Hi
1st post, so be gentle...
Mt timing belt\'s gone - car\'s 5yrs & 2 months old, 58k miles. Manufacturer says it should be changed at 5 years or 72k miles - whichever comes first.
Car has full dealer service history, at franchised dealers.
The warranty company won\'t cover the cost, because it\'s over 5 years old.
So I could be looking at a bill for 50% of the car\'s value.
But here\'s the thing - the first registered owner of the car was... the manufacturer. They had it for 8 months/ 6k miles.
What\'s my best angle to get the manufacturer or dealer to cover some or all the cost?
Any ideas?
tia
|
What car is it - some companies are better at paying comp than others. On the other hand it was over the specified time limit, and should have been changed, so I think you will find that both the dealers and the manufacturer will tell you where to go. Sorry, but I think one you will have to chalk up to (expensive) experience.... :-(
Talk it somewhere other than the dealer to get it repaired though as it will be about half the cost.
--
RichardW
Is it illogical? It must be Citroen....
|
Agree with RichardW regarding costs.
Find a good Indy for the make of car.
My wife has a Pug 306 Sedan, and a cambelt change was way under half the cost at our Pug Indy than it was at the local franchised dealer, plus they traced a minor oil weep foc, and then as now maintain a genuine desire to keep us happy. Of course they do, as we are potential business, but the franchised dealer doesn't seem to understand this simple fact
Likewise my one year old V70 2.4T, brother's V70 D5 auto, and father's S80. All now maintained at an excellent Volvo Indy, who has all the pukka diagnostic gear, for around half the cost, and often less, of our respective local franchised dealers. Top service again, too.
|
|
|
|
|
Sorry to hear about your position, but you seem to have exceeded your car's timing belt approved service interval i.e 5 years. I don't think the dealer or the manufacturer will contribute anything. Not sure what relevance you think the first owner has on the life of the belt as it is you who has exceeded the service interval.
|
|
|
Not a chance really!
The car has exceeded the manufacturers warranty and the belt was 2 months overdue.
Depending on what the car is (diesel cambelt failure usually cause more damage) it may not have caused too much damage.
At worst it will be a cracked head, bent valve, cam followers.....etc. At best, just a new belt and tensioner.
|
|
|
Okay, being gentle.... ;-)
As I see it from my interpretation of the facts presented, you are entirely dependent on goodwill, and nobody has any obligations to help meet cost.
The belt should be replaced at 5 years or 72k miles, whichever comes first. In your case the former applied, but the belt was not changed at this point, and shortly afterwards, went 'pop'. Your fault.
The fact that the manufacturer was the first owner is surely irrelevant? They sold the car long before either of the belt replacement thresholds, and thus had no stake in the car when failure occurred. As the first owner, they are no different to if the first owner had been me. Would you expect me to help meet the cost of failure long after I sold the car? I hope not! ;-) It is your responsibility as the current owner to stick to the maintenance schedule.
Having said all this, I must admit that I would be pretty annoyed if it had happened to me so soon over the first threshold, so I would simply write a nice, calm, letter to the manufacturer saying how happy you are with their product, but feel let down by such a marginal failure. Perhaps they might like to help keep you disposed towards their products in the future, and put their hand in their pocket for some of the cost?
|
OK, thanks...
It's a Renault (cheesy grins all round to whoever guessed it) - was registered to their logistics company @ a Southampton Docks address. So it was registered, but might not have turned a wheel.
Anyway, I'd agree it's probably down to goodwill on Renault's behalf.
And if they don't play, then it's off to a good independent.
But very, very annoying.
thanks
Will
|
which model?
On another note, why oh why dont manufacturers include these things in the service schedule instead of a supplementary action,
Like 48k miles / 4 year service sir? yes that will include a mandatory cam belt change.
That way when you say FSH you know the damn thing has been changed
|
quite.
The last service was at 48k & 4yrs 3months, I do 12k miles a year, and the belt would be past its 5year mark before the 60k service: I\'d be annoyed at myself if they\'d pointed that out to me & I\'d ignored them.
It\'s a Grand Espace 3.0 24v - a great concept - they should have left it that way till Renault (Matra?) had worked out how to build them. And I love being able to open it up & empty a family into it ;-)
{Car details added to subject header, and also amended to reflect the problem you have with it. \"who should pay?\" is vague, to say the least. DD}
|
Update: the softly-softly approach may be working... dealer reckons there's a budget in Renault HQ for this sort of thing... and MD offering to discount their labour rate.
Intersting that the Service Manager - unprompted - described it as a 'premature failure'
thanks for the advice
Will
|
|
|
|
Hi,
Keep us all informed of how this works out as I have a similar current problem with my Renault Megane. See a copy of my post below....
Title : Renault Megane CamBelt Failure at 64K and 3.5 yrs
The cam-timing belt on my X reg (Nov. 2000) Renault Megane Alize 1600 has gone after 64k of mainly motorway miles and only 3 years and 9 months.
Renault servicing says it only needs changing after 72k or 5 years, whichever comes sooner! So I am not pleased!
Especially as I bought the car from a Renault dealer with 6K on the clock and it has been serviced by Renault every 18k since then, last one at 54k. The 3 year warranty has expired, but I feel Renault are at fault here.
The car is at the Renault dealers now and I am awaiting the bad (expensive) news. I've been in touch with Renault and they have said that they may be able to help me. So it's a matter of wait and see.
I have heard that Renault have fixed the car for free in some cases of cars with similar mileages and age as mine.
Evidently, Renault lost a court case in France, in that if they say a cam-timing belt only needs replacing after 72k or 5 years then that is how long it should last and no less than that!
Has anyone experienced a similar problem with their Renault?
I would greatly appreciate any feedback! Thanks.
|
|
|
