Used car purchase - died after 2 days.

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Mon 29 Jan 2007 20:23
Used car purchase - died after 2 days. - TeenageProdigy
Well, after a grand two days of successful Puma motoring, the little one died.

It's been to the local ford dealer who've diagnosed a broken coil pack and ECU and tell me it's a fiver off a grand to fix it.

I didn't have any warranty from the used independent dealer I bought it from. But my question is, does anyone know if I have a case for the car being 'unfit for purpose' after 2 days and then needing £1000 worth of work?

Thanks for listening

TP
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Mon 29 Jan 2007 20:38
Used car purchase - died after 2 days. - Jonwm {P}
My sister had a cool pack go on her car last month, cost around £300 with all the leads changed and spark plugs just to make sure, I would check ifthe ECU has gone too, sounds likethey are trying to have you on, Coil pack is around £80 i think on its own.
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Mon 29 Jan 2007 20:44
Used car purchase - died after 2 days. - TeenageProdigy
Well, I had the AA out before it went to Ford who changed the coil pack to no effect, so it does ring true about the ECU tbh
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Wed 31 Jan 2007 07:35
Used car purchase - died after 2 days. - L'escargot
Well, I had the AA out before it went to Ford


It's not fair to imply that Ford are in any way at fault. You mean "before it went to the dealer".
--
L\'escargot.
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Mon 29 Jan 2007 20:53
Used car purchase - died after 2 days. - Screwloose
TP

Warranty or not; you have the Sale of Goods Act. The presumption of pre-existence says that any fault that appears within six months of sale is deemed to have existed at the time of sale unless proven otherwise. That's Six Months - not two days.

The dealers may be "taking the high road" with their diagnosis. Coilpack failure is common; back-spiking the ECU is a known consequence, but much rarer. Always changing the ECU as well is a good plan from the dealer's perspective; but might not be strictly necessary. At worst; it's only a couple of fried transistors and ECU repairs are very possible.

Contact the seller and give him the good news; I'm sure that he'll be only too happy to pay for the repairs. In the unlikely event of not getting satisfaction; contact the CAB, or a solicitor and issue a Small Claims writ.
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Mon 29 Jan 2007 21:01
Used car purchase - died after 2 days. - BigDai
Surely the Sale of Goods Act applies ?

This link may help : www.dti.gov.uk/consumers/fact-sheets/page9010.html
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Mon 29 Jan 2007 21:16
Used car purchase - died after 2 days. - Micky
Back to the dealer, ask him nicely to fix the problem.

If the answer is no, set out the problem in writing, ask the dealer to advise you within 24 hours how he intends to remedy the defect.

If no positive response, write again to the dealer, recorded delivery and contact trading standards.

£1000 for a Ford ECU seems a bit steep, scrap yard anyone?
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Mon 29 Jan 2007 21:24
Used car purchase - died after 2 days. - Screwloose
Micky

They're security coded to the PATS. BBA-Reman will pick it up; fix it and return it, then there's no coding issues.
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Mon 29 Jan 2007 21:47
Used car purchase - died after 2 days. - Aprilia
Sounds like coil pack went and took out the driver stage in the ECU. Almost £1k for a coil and ECU seems way over the top - phone parts dept. in another dealership and get a price on the parts.

Either way, it is not your problem, it is the selling dealer. Clearly a latent defect present at the time of sale. Start out polite but be prepared to get tough and go to small claims. 100% certain you would win - but make sure you keep evidence (AA callout details, written details of diagnosis etc etc).
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Tue 30 Jan 2007 15:52
Used car purchase - died after 2 days. - Bill Payer
I'd hate to be a purveyor of used motors these days!
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Tue 30 Jan 2007 22:07
Used car purchase - died after 2 days. - Micky
I understand that the security coding is not an insurmountable issue, but irrelevant to the OP, it's the dealer's problem .... probably.
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