I have just purchased a 99 V Focus from a toyota car dealership. After giving the car a good clean it appears that there are bubble of rust under the drivers side wheel arch. there is evidence that it has been touched up,(not very well!) and i`m not sure if this is due to previous accident or not. I did ask if any panels had been replaced and garage said no.
What is the best thing to do about this. Should i get a garage to rub down and repaint or replace whole arch?
Also would i have any comeback on dealership for a car in this condition as i do have 6 months warranty although panels are not mentioned in cover.
Any advice?
|
|
This is very unusual for a 99 focus, fords are miles better than they used to be, but a V plate? You have to get back to the dealership you purchased it from. It may have had an accident and been badly repaired. Sometimes when re-spraying, if there is moisture present or the metal surfaces are not sealed corerectly to the manufacturers spec, this could cause bubbles to appear under the paint. Sometimes these are full of water, and usually the rust has already started to set in underneath the paint. It may be worth finding out if the car has been in an accident. Last December I bought a Rover 420SDi on a 'P' plate from a local garage. After some initial wheel alignment problems, i.e Quick Fit, National etc could not get it right, it was found after closer inspection that nearly every body panel had been re-sprayed sometime in it's relitavely short life, and found that it had probably been re-built at the front (very clean engine bay!). So after writing a strong letter to the garage quoting 'Trading Standards', the garage offered me a FULL refund! I was sitting down at the time too! Good luck with your investigation, and if your not happy, get writing those letters, it worked for me!
|
I`m thinking of going back to the garage, but i`m getting a ford dealership to have a look over if first to see what they think(accident repair or not).
Once i have a bit more info i will approach the garage.
HOWEVER. i traded in my previous vehicle. where do i stand with regards to getting a refund? Instead of meeting the price that i was looking for on my car they knocked cash of their car. If my car is no longer available then i`m going to lose out on cash as i accepted a low trade in.
Does anyone know if i will get refund in cash in full if my car has gone?
|
I would try for a refund if poss.
Old mans new mondeo got hit by a lorry. Top notch spray job by a main dealer. Took ages.
Twas bubbling up well within two years.
Once they've been smacked they rust like a really rusty thing.
--
These are my own opinions, and not necessarily those of all Toads.
|
Perhaps I am missing something here, or maybe I am just wrong? If you buy a used car and even if its a day old (from the garage) and notice rust, and then try and take it back.... are you not expecting too much? Firstly one would say "well you should have noticed it prior to accepting it", or they could say..... its a Ford.... what more do you expect?
The accident factor... well, if it has been in a front ender, providing it has not been totalled, no law has been broken has it?
I have a Transit, its a 98 R with 60k on it, I have had it a year and its scabby as hell, not one wheel arch without rust, I am swapping it this year for a new Movano..... I will never buy another Ford.
The chances are your bubble is a stone chip gone wrong.
Dont mean to offend by the above, but just my view.
|
Thanks for your response.
I have been looking into this a bit further.
"The car must be of "satisfactory quality and fit for the purpose intended" - the car must meet the standard expected for a vehicle of its description, price, age and mileage. A brand new vehicle should be in better condition than a 10 year old second-hand car."
The rust is appearing all the way around the inside of the arch, not just a single bubble.
A 3 yr old car of this age should not be rusting the whole way around the inside of the arch. My guess is a repair, although no evidence anywhere else on the car panels.
Think i`m going to visit local ford garage to get their thoughts and then go back to where i bought car from to see what can be done.
|
mattjs,
Sorry, but one thing going through my mind is:
"Are you absolutely sure that what you've found is actually rust?"
Could it possibly be underbody sealer which, so I understand, is often applied during manufacture prior to spraying. There are certainly signs of sealer around the wheel arches of my Mondeo, yes, sealer, not rust! (Yet!)
It's just a thought!
|
|
its definately rust. there are tiny dot, some have broken through and are rust underneath. Also the texture of the inside of the arch is not the same as the other side, the metal is more bumpy and mishapen
|
Ok here`s an update.
i have now been to a ford body shop to get there advices. They have confrimed that the rear quarter has been replaced and that rust has crept in between panels after being repaired/refitted.
When buying car i asked if it had any panels replaced or accident damaged and they advised NO.
The only way to get around this is to cut rusty section out and weld in new section. This is going to cost in region of £500 from ford.
went down to garage where purchased from and to start with they didnt want to know. eventually said they could get it "tidyed up".By the sounds of things rubbing down and painting over, but this is not going to solve problem as surely it will appear back again soon.
Where is best to go from here?!
|
mattjs,
Well the next thing to do is get in touch with your local trading standards office. Have you been on their website yet? It's full of usefull info. This is the way I went. Then write a 2 page letter detailing everything that has happened, including your question to the dealer about whether any panels had been replaced or accident damaged. They clearly said NO, so they are in breach of the trading standards law. I do hope you get some form of recompense for this, because I know what it is like to buy what seems like an overall good car (the Rover 420Sdi Turbo), but on the underneath, a very different story. Trading standards can call the garage on your behalf to try and resolve the matter, I got a full refund in the end. Another thing you could do if you get no joy, is write to your local press (especilly the ones they advertise in), and let them know your story.
Let us know how you get on.
Cheers
Neil
|
Cheers for the comments Neil. I have contacted TS today and they are sending me a copy of sample letters to send to dealer by recorded delivery.
I have found out that garage is also member of The Retail Motor Industry Federation. Dont know if this makes any difference but i guess it is someone else to complain to.
i`ll let you know how i get on.
p.s. The dealer was unbelievable. He first of all said that there was not too much to worry about with regards to the rust and said it would probably polish off! He then said he could get me a cheap price for getting it sprayed over.
When i said that this would not be long term fix he said "that i was looking for a new car and second hand cars would have rust, and then proceed to point out that his nearly new toyotas had rust on brake discs(as a comparison!)"
|
Sounds like this dealer is about to get a 'Polishing off' himself from the Retail Motor Industry Federation and Trading Standards! If I was you, I would send a copy of the letter to the Retail Motor Industry Federation as well, just to keep them informed as to what is happening.
What a comparison! All brake disks get rusty if the car if left for a period of time and it rains! But you expect that. It sounds to me like the dealer is trying to pull the wool over your eyes, and knows exactly what the history is on this car, or he's just dumb!
Anyway, Good luck with your case, and keep us informed.
Neil
|
|
|
Did the Ford dealer give you this confirmation in writing?
|
He has not given me anything in writing. It was his assessment when i went to him for an estimate.
|
Ask him for a written quote. If he thinks he's going to get the work done anyway - and explain that you want the Toyota dealer to pay - he's likely to give you a description of the work done, including its cause and its price - on a quote form.
Make a copy, show it to the dealer, and then ask if he thinks you want a 'new car'. If Trading Standards or (hopefully not) the small claims court want evidence, you'll have that.
|
|
cheers for the advice. i`ll try to call bodyshop on monday to get the quote in writing. i letter will also be going to dealer on monday as per advice from Trading Standards.
|
|
Good point about making the Ford dealer think that he's going to get the work but that you have to get the full quotation (including his diagnosis of what the problem is caused by) in order for the Toyota dealer to cough up!
|
Just a bit of an update on this one!
I have now been speaking to trading standards and have wrote to the garage twice now asking for refund on car, quoting sale of goods act, not as described etc.
No response so far.
Next letter will be the one advising a will issuing court proceedings if no response.
Also garage is a member of RMIF. They have said they will help if myself and garage can not agree a solution. They will fund independant inspection if nessecary.
Has anyone had any dealings with RMIF as they seem quite helpful?
|
Also garage is a member of RMIF. They have said they will help if myself and garage can not agree a solution. They will fund independant inspection if nessecary.
That's excellent news. Keep at 'em!!
|
Good luck mate, shame that something like this can spoil your enjoyment of what is otherwise a very nice car. Hope you get it sorted soon.
Blue
|
|
|
