In mid november, i sold my BMW 328i cabriolet and down graded to a 98 S Ford Escort TD with 77k on the clock and part s/h(Due to buying a house and doing lots of miles for work meant i needed more economy)
When i test drove the escort, it was fine apart from blue smoke on overrun, which i assumed to be it burning off excess oil (Had just been serviced and sat on forecourt for a while)
Anyways, salesman put my mind at rest and i bought the car. less than a week and 600 miles later, the oil light flickered on going round a roundabout to work. Stopped, checked and there wasnt even enough oil to mark the end of the dipstick!
Back it went to the dealers. It came from a Ford main dealership btw. They originally tried to tell me it was getting used to doing long runs everyday and was \'settling down\'. At which point i got a bit cross and told the service manager he was talking rubbish as if it was settled by nearly 80k then there was a massive problem!
Anyways, they took it back in and told me it needed a new turbo and they had ordered one but it would take a while. Then days later they proceeded to tell me that they had sent the old turbo away to be tested and that it was fine and not the cause of the problem and that they were stripping the engine further to find the cause.
A few days later the call came to say that they had found a badly worn valve and that they had removed the head and it was being reconditioned (im told this included grinding all the valve seats, new set of oversize valves and a skim of 2000-3000 of an inch) If it was only the valves that were the problem, why the skim.
Anyways, put it all back together and gave me it back. Still blowing big clouds of blue smoke! i have doone 800 miles since so i know its not a \'settling down\' problem! It also starts blowing lots of blue smoke when you rev it while the car is standing, roughly the point where the turbo starts spinning up. Me thinks turbo is gone??
They are taking it back in again tomorrow, but i am seriously considering asking for my money back. Can i do it. I have owned it for just over 6 weeks and they have had it for a month of that! Im lead to believe under the sale of goods act you have to give them a chance to fix it, then if its still not right you can get your money back??
Help i dont wanna be stuck with this car if its gonna turn out to be carp!
Cheers
Ben
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My inclination would be to invest in a report by an independent expert and present that to the dealership. If that doesn't make them move then get the lawyeys in.
If you go to lawyers now then they'll just ask for a report. Not many solicitors are expert in Ford diesel engines. So this way you save the legal fees if the dealership cave in when they see you're serious.
Worked wonders for me in persuading a builder to replace a roof that fell off during a gale, btw.
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Look at the OFT website.
www.oft.gov.uk/Consumer/Your+Rights+When+Shopping/...m
Getting an engineer's report may be the right course but you might not need to do it.
The car should be of satisfactory quality. Apparently it isn't. I suggest that, if it's what you want, you call the General Manager in a reasonable manner, point out that the car was not of satisfactory quality when you bought it, and ask for your money back. Tell him you believe you are in the right, they have had a chance to fix it, and if they do not agree then you will take further advice from the local trading standards.
If they don't agree to put you back where you were, then go ahead and consult trading standards.
Thius is what I would do, ready to defer to any lawyers contributing.
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