Vauxhall Astra H - Compensation for breakdown within six months of pu

Honest John Back Room » Legal matters
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Sat 19 Jun 2010 23:46
Vauxhall Astra H - Compensation for breakdown within six months of pu - Roger T

In February, I bought my son an 06 registered Astra 1.9CDTi 16v SRi from a local garage. Earlier today, he went on holiday in it to France, and on the way broke down on the French motorway system. He called out a local breakdown garage and was towed to their premises where a faulty alternator was diagnosed. It will take until Thursday for them to obtain and fit a new one. My son has therefore hired a car from the garage to enable him to continue to his holiday destination and will pick up his repaired car on the way back next Friday.

I seem to remember reading recently - it was probably in your excellent column in the Telegraph - that the selling garage is responsible for any faults developing in the first six months after purchase. If this is so, please could you let me know the appropriate leglation that should be quoted to the selling garage. I would also be interested to know the extent of any claim that can be made against the garage - just the cost of the repair, or will the cost of breakdown recovery and car hire also be able to be claimed?

Any advice you can give would be very much appreciated. Many thanks

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Sun 20 Jun 2010 00:21
Vauxhall Astra H - Compensation for breakdown within six months of pu - bonzo dog

Depending on the price he paid for the car (in relation to market value) & the mileage, he could have a strong case for obtaining the cost of repair from the seller - let's face it, he could not realistically be expected to bring the car back to Blighty to ask the seller to fix it.

However, what sort of person drives around Europe WITHOUT breakdown cover - clearly someone who gives more consideration to the money he has to spend on his San Miguel that to the likelyhood of breakdown & the consequenses thereof.

If that comes over a bit harsh it's because in my job i get a bit fed up with people complaining & trying to obtain "com-pen-say-shun" because they couldn't be bothered to take a few sensible, cheap & basic precautions.

Good luck with reimbursement of the cost of the alternator but the recovery costs & car hire is down to his (lack of) future Taverna expences

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