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Car garage F*ck up part 2

After the fiasco on Wed, OH got the car to the garage this morning and picked up a courtesy car - a renault modus.
A bit of background - the car (ours) is 2 yr old, and was serviced in May. The electric window stopped working the week after if was serviced and the ABS started clunking then too (its always been clunky as long as ive driven it) the light started coming on ages ago and it was booked in for Wed, I had to rearrange for OH to sort it out today.
We just got a call saying that they need to order a new motor for the window, ok no probs, its covered by warrenty.
They also said that they needed to order a new ABS system! image WTF? And the best bit is, the car is illegal to drive as it is, so they have to keep hold of it until they have fixed it.
They said originally that OH would need to return the courtesy car to them, but he explained that he needed it so they reluctantly said he could keep it. Knowing we had left the car seat for Ollie in our car and other things as well (I dont trust them as far as I can spit at them there anymore) I suggested to OH that we shoot down there and get them. He rang them up and found out the car was going to a garage while waiting for repair so we had to get there asap..(but its not safe to drive?).....So out comes MJs carseat (the one that comes with the mothercare urban detour 3 wheeler travel system so not an unusual one by any means) and we get everything into the car......
Except the back seat of this fcuking modus is 6 inches too short for the seat to sit on! The only way it would fit would have been if she is practically sat upright (vertical), or if she is practically sat on her head! image Even OH couldnt believe it! We couldnt put it on the passenger seat coz we dont know how to turn the airbag off, so basically we cant go anywhere in that car now until we get our own back. And that will be when...... ? what would I have done if it had all gone ahead on Wed? I couldnt have done that on my own!
Not to even mention the cost of the repair... how much does a new ABS system cost? And we're gonna end up footing the bloody bill for it I bet!

I am soooooooooooo livid! I want to go down there and smack someone.

OH of course, ever wanting to keep the peace, probably wont say half of what needs to be said. :evil:

ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Never, ever, anyone, buy a vauxhall from a dealership, or a renault! Piles of bloody shitty crap, and useless bimbos and rip off ********!

Replies

  • Oh hun, sorry you are having such a perfomance with it.
    DO NOT under any curcumstances pay for the new abs system. If the car is only 2 years old then it should still be under waranty. If the dealership are being a bunch of cocks then get in touch with Vauxhall UK.
    Just done somem googling and the modus has a keyswitch for the passenger air bag. Try in the door shut on the passenger side, or in the glove box, or in the centre console, you'll know when you'v deactivated it as there is a warning light on the main instrument display (ain't google great :lol: )
    Hope you get your car sorted soon hun,
    xx
  • Oh Stephe that's rubbish. Sorry you've had such a shitty time with the garage.

    Bedhead is totally right, I'm sure you shouldn't be paying for a new ABS. Check your warranty.

    Great advice on trying to switch off air bag.

    Hope you get it sorted. Take care, Suz x
  • Def shouldn't need to pay for abs if the car is only 2 years old as it can't be down to bad use or standard wear and tear. If needed quote the sale of goods act regarding goods being fit for purpose. a car that doesn't last 2 years is not fit for purpose!

    The place to turn the airbag off should be fairly obvious and marked up - check the manual too if you can't find it. On our megane it was on the driver side next to the electric mirrir controls.

    If you get really stuck shout, and I'll ring my SIL who works for Renault and has a modus.

  • We had a modus brilliant car, you can change the size of the back seat by moving it back or forward. We only got rid of the car as it didnt have a big enough boot once you ve moved the back seat.
  • Have they actually said that you have to pay for it, or are you assuming the worst? I worked as a Service Advisor for many years, for a few different main dealers and have never known a reason for refusal to cover under warranty an ABS system component failure (even over mileage limit in some cases).

    What are they actually replacing - I can't imagine it would be a complete ABS 'system' - most likely to fail is either control unit or sensor.

    Did they specifically say that it was illegal to drive?? I have never told a customer this as it is untrue - a car would fail an MOT if presented with ABS warning light illuminated but your car at only 2 years old does not come into this category. I have always advised customers that it can be driven AT THEIR CHOICE. The difference is that the ABS system may not function under extreme braking - much like the days before ABS was brought in on cars. It would simply mean a driver being more aware of how they drive and possibly using cadence braking in the event of an emergency stop/lock up.

    Hope I haven't confused you further - if you want me to explain anything they've told you, just PM me xx
  • Colligreen you havent confused at all image I'm not sure whats gone as OH didnt get a straight answer from them... where are the sensors placed?
    Ive asked him again what they said, and they told him they couldnt let him take the car because it was unsafe to drive.... we'd been driving it for ages after telling them about it because they couldnt fit it in and they never said anything then.... (it was driving quite nicely too)
    He doesnt think we'll end up having to pay but they've asked us to pay for things before when we shouldnt have needed to. Think they try it on with anyone... He has said though that he didnt want to push anything because i did clunk the wheel on a pavement a while ago (it was either that or get run over by a coach on a narrow road!) and he thinks because of that it might be my fault that the sensor has gone.... image:\?

    re the modus seat - its not the space between the back seat and the front seat, its the actual size of the seat that MJs carseat is supposed to sit on, that cant be changed by the position of the seat..... only the space around it can be changed...

    xxx
  • No the you can change the size of the back seat, well in our one you could. There are so many different models though. Maybe you can only do it in certain ones? I know your having trouble with the garage but it might be worth asking them?
  • well, they rang today to say OH couldnt pick the car up yet.... they had fitted the sensor they had said needed replacing and then run a diagnostic and the car still failed whatever test it was they did...
    they demanded the courtesy car back today and said they couldnt give us our car back.
    I tried to explain that we needed a car and they asked me to get OH to contact them - I explained that I couldnt as he was out of signal area... to which i was told to tell him to get in touch before half twelve. :cry:
    thankfully he did ring me before then so i could tell him what they said....
    he then rang me and told me that he'd managed to get them to let him keep this car until monday lunch time at which point he'd have to go down and swap them over in the half hour lunch break he has (working 6am-6.30pm every day next week :\( )

    He said he didnt dare ask them how to turn the airbag off or move the seats after that.
    OH's looked at it and he cant change the seat size (it does have isofix but our car seat isnt..) but we think we know how to turn the bag off and will look at it later (when he gets back from golf with his mates) - Ollies got a party to go to tomorrow and we had a friend to go and see so if we cant get the seat in I will have to stay home with MJ.

    All we need now is for them to ring on monday and say they cant repair it... :roll:

  • In reply to the illegal to drive bit. A few years ago a local Vauxhall dealership told me I couldn't have my car back as illegal to drive. Trouble is I can't remember what the hell was wrong with it!! Nothing too major.
  • Re them asking for their courtesy car back - tell them in no uncertain terms thay are not having it back util your car is fixed! It's amazing how much quicker they will fix it for you when they are inconvenienced (and you didn't hear that from me!!)

    Unfortunately sometimes a diagnostic check can tell you a component has failed, only to replace it and there is still a problem. This is surprisingly common, modern ECU's aren't always as good at pinpointing problems as manufacturers would have you believe. Take it from me, this is equally as frustrating for the garage/technician as it is for the customer! Still doesn't help you get your car back any quicker though.

    Good luck and stay strong with them on monday, we had enough people abusing our courtesy cars when they didn't need them, so when someone has an actual need they should be able to bend the rules a little.

    Corinna x

    Lara - from memory I think the legal requirement is a minimum of 2 mirrors - which could either be a mirror on the drivers side and internal mirror or two external mirrors - look at something like a Mark 1 fiesta - they only had one external mirror!

    God I need to get out more - or get a new job ;-P
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