New car nearly killed me need help (UK)
dazron
05-09-2008, 01:40 AM
Hi there - sorry about the slightly melodramatic thread title but i've had an experience with a bought car that has really shaken me up - hence why I am posting this at 4 in the morning... I can't sleep! I am hoping you clever people can advise me on what course of action to take. Thanks in advance if you can!
Here's my story in a nutshell...
In March I bought a car, an L reg Chrysler PT Cruiser, registered December year 2004 with 38000 on the clock, from Ian Farrell Motor Company (http://www.ianfarrellmotorcompany.co.uk) in Birmingham, for £5482. I had the car Vehicle checked with Auto Trader and the car came back with no issues. The car was supposedly fully serviced and MOT'd after i'd purchased it, and I had to wait approximately 4 days for it. I live in Northampton and found the vehicle on Auto Trader and travelled the 60 miles back and forth sorting the car out for purchase. The car was covered by a full parts etc warranty, for 6 months, the warranty being one offered through their own garage service. There were a number of issues with the vehicle after purchase, namely tyres that were going flat, a core air temperature sensor that failed and two chips on the windscreen that I didn't notice on road testing the vehicle, that I believe may have been in an area of the windscreen that would have caused the car to fail it's MOT. I mention these issues because I believe they are relevant in that I believe the MOT the car received was un-satisfactory. THe problem I had was that the garage was 60 miles away and I had no way to get the car back and forth to the garage to get 'minor' issues with it sorted so was resolved to having to sort them out at my own cost.
After approximately 10 weeks after purchase, and after the date of the MOT, I had done just 800 mlles, some 80 miles a week. Not a lot of mileage i'm sure you will agree. I have had a rear tyre replaced as it was faulty, and a rear tyre re-attached as it was fitted with a dirty rim and therefore going flat in that time, as well as having the windscreen chips repaired on my insurance.
Yesterday at 17:15, as I was entering a roundabout to enter onto the A45 dual carriageway, there was a loud crack and the car skidded out of control with me having no control over the car, along with much smoke and smell of burning rubber. I instantly thought a tyre had blown. After the car came to a halt I tried to slowly drive the car over to a safer spot but it would not move. I was in a very dangerous area blocking a major road but couldn't move. When I got out of the vehicle I could see my drivers side front wheel had come off of it's mounting and was a completely different angle to the other correctly mounted wheel. The Drive shaft was pulled out of skew and obviously something had happened to the gear box as there was gear box fluid all over the car. The tyres were obviously damaged and there was damage the the inner wing of the car.
When the breakdown vehicle eventually attended the car, he informed me that the car had no pin attaching the wheel to the ball joint and was essentially a death trap, and that had I been going 70mph on the dual carriageway I was about to enter I probably would have lost control of the car to such an extent that I would almost certainly have died.
I rang the garage and they were fairly blase about it saying 'bring it in we'll fix the vehicle' and weren't even perturbed enough to get anyone to the garage to receive the vehicle from the breakdown service after hours telling me to tow it in the morning, despite my telling them that this was impossible.
Now, for me, for this to have happened to a car I bought from a supposedly legitimate garage, when this is a specific MOT test point, 800 miles after buying a car is completely unacceptable. I have an 8 year old daughter and a 6 month year old daughter, as well as a wife, that I regularly drive on the A45 etc, if this had happened at that speed, with them in the car, we would all conceiveably have died.
The garage, on the phone, offered no apology.
What I would like someone to tell me, if they possibly could, what I should do now? I feel like I do not want the car back as it is un-safe. I do not trust the garage to carry out work and tests to a safe standard. I believe that the MOT they did to the car was un-satisfactory. What can I do? The car is at the garage in Birmingham (it was eventually lifted and towed there by the RAC) and the garage have said they will start work on it in the morning but I believe I may have a case to take this further.
I am so angry, and upset... I do not think I will ever feel safe in the car, and my wife has said that she will not enter it or put our kids in it. I am not a well off person this is the first 'decent' car I have been able to afford, and was able to purchase it because of an inheritance of a relative passing away.
What now?
What recourse do I have?
Can I ask for my money back? Should i stop them working on it and have it inspected? Can I have their MOT license 'inspected'? I need to stop them working on it if so I imagine, god knows how I am going to arrange anything happening to the car when it is in Birmingham and I am in Northampton. I had to agree to that because I only had the opportunity to get it to one destination with the RAC, and I was pretty shaken up at the time and could only think about getting it to the garage which covered it's warranty.
Please help me...
Here's my story in a nutshell...
In March I bought a car, an L reg Chrysler PT Cruiser, registered December year 2004 with 38000 on the clock, from Ian Farrell Motor Company (http://www.ianfarrellmotorcompany.co.uk) in Birmingham, for £5482. I had the car Vehicle checked with Auto Trader and the car came back with no issues. The car was supposedly fully serviced and MOT'd after i'd purchased it, and I had to wait approximately 4 days for it. I live in Northampton and found the vehicle on Auto Trader and travelled the 60 miles back and forth sorting the car out for purchase. The car was covered by a full parts etc warranty, for 6 months, the warranty being one offered through their own garage service. There were a number of issues with the vehicle after purchase, namely tyres that were going flat, a core air temperature sensor that failed and two chips on the windscreen that I didn't notice on road testing the vehicle, that I believe may have been in an area of the windscreen that would have caused the car to fail it's MOT. I mention these issues because I believe they are relevant in that I believe the MOT the car received was un-satisfactory. THe problem I had was that the garage was 60 miles away and I had no way to get the car back and forth to the garage to get 'minor' issues with it sorted so was resolved to having to sort them out at my own cost.
After approximately 10 weeks after purchase, and after the date of the MOT, I had done just 800 mlles, some 80 miles a week. Not a lot of mileage i'm sure you will agree. I have had a rear tyre replaced as it was faulty, and a rear tyre re-attached as it was fitted with a dirty rim and therefore going flat in that time, as well as having the windscreen chips repaired on my insurance.
Yesterday at 17:15, as I was entering a roundabout to enter onto the A45 dual carriageway, there was a loud crack and the car skidded out of control with me having no control over the car, along with much smoke and smell of burning rubber. I instantly thought a tyre had blown. After the car came to a halt I tried to slowly drive the car over to a safer spot but it would not move. I was in a very dangerous area blocking a major road but couldn't move. When I got out of the vehicle I could see my drivers side front wheel had come off of it's mounting and was a completely different angle to the other correctly mounted wheel. The Drive shaft was pulled out of skew and obviously something had happened to the gear box as there was gear box fluid all over the car. The tyres were obviously damaged and there was damage the the inner wing of the car.
When the breakdown vehicle eventually attended the car, he informed me that the car had no pin attaching the wheel to the ball joint and was essentially a death trap, and that had I been going 70mph on the dual carriageway I was about to enter I probably would have lost control of the car to such an extent that I would almost certainly have died.
I rang the garage and they were fairly blase about it saying 'bring it in we'll fix the vehicle' and weren't even perturbed enough to get anyone to the garage to receive the vehicle from the breakdown service after hours telling me to tow it in the morning, despite my telling them that this was impossible.
Now, for me, for this to have happened to a car I bought from a supposedly legitimate garage, when this is a specific MOT test point, 800 miles after buying a car is completely unacceptable. I have an 8 year old daughter and a 6 month year old daughter, as well as a wife, that I regularly drive on the A45 etc, if this had happened at that speed, with them in the car, we would all conceiveably have died.
The garage, on the phone, offered no apology.
What I would like someone to tell me, if they possibly could, what I should do now? I feel like I do not want the car back as it is un-safe. I do not trust the garage to carry out work and tests to a safe standard. I believe that the MOT they did to the car was un-satisfactory. What can I do? The car is at the garage in Birmingham (it was eventually lifted and towed there by the RAC) and the garage have said they will start work on it in the morning but I believe I may have a case to take this further.
I am so angry, and upset... I do not think I will ever feel safe in the car, and my wife has said that she will not enter it or put our kids in it. I am not a well off person this is the first 'decent' car I have been able to afford, and was able to purchase it because of an inheritance of a relative passing away.
What now?
What recourse do I have?
Can I ask for my money back? Should i stop them working on it and have it inspected? Can I have their MOT license 'inspected'? I need to stop them working on it if so I imagine, god knows how I am going to arrange anything happening to the car when it is in Birmingham and I am in Northampton. I had to agree to that because I only had the opportunity to get it to one destination with the RAC, and I was pretty shaken up at the time and could only think about getting it to the garage which covered it's warranty.
Please help me...
driftflow
05-13-2008, 12:12 PM
Im serious, sue the shit out of them. They didn't even say sorry? a lawyer is worth the $1500 of justice, besides if u win, they will probably give you the money to fix it, and that should cover the cost of the lawyer. I dunno what to tell you, the car is still fairly new, and u just got it, so i'd repair it.
Remember, THIS IS SPARTAAAA!!!!!
Im saying to get some justice.
Remember, THIS IS SPARTAAAA!!!!!
Im saying to get some justice.
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