Hi,
Can anyone give me some advice re wheel tracking on Rover 400 and service from then Rover (now Ford!) dealer for a friend.
1. 1999 had 4 new tyres fitted (goodyear)
2. Oct 2004 and 15400 miles later two new (goodyear) tyres fitted to front.
3. May 2005 with MOT/Service and 800 miles later needed two new again to front, Oct ones illegal.
4. Now replaced with two Michelin, as she was told that Goodyear are not the best and a load of pink fluffy dice, but nothing about tracking etc when questioned about why needing new ones so soon.
5. Aug 2005 and 950 miles guess what? yes that's right Michelin illegal with uneven ware.
Now she has taken the car to two other places and this is what was found: "Tracking out by 10mm toe-in", "no weight at all" and "wheels not balanced" but noting else wrong at all with car. Now what the dealer that the car has always been too is saying; must be way it's driven or hitting pavements etc and no way to repaying the cost of any tyres etc, (note £80 each from them!)
But what do the forum members think? small clams court? or forget it?
Many thanks,
James.
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If it were me, I'd leave it. They're all balanced now? I take it that they weren't balanced and the tracking wasn't sorted since 1999?
The cost of 6 tyres against pursuing it would make it an unattractive option to me but I don't know how strong her case would be. I wouldn't be surprised if the company said "Well she never asked for them to be tracked".
I certainly wouldn't be going to small claims court over, at best £300.
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Adam
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I should say though, that's only because I think you're in a bad position. If someone comes along and says "It's their fault - pursue it" then by all means, go for it.
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Adam
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As you have used the same dealer for 5 years you must be assumed to be happy with their service.
You have no leg to stand on imo: you can't prove when the tracking and balance went wrong, it may all have happened last week. You may do wheelies from starting so burn out tyres (history says possible).
Write it off as a bad experience and never use them again.
madf
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No it's since Oct 2004 that they have been though 2 sets of tyres! and the place that fitted the new ones to the front told her that tracking was out by 10mm and that's why. She asked to have the two removed tyres to keep.
What I was try to ask is do you think the main dealer (£58+ per hour) should now refund the cost of say one pair? As they at faulty or is she on a no wicket? They have also done all the servicing etc on the car over the years. Until now that is, she won't be darkling there door again I feel over this anyhow.
James.
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In your position I would do the following.
Put your case in writing with all the tyre history that you've posted here to the dealer principle.
Ask that they investigate the matter.
See if you can agree some sort of "goodwill" fix.
You could be an isolated case or you could be the latest in a line of complaints about dodgy tyre fitting - they could have someone who can't or won't do the job properly. However I doubt very much you'll be able to force them to cough up for anything.
H
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1750 miles and two sets of tyres? Does she ever check her tyres, in any way whatsoever, at all? Luckily she's avoided a crash and/or 6 penalty points! I don't think you've any chance of a successful claim, although it might seem that there were problems prior to Oct., 2004.
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How many women check tyres at all? I know my next door neighbour doesn't.
Recently, two friends of ours came to see us and drove almost 60 miles with one rear tyre virtually flat (when I attached my electric pump, nothing registered on the gauge). It is the woman who does the driving and she leaves tyre checks to her husband, even though he has impaired vision. It was only because he told me that he had problems inflating the tyre, that I went out and checked it. How she drove that car that kind of distance, I just don't know.
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How many women check tyres at all? I know my next door neighbour doesn't.
Lots of people don't check their tyres. However, if you pop into somewhere like ATS, they will check them for nothing!
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>>"Tracking out by 10mm toe-in", "no weight at all" and "wheels not balanced"
tracking that bad would affect steering."no weight at all" ie not balanced.You would be very lucky to find an imbalanced wheel that did not cause a problem,even those partialy balanced cause a problem.Ps front and rear tracking is adjustable on both 200/400 series.Unless you get a person that knows not what they do
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Steve
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Sorry missread last bit.As its been corrected you may try as has been suggested.Seems like they dont know what they are doing,its bad enough out there as it is without allowing these people to carry on.Just my thoughts!
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Steve
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I'm confused, are you saying that she asked and paid for a tracking check but they never did it, or that they should have advised her to get the rracking checked for her when the tyres kept wearing out?
Blue
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It's fairly clear that the driver in question has no idea what tracking is, so they should have advised her to get the tracking checked for her when the tyres kept wearing out.
I think that is abysmal service by the garage who have been entrusted to the entirety of the care of the car. It's very like the oft-reported scenario of a garage doing all somebody's servicing but not recommending a cambelt change at the requisite 80k miles on the grounds that the customer probably doesn't want to spend £500.
I should say that the garage had, at the very least, a moral obligation to insist that it check the car's tracking. After all, if you take the car into the garage and it says 'you have uneven wear on your tyres' and you ask them to replace the tyres you would expect them to insist on checking the cause. The average driver has no idea what happens under his bonnet and is entirely in their hands. When this has happened twice...
You certainly won't be going back to that dealer. Might be worth pointing this out to them.
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What have you got to lose if you complain to them? I would be onto them like a shot with a letter cc'd to local trading standards.
Some people do not know about cars, FACT. That is why they trust a dealer network to do it for them. I don't know about law, that is why I get a solicitor to do my legal work.
The garage should have noticed uneven tyre wear and checked why.
They didn't and it has cost your friend £300. Write back and demand every penny back. You may not get a thing back, but its worth a go.
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No she just asked why in May this year why Oct tyres where gone to the garage service manager and his reply "was don't quit know" and "we will fit new this time" etc etc. But at no time was tracking ever talked about, just Goodyear's not the best have some more £'s ones this time.
After the May replacement she has been looking at the tyres more often than she did and that's why the May have been spotted within a few months.
James.
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Hi,
Some good news re this now. The dealer in question has now offered to re pay the cost of two tyres but won't go to 4. "We are not admitting we are 100% to blame but as a good will token".
I've told her to take the money and run in light of what other's have now said hear on this matter. Thanks for all the tips etc.
James.
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That's a lot better than a kick in the teeth. & you probably saved money anyway by having the tracking done at Fast Fit rather than at the dealer.
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Quote from a dealer: 'Anyone checking tracking will say that it needs adjusting'. As a rule of thumb running the hand along the outside/inside edge of the tyre tread should not show any steps in the tread. If steps are found then tracking is often out. The problem is then finding a competent person to check and adjust. I used to do it myself but, much to my regret, the facilities are no longer available. I've since found a reliable one and stick to him.
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