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Hi,
We bought a 2013 Ford Fiesta 1.0 ecoboost in October last year from an RAC approved garage local to us. The dealer said that they replace the cambelt for all vehicles that they sell which are due or close to being due, so we presumed that it would be changed with the car being 9.5 years old at the time (Ford interval is 10 years).
We picked the car up a couple of weeks later as they needed time to prepare the car. It has been fine since, but since buying the car I have learned about the nightmares with Ford's wet belt system. So I went through the documentation that we received with the car and there is no mention of the cambelt being changed. They gave us an RAC 82 point checklist which has everything checked off in the 'standard met' box, apart from the 'scheduled maintenance (inc timing belt)' part which has been left blank. This leads me to believe that it has not been done, which is quite alarming as these belts can go at any time causing huge engine damage. It is not a cheap job to do either, around £1000 to replace the belt and thousands more if it fails.
Obviously I will call the garage first to see what they say, but I was hoping for some advice for where I stand before contacting them. Is this our fault for not checking it had been done at point of sale? We are not car experts and given the garage is RAC approved and they advertise that they would change the cambelt on all cars that are due, we thought we could trust them.
Given that they are an RAC approved garage, will the RAC offer any help in this situation if the garage tell me it hasn't been done and refuse to replace it?
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You bought a ten year old car and expect it to be like a new one. Even if the cambelt was replaced what guarantee would you have it wouldn't fail again, or something related to it would? Buying old second hand cars is a lottery. You pay your money and take your choice.
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Not sure I mentioned anywhere that I expected it to be like a new one. I was well aware that a 10 year old car will not be perfect, but when buying from a trusted 'RAC approved' dealer surely there can be some expectation of scheduled maintenance being carried out at point of sale?
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Tricky one this. It’s unlikely that s/h car dealer is going to change a cambelt on a fiesta ecoboost of this age . It’s likely to wipe out any profit on such a car with a small margin of profit. I would contact the warranty company and for their advice.
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The dealer said that they replace the cambelt for all vehicles that they sell which are due or close to being due, so we presumed that it would be changed with the car being 9.5 years old at the time (Ford interval is 10 years).
I reckon you don't stand a chance:
'The dealer said' They could promise you the earth, but if it's not in writing..................
'Ford interval is 10 years' The dealer may well claim at 9.5 years it wasn't due.
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'Ford interval is 10 years' The dealer may well claim at 9.5 years it wasn't due.
Would a half-year predicted lifespan meet the sale of goods act "merchantable quality" standard?
(Though I suppose one could argue these engines don't meet that standard when new. I certainly would.)
Edited by edlithgow on 24/06/2023 at 00:59
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The issue on these isn’t the cam belt it’s the oil pump drive belt which runs in oil. It frays and blocks the oil strainer, starves engine of oil with inevitable results. It is a not a part intended to be serviced.
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It’s a complete wet belt system . Both the oil pump belt and the cambelt run in oil .
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It’s a complete wet belt system . Both the oil pump belt and the cambelt run in oil .
Quite correct Doc, little one man band garage I know has got quite good at doing them, he finds it easier to take the engine out to do it, incidentally a special tool is needed to time it up correctly, tool alone is £600! That said a new genuine engine from Ford is the thick end of £6000!
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RAC Approved means that they have paid the RAC X amount of cash to have some orange signs. There have probably been some rudimentary check to make sure they're not complete crooks, but nothing else. Likewise, those sily checklists mean nothing other than that someone has ticked some boxes.
If the cambelt has been done it will be in the service book. If it's not recorded as being done, it needs doing. I don't think you have any comeback unless you can prove that you specifically asked and were told it had been done.
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The dealer said that they replace the cambelt for all vehicles that they sell which are due or close to being due, so we presumed that it would be changed with the car being 9.5 years old at the time (Ford interval is 10 years).
I reckon you don't stand a chance:
'The dealer said' They could promise you the earth, but if it's not in writing..................
The OP seems to suggest that this is the dealers standard sales pitch, in which case it might be advertised, and thus in writing.
In such a case I'd guess a lawyer might argue that the seller would need a specific exclusion for especially s***e engine designs like BIO, in writing, to get them off the hook.
If this sales pitch isnt in writing then it could be a verbal contract, which sometimes can be enforced based on, for example, witness testimony, though of course its more difficult
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This is the exact situation, the garage quite clearly advertise that any car they sell will have the cambelt changed if due within 2 years. This is all over their website and there are signs on their premises which say the same, there is nothing about any exceptions to this policy. The cheapest cars they generally sell are about 5k, so I guess there is normally plenty of margin for this, but with these stupid wet belt setups I guess they tried to sneak it through to avoid a £1000 loss on one of their cheaper cars.
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This is the exact situation, the garage quite clearly advertise that any car they sell will have the cambelt changed if due within 2 years. This is all over their website and there are signs on their premises which say the same, there is nothing about any exceptions to this policy. The cheapest cars they generally sell are about 5k, so I guess there is normally plenty of margin for this, but with these stupid wet belt setups I guess they tried to sneak it through to avoid a £1000 loss on one of their cheaper cars.
Does the garage say 'within 2 years' or 'nearly due'? You've said both and there's a big difference.
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This is the exact situation, the garage quite clearly advertise that any car they sell will have the cambelt changed if due within 2 years. This is all over their website and there are signs on their premises which say the same, there is nothing about any exceptions to this policy. The cheapest cars they generally sell are about 5k, so I guess there is normally plenty of margin for this, but with these stupid wet belt setups I guess they tried to sneak it through to avoid a £1000 loss on one of their cheaper cars.
Does the garage say 'within 2 years' or 'nearly due'? You've said both and there's a big difference.
As i read it, the op said “nearly due” but said the garage advertised within 2 years. There is a big difference, but it is the latter that matters
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This is the exact situation, the garage quite clearly advertise that any car they sell will have the cambelt changed if due within 2 years. This is all over their website and there are signs on their premises which say the same ...
There may be some very small print somewhere which could be interpreted as 'only refers to standard dry belts costing under £400 to change ...' ?
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The garage advertises, and I quote:
All of our cars leave our premesis with the following...
Cambelt change (If due within 2 years of purchase)
This is within a list of other items, such as 12 month MOT, full service etc.
Given that this is their wording, I'm fairly sure I have a decent case. There is nothing about any exceptions anywhere, and we were not told of any exceptions verbally either.
I gave them a call on Saturday asking if it had been done as we have no paperwork for it and the salesman on the phone said to ring back on Monday and their servicing department will confirm. But he did say that it should have been done given that the car was 9.5 years old and the interval is 10 years and that this was their standard policy for all cars. He also asked what car/engine it was and didn't say anything about it being a wet belt.
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At this time my take would be:
What do YOU want the garage to do? Change the belt and do it correctly? (a this time do you trust them to do this and would this be within their scope of ability)...
Could you reject the car back to the selling garage perhaps? If you did, would you then have the same issue with another Fiesta that's about 10 years old?
If it were my car and I like the car and everything works as far as I can tell, and the only issue is the cam belt, then I would get this changed at a reputable independent garage who will have a vested interest in doing this correctly. Yes it costs an extra £1000, but you have piece of mind.
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Yes it costs an extra £1000, but you have piece of mind.
Peace of mind? Some might consider a ten year old Ford 1.0 ecoboom to be a piece of ****, no matter how old the cambelt is. AFAIK they are not renowned for longevity so I hope the mileage is low.
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Im unclear why an independent garage would have more of a vested interest in doing a good job than the seller.
Im also unclear why you think the OP should spend big money doing what the seller is apparently contracted to do, and give himself the job of selecting a competent garage, a good trick if you can do it, by all accounts.
But im not an aristocrat. Perhaps the Herr Barone has a case of the noblesse obliges?
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