Dealer Problems HELP!!!!
Ok guys I'm after some advice as to where I stand. It's a long story so I'll apologise in advance for the long post.
I bought my 03 210 LCR through a SEAT dealer in June. The car was just out of manufacturer's warranty but as part of the approved SEAT scheme came with 12months warranty. The car was on just about 43k miles when I collected it.
After having the car for a couple of days I gave it the first wash and noticed that the passenger side door had been resprayed at some point, and badly. I had a mate look at it with a paint thickness meter and it had somehwere up to 2cm of filler in it (
) and had clearly been in an accident of some sort. I got straight on the blower to the dealer and they had a look at it and declared it was a used car and it could well have been in an accident before! I thought this sort of thing may have been checked but hey. They agreed to pay half the cost of getting it resprayed to a better standard so I got it done. Cost me £200 (it had to have the rear quarter done as well).
It took a lot of fighting to get this out of them so I was reasonably happy.
In the meantime I noticed the cars high speed fans were coming on all the time and read on here it was a common fault and likely the fan unit would need replacing. Took it in to see them and they were like yeah book it in, it'll probably just be a fuse. I disputed but the car went in the following week (12.99 cost for a courtesy car). I get a phonecall that day saying it needs a new fan unit sir (really
), be a week before we can get one, book it in for next Monday. I did so, car went in again (another 12.99 courtesy car), I get a phonecall about lunchtime; "we are gonna have to keep it for another day, the radiator is leaking". "oh I said, that's strange you only looked at it last week - you haven't damaged it have you Mr Dealer?!?!", anyway bit the bullet, another day goes by (add 12.99) and I collect the car. Get in it and the engine management light is on, take it straight back and that gets fixed. All seems ok and it was covered under the warranty.
About a week goes by, I pull into a car park and my engine management light comes on. Balls, what's this I think! Take it back in the following morning ( a Saturday) and I get awful service. I'm told to wait and whilst I am doing so other people seem to come in (with considerably more expensive cars - this dealer does other makes) and get immediate service! A coolant taemperature sensor is eventually replaced (after 4 hours) and I missed a good mate of mine's wedding.
Door is resprayed in the meantime, good job can't fault that really but I now get a problem with my temperature gauge light flashing when starting the car cold. Take it back in yesterday and mentioned a knocking I have going over bumps. I'm told yesterday that that the car needs 2 new rear shocks, new bottom ball joints and a wheel bearing. Only the bearing is covered under my warranty and the cost for the rest is £420 plus VAT. I was told the ball joints were "bordering on dangerous" so I have had them done today. I intend to speak with the manager of the dealership tomorrow. I've also been told the rear pads need replacing. No word about the temp light (and another £25 in courtesy cars)
Where do you think I stand? I have covered about 4k since buying the car, should these problems have been picked up when the car was MOT'd and serviced/safety checked/x number of point check for the used car scheme?
I paid over the odds for the car for the piece of mind that I was getting a good one with the cover of a main dealerhip. Totally dismayed now, SEAT UK says I need to resolve it with the dealer as they are a franchise.
Anyone got any suggestions as to my best course of action or should I just bend over, take it like a man and pay up?
Ok guys I'm after some advice as to where I stand. It's a long story so I'll apologise in advance for the long post.
I bought my 03 210 LCR through a SEAT dealer in June. The car was just out of manufacturer's warranty but as part of the approved SEAT scheme came with 12months warranty. The car was on just about 43k miles when I collected it.
After having the car for a couple of days I gave it the first wash and noticed that the passenger side door had been resprayed at some point, and badly. I had a mate look at it with a paint thickness meter and it had somehwere up to 2cm of filler in it (
) and had clearly been in an accident of some sort. I got straight on the blower to the dealer and they had a look at it and declared it was a used car and it could well have been in an accident before! I thought this sort of thing may have been checked but hey. They agreed to pay half the cost of getting it resprayed to a better standard so I got it done. Cost me £200 (it had to have the rear quarter done as well). It took a lot of fighting to get this out of them so I was reasonably happy.
In the meantime I noticed the cars high speed fans were coming on all the time and read on here it was a common fault and likely the fan unit would need replacing. Took it in to see them and they were like yeah book it in, it'll probably just be a fuse. I disputed but the car went in the following week (12.99 cost for a courtesy car). I get a phonecall that day saying it needs a new fan unit sir (really
), be a week before we can get one, book it in for next Monday. I did so, car went in again (another 12.99 courtesy car), I get a phonecall about lunchtime; "we are gonna have to keep it for another day, the radiator is leaking". "oh I said, that's strange you only looked at it last week - you haven't damaged it have you Mr Dealer?!?!", anyway bit the bullet, another day goes by (add 12.99) and I collect the car. Get in it and the engine management light is on, take it straight back and that gets fixed. All seems ok and it was covered under the warranty. About a week goes by, I pull into a car park and my engine management light comes on. Balls, what's this I think! Take it back in the following morning ( a Saturday) and I get awful service. I'm told to wait and whilst I am doing so other people seem to come in (with considerably more expensive cars - this dealer does other makes) and get immediate service! A coolant taemperature sensor is eventually replaced (after 4 hours) and I missed a good mate of mine's wedding.
Door is resprayed in the meantime, good job can't fault that really but I now get a problem with my temperature gauge light flashing when starting the car cold. Take it back in yesterday and mentioned a knocking I have going over bumps. I'm told yesterday that that the car needs 2 new rear shocks, new bottom ball joints and a wheel bearing. Only the bearing is covered under my warranty and the cost for the rest is £420 plus VAT. I was told the ball joints were "bordering on dangerous" so I have had them done today. I intend to speak with the manager of the dealership tomorrow. I've also been told the rear pads need replacing. No word about the temp light (and another £25 in courtesy cars)
Where do you think I stand? I have covered about 4k since buying the car, should these problems have been picked up when the car was MOT'd and serviced/safety checked/x number of point check for the used car scheme?
I paid over the odds for the car for the piece of mind that I was getting a good one with the cover of a main dealerhip. Totally dismayed now, SEAT UK says I need to resolve it with the dealer as they are a franchise.
Anyone got any suggestions as to my best course of action or should I just bend over, take it like a man and pay up?
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