The water pump on my car went five months after I bought it - should the dealer cover the cost?

I bought a five-year-old Audi S1 with 18,000 miles on the clock at the end of January. Last week, less than five months later and with under 25,000 miles on the clock, the coolant warning light came on. I took it to my local Audi garage who advised it was a leaking water pump. The car came with a six-month warranty but it won't cover the cost because it isn't deemed a 'mechanical' failure. Could I approach Audi for some contribution to cost with the car having such low mileage?

Asked on 3 July 2019 by Jackie Bond

Answered by Honest John
A leaking water pump definitely is a "mechanical failure" and if the warranty insurer won't cover it, then it's the liability of the dealer who sold the car to you. You need to send a letter to the dealer principal of the supplying dealership demanding they fix it under the six-month rule, otherwise, you will have it fixed by another Audi dealer and sue them for the cost using Small Claims. Since it is a matter of urgency, give them seven days to respond. Send it by Post Office Special Delivery, keep a copy, and staple the certificate of posting to the copy so it becomes a ‘matter of record’ should you ever need it in the future See: www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/consumer-rights/
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