or breaking the DMF.

I think the dealers offer is the minimum I would expect, I do not see why I should have to bear the cost of recovery to him.

Cost of recovery? It’s driveable, so drive it there. Just take it a bit steady on the go pedal.

You made the decision to buy a car 200 miles from where you live so why do you expect him to pay the cost of delivering it back?

Surely you factored all this in when you bought the car??

under SOGA you have the right to have it repaired or your money refunded

Is that always the case, out of interest? If you bought a new car for £20k for example and a week later the wind screen wipers stopped working would you really be entitled to get you £20k back?

there must be exceptions, like made to order goods (new cars for example)

And go on tell us what motor and miles? I had clutch done on mine last summer and I can assure you, you’d be booking it in right now if I told you what it cost me!! 😯

I think the dealer is being perfectly reasonable. Its a wear and tear item AND you can burn out any clutch within a days use by riding it etc.

Its not unreasonable for you to drive it to him as its only slipping. I don’t think you should expect him to pick it up or contribute to a local repair.

The main dealer replaced my clutch FOC last week on a car I’ve had less than 4 weeks. I DID NOT expect them to do this.

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=23&t=956862&nmt=Should%20the%20dealer%20pay%20for%20my%20clutch?&mid=70159

I’m fairly sure you’re misunderstanding the “or” there, jon1973. You get your money back only if the dealer can’t or won’t repair it.

I’m fairly sure you’re misunderstanding the “or” there, jon1973. You get your money back only if the dealer can’t or won’t repair it

Generally though, if you buy something and it goes wrong within a month, under the SOGA, you most certainly are entitled to a refund or replacement, you do not have to accept a repair. Just not sure what the exceptions are – cars must be one of them.

s/h goods I think.

Sounds like it’s drivable so take it back to the dealer, make sure you have decent breakdown/recovery cover before setting out 🙂

I’d never buy a car 200 miles away from home for just this reason.

Ok having spoken to consumer direct and my solicitor they both used these terms:

– soga1979
– repaired at no cost to me
– dealer to cover any consequential loss

So I shall call him back and be nice in the hope that he will pay for it to be fixed here, I’ll even take a £100 hit to save me any grief, my local main dealer for this car have offered replacement and possible skim of DMF for £585 inclusive.

You made the decision to buy a car 200 miles from where you live so why do you expect him to pay the cost of delivering it back?

Surely you factored all this in when you bought the car??

You are entitled to expenses if out of pocket when returning faulty goods .I have claimed petrol and parking money from shops before now

Ford?

You made the decision to buy a car 200 miles from where you live so why do you expect him to pay the cost of delivering it back?

Surely you factored all this in when you bought the car??

I don’t understand this – your two statements seem a bit contradictory?

You are entitled to expenses if out of pocket when returning faulty goods .I have claimed petrol and parking money from shops before now

I told the dealer I was from Devon, I wonder if he factored this in when he sold it to me? I did have another dealer who I phoned in advance refuse to sell me a car for precisely this reason, he was in Sheffield..

I don’t really want to name names or what the car is in case anyone can link this back to the dealer, and quite frankly he’s been very nice, I just wanted to know my rights.

Good Luck with all of that toys!! If he’s an Independant dealer he’s not gonna pay for that because I’m sure his mechanics could do it for half that cost, plus all the while you’re haggling over this you’ve got a car you’re not wanting to drive! Pulls up biscuits, tea and Haynes manual!!

TBH I ride my bike all the time it’s my mrs who wants a car..

Like I say if you’re willing to have the day out of work or whatever you do then just ask him if he’d cover the petrol. Sounds a pretty fair guy so you might get a result.

I don’t understand this – your two statements seem a bit contradictory?

If you look back, you’ll see he was quoting (poorly) a previous post and then replying to it.

My thoughts would be you should take it back to where you bought it, if the clutch is just slipping then you will be fine for that distance, i nursed a slipping clutch on my polo for 5 months(6000 miles). I’d be suprised if the dealer goes for fix it where you are as it seems driveable with care at the moment.

If you do not feel comfortable driving it take out AA or RAC cover that has onward travel/ transport to a garage of your choosing and do it that way.

Personally i would chalk this issue up to experiance and try and be better prepared in future if buying a car from a fair distance away. Depending on the price of the car i would concider the likes of a AA/RAC inspection prior to purchase so you can be better informed they are only £100.

I know what i have said is probably not what you want to hear and it does not take into concideration the loss of time you will incur but it is the fairest way for the garage to may right it’s mistake.

Question, didn’t you testdrive the car?

allthepies – Member

I don’t understand this – your two statements seem a bit contradictory?

If you look back, you’ll see he was quoting (poorly) a previous post and then replying to it.

Doh yes I see that now!

TBH the clutch was something we paid particular attention to before I bought it as I knew it was a car with DMF. It only started to slip after 300 miles or so.

he probably won’t be willing to pay the main dealer price for the clutch. He probably would be willing to pay for a pattern part and no labour, however if you refuse to take it to him he’s well within his rights to refuse to pay for anything as he has no proof it’s broken.

if you’re very lucky you might get the cost of a pattern part + 2 hours labour, but I doubt it

Well it’s all moot as the dealer has authorised the fix at my garage I’m paying him £100. Happy days.

result, top dealer him

Well it’s all moot as the dealer has authorised the fix at my garage I’m paying him £100. Happy days.

Good outcome.
Care to name and praise the dealer for this example of good customer service?

Excellent result, shame there aren’t more about like him!!