I’ve been waiting for this day for months. I wanted a cheapish van strictly for weekend use and carrying muddy bikes so I didn’t want to go mad on the price. Also didn’t want a thrashed builders van.

So this morning I took the plunge on a 2012 Transit Connect. Seller seemed like a nice bloke, we went on a decent 30 minute test drive. Absolutely no concerns whatsoever so I paid my 3 grand and headed home.

It drove from Derby to Sheffield no problems at all. Quiet, comfy and plenty of power. Got home and started to feel pretty pleased with my new purchase so I took the mrs. for a spin around the block.

2 minutes from home and BANG. Loud metallic clattering sound, instant shut down and stranded in a car park half a mile from home at the bottom of a classic Sheffield hill.

2 hours later, we’ve just been dropped off on the drive by a recovery truck and I’m wondering what my options are. The recovery driver offered to take it straight back to the sellers house in Derby but then what? What if he decides he doesn’t want to just hand the cash back over?

I haven’t look at it yet but I suspect a snapped timing belt or similar. It sounds pretty horrible turning over. I’ve never had this happen before and I’m not sure what to do. Going to have a proper look in a minute when I’ve calmed down a bit.

Wish I stayed in bed this morning.

Private sale? Don’t think you have any legal rights seeing as it got you home.

Unless its a dealer you’re on your own I’m afraid, buyer beware. Never know he might do the decent thing though, bad luck though hope you get it sorted one way or another.

Unfortunately with any private vehicle purchase it’s buyer beware.
Give the guy a call, he might aswell tell you the problem now it’s yours .

Private sale? Don’t think you have any legal rights seeing as it got you home.

Even if it didn’t, I don’t think it makes a difference.

Give the guy a call, he might aswell tell you the problem now it’s yours .

I wouldn’t assume he knew about it. Could easily just be one of those things. Seems unlikely that it’d be possible to paper over a catastrophic problem for just long enough to get it through a test drive and off your driveway.

Your warranty expired when you took the keys. Still sucks – unlucky

Service history say the timing chain/belt had been recently changed? If yes and there’s somehow evidence that this didn’t actually happen then you could attempt the fraud route. Otherwise you’ve got nothing unfortunately

If its timing belt it’s not his fault….

Take oil filer cap off. Put in gear and rock the car see if you can see the cam move.

A 2nd hand head may be the cheapest way of doing it.

What engine is it?

Does a 2012 connect not have a chain?

Is picking up a van for mountain biking journeys now classed as an essential journey?

Is picking up a van for mountain biking journeys now classed as an essential journey?

Depends if he was in England or one of the more sensible parts of the UK I guess

You just got unlucky.
It sucks but there’s not much you can do about it.
I wouldn’t bother contacting the seller, there’s really nothing they should be expected to do about it.

Does a 2012 connect not have a chain?

I thought they were the old 1800 unit?

I’ve just had a look at it. The actual timing belt is inside a cover but undoing a couple of bolts and peeping in, it looks like it’s in one piece. But do they always snap or it possible to strip the teeth?

Connect experts on Facebook seem to think it’s the ‘wet belt’ which I’ve never heard of but apparently runs in the sump.

Private sale? Don’t think you have any legal rights seeing as it got you home.

I kind of know this already which is why I didn’t pick up the phone and start going mad. I will speak to him today at some point. I’ve already let him know it’s dead.

I also know it’s impossible to predict this kind of failure but I’m gutted that it’s had to happen to me, today, after less than 2 hours of driving the bloody thing. If it survived to the next MOT I was planning on having all the belts done anyway. I can’t afford to just throw 3 grand down the toilet. It feels like a punch in the gut.

They can rip teeth off.

Best way is check the cams moving as above.

What engine is it. If your not sure wang some photos up.

I’m too far away to get my hands dirty but I’m happy if you want to give us a call and I’ll try n help over the phone

Tensioner can go too can’t they or is that just full fat transits ?

I knew someone who had an old corsa and the camshaft snapped, looked like nothing wrong until we took the rocker cover off……

I just spoke to the seller. Despite my new perspective he still seems like a nice bloke. He’s shocked and seems genuinely gutted. I didn’t go mental and start demanding a refund and he offered to help me out in any way he can. I’m not sure exactly what form that help will take yet.

It’s a bank holiday weekend but my local preferred garage is open on Tuesday morning. I’ll start trying to sort it out then. Until then I’m going to calm down and try not to think about it.

I could have really down without this to be honest. I could have bought literally any other van in the UK and it would have lasted more than 2 hours.

I should have just bought the Impreza wagon I wanted. This is what I get for being sensible.

I’m too far away to get my hands dirty but I’m happy if you want to give us a call and I’ll try n help over the phone

Thanks for the kind offer but the Connect club seem fairly unanimous on the cause after I posted some pics and videos.

We had a very similar exp. Right down to the celebratory ride around and breakdown 😢.
Ours turned out to be a simple issue but still cost a few hundred. Seller paid half 👍

I’m in crookes and use a local lad who may well give it a look tomorrow if you give him a ring
Email if you want his details
Rob.bike.revive@gmail.com

To be fair to the seller, if he knew it was going to fail, he wouldnt have let you had a 30 minute test drive, he’d have took you around the block, with all his fingers and toes crossed.
So you think it will be the wet belt failing – what damage does that cause?

Gutted. Similar things has happened to me recently. Bought a mini country second hand that has started leaking oil and a burning smell after I turn the engine off.

There are worse problems to have. 🤦🏻‍♂️

I’d be finding out what the bang was before drawing any conclusions. Could just be an unfortunate happenstance, could be the seller had bodged something to get it off their drive.

Many years ago bought a car kept pulling to the side, garage replaces front suspension and lots of other parts to make it roadworthy.

Then bought another,dropped a bookcase off for a customer,drinking tea in her kitchen and a neighbour knocked on door to say my car was on fire,it wasnt just a load of oil smoking that had escaped from engine onto a hot engine.

and another,went for a test drive, all ok handed over cash, went for a drive down motorway and cam belt snapped, stuck on motorway for an hour awaiting recovery, luckily garage refunded the payment.

Final car went for test drive pulled up handbrake and cable snapped, car rolled back almost hitting car behind, sales bloke not amused.

Now got a Range Rover Sport and a van

You had all that misery and bad luck, then bought a RRS? @project 🙂

You had all that misery and bad luck, then bought a RRS?

If they were all range rovers that would explain the recurring mechanicals

I wouldn’t be too concerned about the bang either – I’ve stalled my Custom a couple of time whilst manoeuvring and it always makes a massive bang. 1st time it happened I shat myself it was so loud.

Might not be the belts(if its a 1.8 TDCI then they do have 2),could be the DMF(Dual Mass flywheel failing) sometimes they go with no warning, engine will probably sound and feel like its trying to shake itself to bits when turning it over.

They can be replaced with a single mass flywheel for less £.

hi tom. I know a really good guy off abbeydale road, not sure who you use now? Well priced and a very good mechanic. Gimme a shout if i can help with anything.
take the limo for a ride today in the sun!

Oh my God it wasn’t a nightmare! It’s still on the drive. The big useless dead lump. And I’m 3 grand down. What are the odds of buying an 8 year old vehicle that’s 2 hours away from the end of its life?

Right. I know I’m up to my ears in it. It more than likely needs an engine. I just need to work out how to approach it. If I just drop it off at the garage and let them do everything it’ll cost a fortune.

Luckily for the first time, I actually have a driveway and a garage to work in so it’s not stranded on the street. I might try to find a friendly mobile mechanic and do a combination of DIY and expert help. I could definitely strip the front of the van myself and I can borrow an engine hoist from a mate in Dronfield. There’s a local breakers yard that has around 20 Connects in it to get parts from. I think I’ll end up breaking it down as far as I can go to find out what’s wrong and then pay someone to put it back together properly.

I’ll keep you updated if I don’t just push it around the corner and set it on fire.

hi tom. I know a really good guy off abbeydale road, not sure who you use now?

I usually go to the Red Lion on Broadfield road because they specialise in vans and motorhomes and they’ve always done a good job. I’ll let you know if I need any help though, thanks.

And yeah, I blew the cobwebs off the limo yesterday and went out to cool down!

push it around the corner and set it on fire

There’s your answer. *cough* insurance job *cough*

Torch it or arrange to have have it “stolen” 😉

Torch it or arrange to have have it “stolen”

That ship has sailed – insurance companies stalk your social media

mashr
Member

Service history say the timing chain/belt had been recently changed? If yes and there’s somehow evidence that this didn’t actually happen then you could attempt the fraud route. Otherwise you’ve got nothing unfortunately

How recent? Any comeback against the garage that did it maybe, if it was done but they ****ed up. I had the timing belt done on my Mondeo once and they overtightened i. It drove but didn’t feel right, might explain how you got through a test drive and a trip home

I wouldn’t be doing an insurance job for 3 grand. Wouldn’t it cost more in the long run with increased premiums an excess?

I wouldn’t be doing an insurance job for 3 grand that’s fraudulent because it’s kinda illegal.

What do you think the issue is and why?

What are the odds of buying an 8 year old vehicle that’s 2 hours away from the end of its life?

The odds of any vehicle failing are the same at any point in the lifetime of any of the critical components. If you hadn’t bought it, and he’d taken it on a two hour drive himself, it would have failed and he’d be sat there thinking ‘well, I had it 8 years so that’s not too bad’.

Or to look at it another way, just because you bought the van off someone doesn’t mean the parts are all given a new lease of life! Van doesn’t care who’s driving it.

buy a cheap engine off ebay swap it and flog it, may recoup some of your loses.

Some people drive with mechanical sympathy and are less likely to break things. If someone jumps in and drives it “normally”, bang.

Madame’s mate bought a Merc in Germany and took advantage of the limitless autobahn on the way home, bang! Something that had been strong enough to cope with pottering around failed when the revs rose.

When I sold my Ducato I demonstrated how I drove it and the buyer signed a note which informed him that I hadn’t changed the cam belt in 14 years, that the engine hadn’t ever been revved hard and that I had strongly advised him to change the belt immediately. My son saw the van being thrashed around some time later so he either followed my advice or the advice about change intervals for Fiat cam belts is rubbish.

buy a cheap engine off ebay swap it and flog it

Why would you fix it then sell it? If it’s fixed then you might as well keep it; I’d you do a bodge job then you’re a ****.