Vauxhall Astra - Repair costs not long after buy | Motoring discussion | Back Room Forum

Thu 23 Apr 2015 11:16

Vauxhall Astra - Repair costs not long after buy - talia

Hi,

I am wondering if anyone has got any guidance or advice for the following issue:

I bought my Vauxhall Astra diesel (2010 reg) in the end of September 2014 on hire purchase from a very well known dealer. I had the car for exactly 6 months and a week when the gearbox has given in and it has been stood in a garage since.

I have reported this to the finance company and dealer, however they are now coming to a conclusion that they are not liable for any repairs on the car as according to their report is wear and tear.

I spoke the garage where the car is and was told that the gearbox has exploded and it needs a new clutch. While they can agree that the clutch can be classed as wear and tear the gearbox just simply failed.

Now I am looking at around £1700 repair bill and the response of dealership and finance company is that they are not liable for any cost due to wear and tear.

Just wondering if I have any case here at all?

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Thu 23 Apr 2015 12:47

Vauxhall Astra - Repair costs not long after buy - RobJP

The problem is that it's entirely possible for someone with no 'mechanical sympathy' to wreck a gearbox and clutch in quite a short period of time.

As such, even on new cars, clutches only have very limited warranties unless faulty, so you can't realistically expect any help there.

Regarding the gearbox, the only way you'd be able to claim is if you paid for an independent engineer's report, and they came back saying that the gearbox had a major fault which was there all along, and which led to the gearbox failing. Against you is the fact that the gearbox has (probably) lasted several years without any problems, so an engineer would probably struggle to find that major fault, unless it was really blindingly obvious (in which case the gearbox would have probably failed years ago).

Gearboxes don't generally just 'explode', especially on 5 year old cars. Something usually causes them to. That something, more often than not, turns out to be a poor gear change by the driver (selecting third rather than fifth, for example).

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Thu 23 Apr 2015 14:21

Vauxhall Astra - Repair costs not long after buy - talia

Thanks, I would like to think that I have some or enough mechanical sympathy. I have been driving for 14 years (manual or automatic) and never managed to kill a car or had issues. Saying that I always found the gear changing process in this car a bit harder than others, also I commute with it to work and majorly on motorways.

As for the clutch, I can accept that as wear and tear and pay for it.

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Thu 23 Apr 2015 12:50

Vauxhall Astra - Repair costs not long after buy - Andrew-T

I presume from what you say that the car had a 6-month warranty? You haven't said how many miles the car has done, which obviously affects how much 'wear and tear' the clutch and box have had. Clutches should last anything up to 100K, used correctly. Boxes possibly more - again used correctly. Tell us the mileage, and I'm sure the experts on here will make a judgment.

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Thu 23 Apr 2015 13:57

Vauxhall Astra - Repair costs not long after buy - oldroverboy.

Certain of the diesel astras had a gearbox that was not man enough for the job, I posted on the forum a couple of tears back when some young fiends bought an astra diesel from a vauxhall dealer and had the same problem. They also had a lot of other problems too.

see this..www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=97150

In the end the dealer did contribute to the gearbox problems for swmbo's colleague,

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Thu 23 Apr 2015 15:17

Vauxhall Astra - Repair costs not long after buy - Andrew-T

... I posted on the forum a couple of tears back when some young fiends bought an astra diesel ...

I love it ... :-)

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Thu 23 Apr 2015 16:50

Vauxhall Astra - Repair costs not long after buy - oldroverboy.

... I posted on the forum a couple of tears back when some young fiends bought an astra diesel ...

It certainly brought tears to their eyes a couple of years back,

And no They are young friends, not fiends..

freudian slip...

So the op bought ahigh mileage car from Cargiant and expects them to do something....

Good luck.

Has my sympathy however.

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Thu 23 Apr 2015 14:25

Vauxhall Astra - Repair costs not long after buy - talia

Hi, the car has 90000 on it, so you are close in estimating the clutch going out. When I bought it was told is mainly motorway mileage and it was a company car, so I had nothing to worry about.

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Thu 23 Apr 2015 15:12

Vauxhall Astra - Repair costs not long after buy - Andrew-T

I ... was told is mainly motorway mileage and it was a company car, so I had nothing to worry about.

Hmmm, 'company car'. That phrase can mean almost anything, but all the meanings include 'not owned by the driver'. Some may have been pool cars, some 'management cars', some may have been lease or rental. If you bought from a Vx dealer, one of their staff may have driven it for years. It's an easy throwaway remark for a salesman. But of course the majority of new cars are not bought by private owners, so there are lots about.

Agreed that a diesel is likely to have done mostly long journeys, which should be a plus. But I have experienced pool cars with brake pads fully worn after only 15K miles. I guess they are often driven by people in a hurry. I hope you asked about the cambelt?

Edited by Andrew-T on 23/04/2015 at 15:15

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Thu 23 Apr 2015 15:25

Vauxhall Astra - Repair costs not long after buy - mss1tw

Hmmm, 'company car'...

Exactly. Booted from every set of traffic lights, probably up to the limiter as turbos make it easy to redline diesels. (My old chugger redlines at 4500 or whatever but revs so slowly after about 4000 there's just no point)

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Thu 23 Apr 2015 15:32

Vauxhall Astra - Repair costs not long after buy - talia

I guess they are often driven by people in a hurry. I hope you asked about the cambelt?

People in hurry, funny. Unfortunately when buying a car I dont do the most technical questions, so I just go with what am told.

Got my doubts about the dealer (being Cargiant and all). I had some thoughts after buying the car, a specific was me asking them if the car had any extras at all, built in satnav or sth. They definite answer was NO. After taking the car home I realised that wasnt really true, cos its fully equipped, well I guess that was my luck and now I am paying for it:(

Nevertheless it makes me question they thoroughness...

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Thu 23 Apr 2015 15:48

Vauxhall Astra - Repair costs not long after buy - pd

How on earth could a dealer predict a gearbox failure 6 months down the line? Are you suggesting every dealer should strip a gearbox down on a car prior to sale?

These things sometimes happen. Lots of bits of metal all whirring round and round over thousands of miles sometimes simply pack up or break. To a certain extend this is part of the risk you take on a higher mileage car which is why, no doubt, it was cheaper than one with 20k miles. This is why - they are riskier.

It is bad luck it has packed up but it happens. I can't see any comeback at this mileage and this time after purchase.

The 6-speed GM gearbox (it is probably a M32) is known for not being the most reliable. Recon ones can be had for £500-£600 or maybe less if haggling so I would have thought you could get one fitted for £1000 or less possibly including a new clutch as well.

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Thu 23 Apr 2015 18:18

Vauxhall Astra - Repair costs not long after buy - Andrew-T

<< Got my doubts about the dealer (being Cargiant and all). >>

I don't think I would call CarGiant a dealer, they are a 'supermarket' - pile 'em high, sell'em (relatively) cheap sort of place. Of course you can get a good deal there if you shop carefully, but I don't think they are very well equipped (or inclined) to fix any faults you may go back there for? Your experience suggests you might be able to find a specced car at a basic price - but most likely there is so much metal being shifted that the sales staff can't keep up with it.

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Thu 23 Apr 2015 16:41

Vauxhall Astra - Repair costs not long after buy - pd

Hi, the car has 90000 on it, so you are close in estimating the clutch going out. When I bought it was told is mainly motorway mileage and it was a company car, so I had nothing to worry about.

It has nothing to do with it being a company car or, to a degree, even the mileage. It is because it is probaby a 6-speed GM gearbox which whether used in an Astra, Vectra, Alfa 159, Saab or whatever and even if driven by a Vicar who never goes over 25mph and services it every other day have a habit of going pop at 80-120k miles.

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