Doesn't help the OP, but the lesson for those of us lucky to have an 09-reg is:
Get the first service done exactly on time at a main dealer, get and keep the invoice, and if it has one, make sure the service book is stamped.
Would seem best to stick to main dealer servicing throughout the warranty period.
I'm not saying main dealers do a better job, but that service record is your stick with which to beat the manufacturer, if the need arises.
It follows that it makes sense to buy prepaid service plan with your 09-reg if one is on offer.
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It's clearly out of warranty now - so you don't have to use Ford dealers to fix it.
You will almost certainly get better labour rates out of London. I would examine the possibility / availabilty of a second-hand engine from a breaker.
Perhaps a specialist diesel repairer can do the job much cheaper - and give you a better idea of why it failed.
You will need to pay the Ford dealer who has inspected it though.
Good luck in getting it fixed.
Did you check the car over when you collected it ? Was the oil topped up OK ?
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Is there any possibility that this vehicle has been mis-fuelled at some time as being a deisel some of the symptoms seem to be similar to the sort of failures often discussed on this site?
I feel for the original poster and agree that he should chase the supplying dealer.
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Glad I trusted my instincts [with some sane advice on here] when buying:
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=59262&...e
I think you have to claim against the dealer. Hopefully you have legal expenses insurance on your policy and it covers this sort of claim. Hope it goes well.
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Well I'm with ford I'm afraid! someones allowed it to run well over its first service which is the most critical. Many vehicle manufactures now have a built in system that if you go 2k over the service limit only the manufacturer can reset the service reset. this allows the manufacturer to record the fact that it has gone well over its service limit & ,may well void the warranty.
Also some vehicles are now once exceeded 2k over the service period reduce their engine power by 30% to reduce any damage to the engine & log an overdue service !
In the past I have seen many vehicles stretched well over their service limit in a year sometimes by as much as 6-10k over. Poor person that gets it next!
Buyer beware
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Out of interest a few years ago I "inhereted" from a sacked work colleague, a 9 month old 37,000 mile 1.8T A6 Audi that had never been serviced. At the time I thought it'd go bang, but in the end I was so impressed with the car , that some 3years later I bought it from my company at 100,000miles. Needless to say ,it had its oil changed at 37,000 miles and every 10,000 miles thereafter. I got rid of it at 160,000 miles(8 years). It only required new coils (nearly all the VAG coils of that year failed) and a chain tensioner at 90,000 miles. It never used any oil between services and it went really well ,averaging 32mpg.
Perhaps the fact that it had done 1000 miles a week over the first 9 months of it's life saved it.
Ironically I'm a change the oil and filter at every oportunity sort of guy, although following this experience , I'm a bit less paranoid !
I cannot believe that missing a first service by a few thousand miles can be the cause of such engine damage......although if I was Ford I'd probably insist that it was.
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Thanks John. That's useful to know that cars can 37,000 miles without an oil change with no problems.
I've only ever owned used German cars before, none under warranty, and I've never had a single problem with an engine or indeed anything else mechanical. That's a Polo, 2 Golfs, a Passat, an Audi 80, an Audi Coupe, a Mercedes 200 Estate - over a total of 19 years of German cars and not a single problem with any of them.
I bought the Ford Galaxy in December as I've now got 3 kids and we needed the space. 3 months in and the engine fails so badly that it needs a new one (all due to the oil not being changed on time, according to Ford - convenient, huh?). My dad did warn me - never buy a Ford, but of course I ignored him, merely taking the precaution of getting a newish one as I believed it was under warranty.
Regardless of whether Ford are entitled to wriggle out of their obligations, there's no way any machine that costs £25,000 new should fall apart after 18 months like this. In that time it's been serviced twice by their own network. If I was Ford I would do my utmost to repair it at no cost to save a massively disgruntled customer telling the world.
I'm also mystified that the AA didn't tell me the car was out of warranty when I paid them to do the comprehensive inspection. When it broke down, I called them to get it towed to the garage, and the operator immediately told me it was not under warranty. If they knew that, why the heck couldn't they put that information on the buyer's inspection report? What information could be more important than that to a buyer?
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"the AA didn't tell me the car was out of warranty"
A reasonable question for them, IMO. That and the oil level, although I suspect the level before the first service might have been worth knowing. Does their report come with any sort of guarantee?
Personally, I'm with your Dad, I'm afraid...
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Personally I'm with your Dad I'm afraid...
OK brilliant. Just what do you buy nowadays then that is going to give you (hopefully) some worry free(ish) motoring?? Go on tell me.
MD
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"Go on tell me"
Well, it was meant slightly TIC (should have used a smiley) but I have to admit that I'm not their greatest fan. I'm a subscriber to bangernomics and many Fords would have serious rust by the time I would be interested. Our two Mazdas have a combined age of 35 and have never let us down. My Xedos (when clean and polished) could pass for a five-year old and sometimes gets mistaken for even less, as its registration reads like an 05 plate. My daughter has a Puma that is ten years younger, but is already going rusty, even though it was the best example we could find. Our old Peugeot lasted for 20 years, but I don't see many pre-1990 Fords around.
I know Ford has a stake in Mazda, but Japanese quality control still seems to make a difference.
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I agree with Marlot, you need to take this up with the dealer, I'd forget about the others, particularly Ford, for now. Speculation about how the car got into its present state seems somewhat pointless.
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You should have been OK with a Ford. They don't habitually blow up at 27,000 miles. It's not your fault. You made what should have been a logical (and decent) choice for high mileage, reliable motoring. I've owned or maintained dozens of Fords and there's been just one problematic example among them all.
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These things are so subjective. I've driven well over 1.1 million miles so far. Many different cars and brands of cars. Approximately half of those miles were in Fords and not one of those has ever let me down. I swear by them. From Mk 1 Escorts through Cortinas, Sierras, Mondeos and ironically a Galaxy none of them have ever given me any grief.
Conversely, I have had an unreliable Renault, a BMW which broke down several times and a VW Golf which needed a number of repairs. Volvos were all good. A Citroen never faltered but a Rover was a reliability joke. I have had some niggles with Vauxhalls but never been stranded by one.
Overall though, if I were asked to vote for the most consistantly reliable brand of car I have ever had it would without question or shadow of a doubt be Ford.
Coincidence, luck of the draw ? Maybe. Who can say. What I can say is that to make a sweeping statement that all Fords are destined to break down is simply not true. Mine have all been fine and I would happily buy another in a heartbeat if the model suited my needs.
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Going by a purely 'most likely scenario' view I would suggest a failure to monitor oil level followed by rapid bearing wear at low oil level.
I do agree that other than a 'goodwill' payment there is no point pursuing Ford.
The fault has arisen within 3 months of purchase and considering the car is not even 2 years old I can't see any way the dealer can realistically get out of this, unless they can show or >50% assert the OP failed to keep the oil level topped up.
£5k is a lot to chalk up to 'experience' so I think advice from CAB/solicitor would be my first port of call.
As has been mentioned, some household insurance policies include legal cover that will assist with such an eventuality - check your policy details, and call them if you are not sure.
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This is a potentially very expensive and unfortunate position to be in which you should look at from both sides.
From the Ford point of view they have to balance customer satisfaction and reputation against their costs. They are not going to hand out new engines and the associated costs willy nilly unless they have an obligation to do so or that their reputation would be greatly harmed.
In this instance the vehicle has missed its first scheduled oil change - end of. They quite clearly state that and it is a well known fact that unless a vehicle is serviced within manufacturers guidelines then the warranty can be invalidated. That is their first get out clause which they will be looking to invoke.
The vehicle was purchased from a third party dealer so Ford as a brand have no obligation nor are their dealers making any money from that transaction, nor is it going to damage the dealer/manufacturer reputation to any great extent BECAUSE the vehicle was not serviced in line with their recommendations.
If buying a vehicle from a third party establishment and hoping for manufacturer warranty I would ensure the vehicle was serviced on time and had valid service history. If not I'd walk away because Ford would take advantage of their opt out clause for the above reasons. I might be more flexible, but nevertheless wary if I was buying from a Ford dealer as they have to look after the dealer/manufacturer reputation.
The argument as to whether an engine should be able to stand a late change of oil becomes academic although we all know it should.
Edited by Fullchat on 21/03/2009 at 00:30
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If i was looking at a £5000 repair bill i tink i would be tempted to get my self the various tools needed and have a go at fixing the problem myself even if that did mean spreading have the car engine all over my street. Not a noce prospect but ya never know it might work. I do sympathise though ive got a problem with my car and its putting nme off ever owning a car again!
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playing devil advocate here - if you had the vehicle serviced when you brought it and they didnt find metal debris in the oil then isnt it possible that something failed between then and now causing the debris that was found after it broke on you, as people have said the ford warrenty was invalidated so forget about that completely no amount and screaming and shouting will change that.
as for the supermarket garentee does that only says they garentee it at the time of purchase or for any inherent problems if so you need to prove it was, things break its a fact of life and as the roads arent filled with abandoned ford galaxies on a daily basis im saying its not a galaxy problem just a one off problem possibly due to poor care by the previous owner or just happened and would have anyway, personally i would go back to the place you had it serviced and find out if they can remember if there was debris in the old oil that would indicate an inherent failure
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I'm also mystified that the AA didn't tell me the car was out of warranty when I paid them to do the comprehensive inspection.
When you say "comprehensive" inspection, what level of inspection did you pay for? The heading on the actual inspection report will give the level name of the report, and the contents will say what has been inspected. The list of terms and conditions will be appended to the report.
I've just checked the pre-purchase AA inspection report for my current car. and it doesn't say anywhere in it that the AA will comment on whether the car has a valid warranty. I've also checked the car inspection section of the AA website and similarly there is no reference to vehicle warranties. www.aacheck.com/aa-about-vi.html I don't suppose that the AA is qualified (or entitled) to comment on the validity of warranties.
In hindsight, the warranty of my current car had technically been invalidated by the fact that the first service had been carried out late. The car was 16 months old and had done 4000 miles when I bought it and I just accepted the selling dealer's word that it had the balance of a 3 years manufacturer's warranty. The first service was carried out, and the Service History Log stamped accordingly, by the selling dealer just before I took delivery. I've made 3 claims for repairs under the warranty at another dealer and fortunately the validity of the warranty wasn't questioned. I'll certainly think about the validity of the warranty on any future used cars that I buy.
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Here's an update, with a happy ending.
I sent the car supermarket an email, stating my rights under the Sale of Goods Act 1979. I did this following a format given to me by Consumer Direct. The aftersales department called straight back and were very friendly and easy to deal with. They picked up the car from the Ford dealer this week and have taken apart the engine. The bearings had indeed gone, but they think the engine can be rebuilt rather than needing to be replaced. As they have their own workshops they will do this next week. All at their expense. They have even offered me a free courtesy car while the work is being done.
So that hopefully is that. If I had bought the car privately I would have had no rights, but under the Sale of Goods Act I was protected against faulty goods. The same goes for the reconditioned engine.
Thanks everyone for their advice. I still won't buy a Ford again, and I'll double check the warranty before buying used.
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>>I still won't buy a Ford again
I think you are being unfair. They have their terms of their warranty, and you are outside it.
Unfortunate but true.
Are you allowed to name and praise the car supermarket now?
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Sounds sort of OK, so far.
BUT... what about the balance of waranty you thought you had, on the rest of the vehicle?
Is the car supermarket going to make good, any future claims, which, it would appear, Ford won't?
Or are you now having to consider an aftermarket, policy, to help protect you. At your cost?
VB
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As this "well known car supermarket" has acted very fairly and dealt with the matter, maybe they should be named and praised for not also trying to worm their way out of a sticky situation?
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Not my choice to keep the car supermarket anonymous - I'm allowed to mention the Ford brand, even the dealer's name, but not the car supermarket. I was initially ridiculed for my incompetent etiquette by another poster - since removed - for mentioning their name, which I believe is important to this story. I'm just trying to be honest, John.
Anyhow, like all car dealers, this VERY LARGE car supermarket have an ongoing statutory duty, under the Sale of Goods Act, to sell cars of acceptable quality. Allowing for wear and tear, they can be held responsible for mechanical defects for up to 6 years, regardless of the manufacturer's warranty. Thankfully, in my case, they appear to be honouring their duty.
And, if bought under credit - even if the deposit was paid on credit card, the credit provider is equally liable so can be sued if the dealer won't remedy. Amazing.
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Hi reddun
I need your advice
I too have a Galaxy 1.8 ghia on a 56 plate. its not even 3 yrs old yet and even though it has FSH and has been looked after "Impeccably" with no expense spare i too have TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE.
This car was 30k new and i too bought it from a LARGE supermarket with then 37k on the clock (oct 2007)
The car now has 92k on it and has had plenty spent on its upkeep including £960 spent on it 2 weeks ago. I had a new clutch, dual mass fly wheel, cam belt and another service.
I broke down by the side of th motorway last week and had to be dropped at a garage. I am now told that the "con rod" had broken and smashed a hole in the engine - GAME OVER.
Again, like your initial posts i am gob smacked that this should happen as it should last the life of the engine. The handbook for service goes up to 175k miles so this is a little early.
I was goint to call Ford to complain and go through the usual motions of being fobbed off a few times before something is done, but now ??????
i wonder of £30k's worth of BMW engine would go pop so early on??????
What did you do to get this resolved. any assistance would be greatfully received before i raise the flag at Ford to say its dead.
How long did your saga go on for?. i still have 3 years loan to pay for something that is at this point "scrap"
thanks in advance
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Actually yes, £30K BMW engines go pop as well, as do Merc, Toyota, Vauxhall etc. It sounds like an awful thing to happen to such an expensive and young car, but realistically, freak failures can happen to any marque at any time and statistically, they don't happen to Fords very often!
Also, the Galaxy is mainly VW bits and bobs with a Ford badge on, when I worked in a Ford dealer it was immediately apparent when getting in a Galaxy that almost all of the parts were from the VAG parts bin, they just didn't share the same design as the rest of the Ford range.
Unfortunately as far as my advice goes it's not good. I think you may, if you are lucky, be able to get some goodwill from Ford if it was serviced at a main dealer. Unfortunately you are no longer covered by SOGA or the original warranty which IIRC was for 60,000 miles.
Probs best trying to find another engine from a breakers and getting it fitted independently.
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