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2011 SEAT ALTEA XL SE CR TDI ESTATE - Seat Altea XL fuel pump needs replacing at 27K - seatalteaowner

Hi I would like to try and get some advide on the following:

I purchased the above car Sept 2014 from a dealer with 17K miles on the car, I also purchased a free 3 year service and MOT plan from the delear. Seemed a good price for £400. The car only had a 3 month warranty from the delear so this has now expired.

I took the car in for a service as I had done just shy of 10K miles, its now on appx 27K. I was quite shocked to find out that the diesel fuel pump needs to be replaced at a cost of appx £1200, with the part costing £722. I looked up the part and it is very expensive.

www.commonraildiesels.com/product_info.php/seat-al...3

My question is can I go back to the delear to contact the manufacturer of the component part because surely this should not fault at such a low mileage.

The car has a full service history at SEAT delears and was in very good condition when I purchased the car.

Any help would be much appreciatted.

2011 SEAT ALTEA XL SE CR TDI ESTATE - Seat Altea XL fuel pump needs replacing at 27K - RobJP

The most likely cause for a fuel pump failing on one of these engines is a lack of lubrication - and lubrication is provided by the diesel fuel (remember, diesel is an oil). As such, if at some point in the past someone has mis-fueled the car, then serious damage could have been caused to the fuel pump, which has taken a fair while to completely fail.

So, the damage was most likely caused at some point in the past : there is no way of saying when.

It is possible that the pump has just failed, but unlikely. If they were making faulty pumps, then these (and other forums) would be full of people complaining about it, after all the same engine (and therefore the same pump) is used in Skoda, SEAT, VW and Audi cars, in massive numbers.

In other words, no. You have no realistic claim against anyone. They could argue (quite reasonably) that for a fault to take 9 months to happen shows that the part was working perfectly when you bought the car, and the fault was not developing. Under consumer law, they would have a good chance of winning.

2011 SEAT ALTEA XL SE CR TDI ESTATE - Seat Altea XL fuel pump needs replacing at 27K - elekie&a/c doctor

So what is actually wrong with the pump?Presumably there were no driveability issues before it went in for service?

2011 SEAT ALTEA XL SE CR TDI ESTATE - Seat Altea XL fuel pump needs replacing at 27K - seatalteaowner

here is the service video, explains it all

Poblem is I wouldnt have heard anything as the radio always comes straight on. I think out of my own ignorance because it the first lets say 'newer car' I have bought, I wouldnt expect anything to go wrong so have not done my normally monthly check on the car (not that I might have picked the noise up earlier)

http://video.citnow.com/vtkDtBRWwMx

Thanks

2011 SEAT ALTEA XL SE CR TDI ESTATE - Seat Altea XL fuel pump needs replacing at 27K - seatalteaowner

Thanks for the advice, I was kinda thinking along these lines but always good to have a different view from someone. Much appreciatted

2011 SEAT ALTEA XL SE CR TDI ESTATE - Seat Altea XL fuel pump needs replacing at 27K - elekie&a/c doctor

I think this mechanic needs to go on a Seat training course.The item about not filling the filter with diesel after renewal will cause the pump to fail is total rubbish.There is an in-tank fuel pump that primes the system and filter housing before starting.