January 2009
In 2007 I was rearended by another driver who admitted liabilty but who's insurance company did not offer to repair my car or offer me a courtesy car.I was anxious not to lose my no claims bonus so I approached my Mercedes garage who put me in contact with a company who offered to get my car repaired and offer me a courtesy car which would be charged to the person who caused the accident.
However when I dropped off my car another company had hijacked the claim.They assured me I could not be held responsible for the cost of the car hire or repair unless the accident was subsequently found to be my fault (which it never has).
The repair went ahead taking some 23 days (much longer that I thought necessary) and I was lent an equivalent car for this period.
Though the other driver's company agreed to pay for the repair,they (rightfully in my view) declined to pay the £6,582.35 that the credit hire company charge for the BMW 5 series lent to me for 23 days.
They have now issued a summons against me for £7,234.23 to recover this amount.
Any advice would be welcome.I felt I was just trying to to protect my NCD as the other party had not offered to repair my car or lend me a car whilst doing so.
Is this extortion or illegal?
I am happy to name and shame if allowed to on this forum.
Jonathan
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A colleague has a VW Golf petrol and is requiring a service. He has been give quotes for two types of servicing. What differs between the standard and longlife service apart from the more expensive oil? Read more
My 105 Bhp Golf 1.9 TDI is on Longlife. Just clocked over 38k, first service came up at 18K. Expecting the service indicator to shortly flash up that it's due. Uses approx 1/2 lites of 507.00 spec oil between services.
To date it's had 2 replacement sets of fronts (Hankook 195/65/R15H) @ £52 ago, 1 set of rears, first service @ £140 and brake fluid change @ £30. Next service is £203 with cambelt, tensioner fuel filter ETC next years at 4 yrs/60K
HELP!!!!!! I love my MG and want to keep it but dont want to end up spending a fortune on it!
I bought my MG TF 02 plate 1.8 in October 08. Last week (January 09) it was in the garage - new head gasket and the engine skimmed resulting in a £1000 bill.
My decision now is do I keep it or sell it on?
What is the chance of the head blowing again???
I know all MGs seem to have head gasket problems but how long after they have been replaced do they normally last for???
I dont want another £1000 bill in a few months!
Apart from the head gasket the car seems fine the mechanic advised and it went straight through the MOT last week.
Any advice/experience appreciated. Thanks!
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Without being rude to your mechanic I think his comments suggest he has no idea what he is doing!! If he is the same person who repaired it in the first place then it wasnt done right either!
If the headgasket was done correctly in the first place and any coolant issues attended to then you would not be having any repeat issues. Either you have sprung another coolant leak or the original repair was not up to standard.
Google 'MG Rover solutions' - and take advice from them!
Hi, I'm new to these forums so please be gentle.
So to the problem:
I own a C8 4.5 yrs old with 60k miles on the clock
The car stopped on the motorway, engine just cut out and screen reported "Anti-Pollution Fault" and "Engine Immolibiser Fault".
Car recovered to Citroen garage who then diagnosed a fuel injector problem and quoted £600 to do the work - Fine so far.
Garage then reported that they could not get the injector out of the engine and needed a specialist company to do this, a further £300. - Not really fine, but work needed doing.
Garage then reported damaged cylinder head - £4500 cost !!!! - Not Fine !!!!
In speaking to the garage and then another Citroen service centre to verify these costs I have discovered:
a. On this model of engine it is impossible to remove the fuel injectors without damaging the cylinder head.
b. This is true even if you remove the engine from the car.
c. These engines are found on a range of Citroen models.
I believe this is an engine design fault which the owner should not have to bear the cost or responsibility for.
The repairs exceed the value of the car, we are faced with writing off the car or spending more money on it than its worth.
OK - So now the questions:
1. Has any one else had or found this problem ?
2. If so has Citroen paid for these repairs ?
3. Does anyone know of any legislation which could be applicable in this situation ?
I find it hard to believe that a manufacturer can sell me a car (brand new) for £15k which is effectively scrap after just 4 years because it develops a minor engine problem (injector fault).
PLEASE HELP US - WE CAN'T AFFORD THIS PROBLEM Read more
And people wonder why I am rude about French car manufacturers!
I have an intemittent starting problem with my Galaxy. The key turns, the lights come on the guage, but nothing else happens. No click or noise from the starter, completely dead! Wiggle key and turn several times, remove key and replace and eventually it starts. I had the ignition barrel replaced 7 months ago and had no further problems until now. I have had several starting problems this week. Have put it into an auto electrician who cleaned up the conection to the starter motor, but his had no effect. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Any thoughts is it worth putting it into the main dealer? Not convinced that any one will be able to deal with an intermittent problem unless it is giving the problem when they look at the vehicle. Read more
Hi,
I have just inherited a 2002 2.3 galaxy ghia auto from my grandad, it only has 55k on clock and is cutting out randomly and rac also told me an electrical fault, did anyone find a fix for this?
Thanks,
John
hello all, i have just bought a citroen c4 05 reg tonight that i have bought as a bit of a project.
i bought the car with only 1 key that didnt have any remote buttons on it so couldnt lock or unlock the car,
so what i dicided to do without thought was to lock it from the inside and climb out of the rear hatch, i didnt want to leave it open all night , anyway i then tried to open the passenger door with the key ,(as the drivers door has no key hole) to find that the key just turns and i cant get in !!
i am wondering if anyone new a way i could get in without having to pay a fortune for a locksmith ?
please please anyone , have you any ideas ,
thanks in advance,
carl Read more
I know this thread is old. But I have a C4 . Same problem. Pried of the plastic cap around key hole. Used heat gun to warm it up. Takes a couple of minutes.
I was surprised by the rubbish behind that cap.
Having bought a Pathfinder T-Spec manual new in 2005 I have experienced clutch problems: once under warranty and again at under 4 years old.
Dealers seem to be fully aware that there is a problem with these vehicles, and a Land Rover dealer recently said to me when riding in the Pathfinder ..."clutch and engine problems?"
Nissan seem in denial, yet everyone else is aware...what about other readers of this site?
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A while ago I know but what was the outcome to this issue? My 2005 Pathfinder with 125000 miles on the clock (and on the original clutch) has begun to suffer with the same depressed pedal after its been parked overnight, though it does recover when lifted and during normal running.....any advice would be appreciated!
My Honda dealer today told me, when I happened to be in there, about an offer to change the oil/filter at 6 months for £39 or thereabouts. At about £8 a litre (GTX Professional, I believe) plus cost of filter, the foreman was saying this is very fair as it also includes a vehicle check. The dealer has been perfectly OK with me and suggests it could be worthwhile in view of my low annual mileage. He wasn't being pushy but just responding to my enquiries regarding my low mileage and whether I should take any particular measures (also asked about the CVT fluid and was told not worry at this early stage). You may have a view on this? Read more
Come on out Lazarus. Your thread has re-opened!
... and in practise?
Following on from various MOT discussions I am now wondering about the term roadworthyness.
The buzzword with insurance companies seems to be that your car must be roadworthy. Yet an MOT says this is no proof of roadworthyness so what it is?
I agree that the average owner can check their own lights, hand brake, severe brake or steering faults and tyres but what about all the hidden stuff such as poshes and chasis rust?
What would happen legaly if you're car had a fresh MOT with no advisories and the brakes failed a week later. Who's fault is that?
Surely the law takes circumstances into account?
Person A has a crash brakes deemed faulty, car has done 20,000 miles since last MOT without a service
Person B brakes fail one month after the MOT, only 200 miles covered by then brakes felt fine to to the owner. How is this their fault?
I ask this is I am intending to get a fresh MOT on my Fiesta to put my mind at rest but will this hold any weight in the law if my car was deemed unroadworthy by something such as a warn bush?
As soon as I see anything that is not legal I have it fixed, but its the hidden stuff I am worried about. I have replaced a CV boot, number plate, two new tyres myself as it is stuff I have noticed. The supension clonks but the car handles fine? Does a clonking suspension render the car unroadworthy?
The law and common sense seem to be a bit confusing here. Read more
According to North Lincolnshire Council Trading Standards Division ...........
"The Road Traffic Act 1988 does not give a definition of what is "unroadworthy", but instead makes reference to the following areas that, if not satisfactory, may lead to a vehicle being unroadworthy :-
? Steering and steering gear
? Brakes and braking systems
? Tyres;
? Exhaust systems;
? Seatbelts and seatbelt anchorages;
? General condition (corrosion, suspension etc).
In short a vehicle may be classed as being unroadworthy if it is in such a condition that its use on the road would endanger the driver, passengers, other road users or pedestrians. There are also regulations, which, set out construction requirements for various components such as brakes, steering, gears, tyres, construction, weight and equipment of the vehicle. If a vehicle fails to meet the requirements it may also be considered unroadworthy."
I have an intermitent turbo failure problem with my Galaxy - when I accelerate reasonably hard it regularly cuts out but then re-sets when I switch the engine off and on again. Ford and a Ford Main Dealer have tried a range of things (costing me £800) and have failed to fix. They now suggest a new turbo but will only put an 80% chance of success on this expensive action. Has anyone had a similar problem and managed to solve it. Read more
The turbo on this VW engine doesn't have a wastegate, it uses a variable vane mechanism.
Exhaust soot gets into the mechanism & jams it up causing it to stick. You really need a diagnostic test to find out the fault code, if it's turbo overboost you'll need to get the turbo removed & clean out the variable vane mechanism.
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Thank you for your reply ifithelps.
Yes you are quite right, this is a mess....