Daewoo Lanos - Wheel bearing warrenty

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Fri 8 Jan 2016 15:12
Daewoo Lanos - Wheel bearing warrenty - Lepidus
Hello there

Just before Christmas one of the rear wheel bearings failed on on my car (awful loud grinding noise, not just the humming of a old bearing). That particular bearing had been replaced at the end of July (2015) through the MOT. I had presumed it would be covered under warranty but the garage has told me it isn't and along with the bearing the axle stub joint needed replacing. £170 to fix. I feel very aggrieved since in the summer the car was back and forth to the garage half a dozen times as they couldn't diagnose why the handbrake was heating up after they had fixed it following the MOT (this caused me to lose all braking a few times whilst driving - as it happens they had tighten it too tight on the nearside and they only discovered this after replacing the cable and it still happening) and the bearing is five months old. Where do I stand? Do bearings have warrenties, would the axle stub break the bearing?

Thanks.
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Fri 8 Jan 2016 15:40
Daewoo Lanos - Wheel bearing warrenty - Robin the Technician

Hi,

Generally all parts have a warranty - usually 12 months. Parts also must be fit for purpose and as yours failed in 5 months clearly they are under warranty. If you have an invoice then they are duty bound to fix it and replace parts that have been damaged due to that failure. They are trying to wriggle out of their legal obligations. If they refuse - you need to establish on what grounds they are refusing to fix it for free. Worst case you could threaten them with trading standards.

Don't back down - they are legally resonsible for the fitting (which they charged you) and replacing if it fails under warranty. They will calim the repair cost off the bearing supplier.

Hope this helps

Robin the Technician - I fix, therefore I am

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Fri 8 Jan 2016 16:05
Daewoo Lanos - Wheel bearing warrenty - Lepidus
I think you've already saved me money. I rang them again and said that I'm a bit wound up about the bearing as its five months old. They asked me for the invoice number and I read them what it says on their invoice.. 'n/s & o/s rear bearing supplied and fitted' - 30/07/15 (the bearing went on 22/12/15). I'll wait to hear back from them on Monday when they've dug it out.

Thanks for your assistance, I was feeling screwed.
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Sat 9 Jan 2016 21:06
Daewoo Lanos - Wheel bearing warrenty - Simon

They sound like a shoddy outfit and I would bet that the bearing hasn't failed due to poor manufacturing, it will most likely have failed due to poor fitting. Get them to fix it under warranty and then find a better garage for the future.

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Sat 9 Jan 2016 22:30
Daewoo Lanos - Wheel bearing warrenty - Robin the Technician

Good news!!! Don't be frightened of them as the law is on your side. Let us know how you get on.

Robin the Technician - i fix, therefore i am

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Sat 9 Jan 2016 22:48
Daewoo Lanos - Wheel bearing warrenty - gordonbennet

This thread is a must read for people who buy parts for garages to fit, had you supplied the parts you would be up the creek without a paddle.

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Mon 11 Jan 2016 21:46
Daewoo Lanos - Wheel bearing warrenty - Lepidus
I do occasionally source parts that are easy to fix on myself but when it comes to things that affect mine and passenger's safety I don't touch it.

I didn't hear from them today (I hate ringing them as I feel like I'm badgering) but will have to give them a call tomorrow. I expect to pay for the stub axle and fitting as for me I can't tell if the bearing would have broken it (there was nothing on the MOT about the stub axle being worn). Imagine they are still digging the invoice out or have forgotten it.

I got a reply from Honest John/Advisor:

"What they are telling you is they tried to fix it by putting a new bearing on the worn stub, but the stub proved to be too worn for this to be effective so you now have to pay for a new stub and bearing.

Honest John
ASK Honest John advisor"
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Mon 11 Jan 2016 23:27
Daewoo Lanos - Wheel bearing warrenty - Peter.N.

Unfortunately probably the only way you will get them to act is by making a nuisance of yourself, otherwise they will just ignore you.

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Tue 12 Jan 2016 06:47
Daewoo Lanos - Wheel bearing warrenty - Wolfan

I would have thought that the failure of the bearing is likely to be connected to the brakes overheating causing the bearing lubricant to melt and leak out. If this happened it would seize and turn on the stub axle. As the bearing material is harder than that of the stub axle the latter will be damaged. A stub axle doesn't wear, it only becomes damaged by the bearing inner track turning on it. If it was damaged at the time of the MOT then the garage should have told you before fitting the new bearing in any event.

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Tue 12 Jan 2016 12:05
Daewoo Lanos - Wheel bearing warrenty - Lepidus
I've rang the garage on my break. They have gone to the part supplier and they have said the parts aren't covered on warranty because they are damaged so I must have driven with the grinding going on for a while. This bearing went on a bypass (round the outskirts of Darlington) on the way to work, soon as it went I pulled over, checked the wheels and everything looked OK. I was half an mile from work so I went to work and then home and didn't drive it again till taking it to the garage two weeks later; so total mileage would be about 6 miles.

The garage have offered to do the work for free but I'd have to pay for the parts - £100 approx
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Tue 12 Jan 2016 12:37
Daewoo Lanos - Wheel bearing warrenty - alan1302
I've rang the garage on my break. They have gone to the part supplier and they have said the parts aren't covered on warranty because they are damaged so I must have driven with the grinding going on for a while. This bearing went on a bypass (round the outskirts of Darlington) on the way to work, soon as it went I pulled over, checked the wheels and everything looked OK. I was half an mile from work so I went to work and then home and didn't drive it again till taking it to the garage two weeks later; so total mileage would be about 6 miles. The garage have offered to do the work for free but I'd have to pay for the parts - £100 approx

So you did drive on it after it broke

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Tue 12 Jan 2016 12:44
Daewoo Lanos - Wheel bearing warrenty - Wolfan

I think you are being fobbed off, I would not be at all convinced by their reason for the bearing not being covered and wouldn't be happy being asked to pay for parts. I suspect that they know what has caused it to fail. I think you need to get some expert help for this not least because it sounds as if the consequences of the failure could have been very serious. Something has gone wrong, the blame lies with the garage that did the work and they are legally obliged to rectify it.

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Tue 12 Jan 2016 13:16
Daewoo Lanos - Wheel bearing warrenty - Lepidus
Of course I drove on it after it went, I was trapped at the side of a bypass with cars and wagons flying past me at 60mph at 7:05 in the morning. Does the warrenty apply to just the point it breaks? Would the supplier pay for a tow truck to carter my car to the garage or would they fix a bearing whilst vehicles fly past them at the side of the road? The most sensible option was to nurse it home and take it to the garage asap (garage is 200 metres from my house).

I'll speak to the garage again and if not I'll go to trading standards I guess.
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Tue 12 Jan 2016 14:45
Daewoo Lanos - Wheel bearing warrenty - Lepidus
The garage is only going to charge me for the stub axle now - £60. Fella who's owns the place said the bearing was wielded to the stub axle, which I guess was the only thing keeping the wheel on (why why I couldn't get the wheel off presumably). I'd have been happy with £60 if he said that last week but knowing that the part that failed had cause damage I have to pay for I'm slightly aggrieved. A tow truck in Darlington is £30, so as soon as it went I guess I should've parked on the carriageway and requested one to the garage, I'm not too sure how I was supposed to know it was as a bearing. Lesson learned.
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Tue 12 Jan 2016 14:55
Daewoo Lanos - Wheel bearing warrenty - Wolfan

Good luck with it, I hope you get the matter resolved, let us know how you get on.

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Wed 13 Jan 2016 11:30
Daewoo Lanos - Wheel bearing warrenty - Robin the Technician

Hi,

I think you are being treated unfairly. The bearing has failed and caused damage to other parts - which is beyond your control. Therefore they should be repairing this FOC. They can claim the costs back from the bearing supplier as its their responsibility. Don't back down and if they get shirty, tell them you will be taking the matter up with trading standards. You are being fleeced when its not your fault.

Let us know how you get on.

Robin the Technician - I fix, therefore I am

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