Just thought I'd share this with you and to see whether others have had a catalytic converter fail at a young age.
My car was registered in Jan 2004 and I bought it last July as an ex-dealer show car - just been standing in the showroom etc.
A couple of weeks ago, it started rattling underneath and I assumed it was a heatshield working loose. So I popped it to the dealer and asked them to have a look. Less than a minute later, it was down off the ramp and I was told that the Cat has broken up and that was the rattling.
End result of course is a new one.
I'm kind of reluctant to tell what car it is, because you will laugh at me. Oh OK, I tried to do my bit for Longbridge, alright. (ZT-T)
Naturally the dealer gave me the story that the warranty is no longer valid but anyway, even if it was, the CAT would not have been covered.
But, I would have thought that a Cat, whatever the make of car, should not fail after only just over a year and 11,000 miles. Car serviced to schedule, only ever use Shell/proper petrol.
End result - £350 plus fitting and a real feeling of caveat emptor. Still like the car though.
I may write to the dealer principal and mention small claims against the seller, but somehow, i don't think it will be worth the hassle.
|
|
Has it had a knock? I've heard of Ford ones failing early, but not Rover.
|
|
No, I certainly don't recall clouting anything with it. Although we have lots of speed humps, I always take them steadily and have never grounded the car. And my previous two cars (with cats)a Vectra and Toledo, were treated to the same regular routes and driving patterns etc.
|
|
Usually its a knock or taking a hot cat through cold water (i.e. flood water, ford etc.) that causes them to break up. Otherwise its a strange case. I guess it could have been damaged before you got it.
|
|
Incorrect fuel mixture, causing overheating of the cat?
|
That's an interesting thought. I noticed that the "rattling" was even worse when the air-con was on, which created a lot of extra heat.
Could be just a co-incidence though, I guess.
Modern cars eh - so damn complicated! But so nice and comfy.
|
|
|
|
Hi, your car is over 12 months so your warranty is with the dealer. Even so, you have cover against the dealer even if the car was 4 years old as the car has to be fit for the purpose. You would need to prove that the fault is unacceptable against the price you paid, ie you buy a 12 year old 120,000 rover you can't complain about the cat. But if you buy a 13 month old rover with 800 miles on the clock, even if a bulb goes they should be expected to sort it.
Contact your trading standards and they will offer more detailed advice however since you have paid the money there may not be much you can do.
|
I like what J1mbo says since you as a Consumer have improved rights under the revamped Sales of Goods act. Hey, you might not get anywhere, but even if you get some contribution to the cost of the new CAT then it's money well spent/earnt? Chance your arm man - I mean you bought a ZT-T after all you're surely not averse to anotehr 'risk'? ;)
-----
Im not plain stupid, just a special kind of stoopid.
|
|
|
|
Hmmm.
So the fault was a rattle?
And you paid £350 to quieten it?
When I was a lad you could buy a 2nd hand car for £350. Sigh! Those truly were the days....
You could try and get some goodwill money. I don't rate the chances. The car could have been driven over a "sleeping policeman" speed hump and not necessarily banged. How can you prove it wasn't?
I think I'd have been tempted to turn the volume up on the radio and wait till the MoT was due. Your call, your bill.
Sorry, my friend.
|
Totally agree Sean. I'd never spend £350 on one mechanic's say-so, let alone a main dealer mechanic.
It's perfectly possible it was just a loose heat shield. So they quickly tightened up the bolts and took an opportunity to sell you the part which for them carries the largest profit margin.
Wouldn't be the first or last time unfortunately.
|
|
|
When I was a lad you could buy a 2nd hand car for £350. Sigh! Those truly were the days....
>>
Which planet are you posting from, RB? £350 buys a perfectly usable car, especially if you pick something big and unfashionable. I have friends who wouldn't dream of spending more than £200 on a car.
Now in 1970 six of us at university paid £5 for an Austin A30. Those were the days!
|
|
I've had Cat's replaced under w'tee on both a Mondeo and a 406 due to rattling.
|
|
|
|
|
