Used car - dealer warranty

silenoz

Hi,

Looking for advice after buying a used car.
Last October I bought a 2007 Auris from Denis Mahony Kilbarrack. The car was serviced by them on the April previous to selling. I don't know if they had it April - October prior to selling, I think it was a trade in. They left a sticker saying next service due April 2017 so that's when I brought it in to a local non-Toyota garage (about two weeks ago). The lads in the garage listed the following problems: corroded plugs, perished alternator belt, seized pads all round - all brake housings had to be cleaned, back discs and pads had to be replaced. Cost about 220 EUR to sort out.
Surely all of this should have been checked prior to the car being sold, or at least when it was serviced last April by Denis Mahony.
I have a 12 month warranty on the car but the documents state that it only covers drivetrain issues. I rang Denis Mahony after getting the report from the garage and asked if any of the issues were covered. They took all my details and said they would ring back, but they didn't. I had to get the work done the day I brought it in as I need the car daily. Should this be covered based on the fact that it the car should have sound leaving the dealer? The brakes would have been working fine when the car was serviced last year but they obviously didn't clean the housings, check the plugs or the alternator belt. It seems a bit poor considering that I paid a lot more for the car just because I bought off a main dealer and thought I was getting a sound car.
Would I have any grounds to request that the costs I paid be covered by the dealer?
Thanks for any advice anyone could offer.

colm_mcm

Sorry to say you don't really have a leg to stand on here. There's no way of proving the car wasn't good leaving their garage, and these are all consumables.

Toyotafanboi

Spark plugs, an alternator belt and brake pads would all fall under consumables anyway, no warranty will give you those.

To be honest, some of it sounds like make upey upsell items that a garage will bring up during a service. You were hardly driving around with 4x seized callipers. It'd be like having an anchor attached. You'd expect to see a certain amount of perishing on what is expect to be a 10 year old alternator belt.

At least you have some preventative maintenance done now. €220 was very reasonable for an altenator belt, plugs and pads all round.

mickdw

To be honest, it's pretty shoddy if the car was being serviced by a main dealer and sold on by main dealer and ended up with very old plugs when checked. I would certainly query that as it couldn't have been fully serviced leaving the garage. Similarly, I'd the alternator belt was on its last legs, it suggests the servicing was of the poorest standard
In relation to brakes, they wouldn't really be changed til they are at wear limit so nothing dodgy there however you as a buyer should have been somewhat more educated and had a look for pad wear etc and could have bargained for new pads as part of sale.

Atlantic Dawn

Main problem is the 58 point check on used cars only applies to cars 6 years old.

https://www.toyota.ie/service-and-accessories/warranty-and-assistance/toyota-dealer-cover-warranty.json

CiniO

mickdw wrote: »

To be honest, it's pretty shoddy if the car was being serviced by a main dealer and sold on by main dealer and ended up with very old plugs when checked. I would certainly query that as it couldn't have been fully serviced leaving the garage. Similarly, I'd the alternator belt was on its last legs, it suggests the servicing was of the poorest standard
I

I think you misunderstand the term "fully serviced" spoken by dealers about the car they're selling.
All it means is that they changed oil (for cheapest one possible), possibly oil filter, and if buyer if very lucky also an air filter.

I think you are kinda in the land of dreams thinking they'd look at things like spark plugs or alternator belt, not to even mention fuel filters, pollen filter or other misterious stuff

silenoz

The car seemed fine when I bought it. I didn't realise the brakes were in such poor condition. There didn't seem to be any issue with braking. I noticed a bit of screeching develop soon after buying it but it had only gotten bad lately. The garage I brought it too said that there was a bit of an issue with the caliper piston sticking on one corner but I don't think any of the pads were seized exactly, just that all brake housing needed to be cleaned due to build up of brake dust and grit. Basically they hadn't been cleaned in years even though the car had been serviced.
I still can't get over the fact that spark plugs were not checked or replaced during any service over the last few years. The book is stamped from multiple Toyota garages incl. Denis Mahony. It's not the cost of the plugs (few euro) but it means that they obviously don't even check basic parts during a service.
I shouldn't really have to be thinking about what work needs to be done on a car straight away if I'm buying from a main dealer and paying extra because of it. I didn't go to a dealer down an alley or buy off some lad on the side of the road.

JohnBoy26

silenoz wrote: »

The car seemed fine when I bought it. I didn't realise the brakes were in such poor condition. There didn't seem to be any issue with braking. I noticed a bit of screeching develop soon after buying it but it had only gotten bad lately. The garage I brought it too said that there was a bit of an issue with the caliper piston sticking on one corner but I don't think any of the pads were seized exactly, just that all brake housing needed to be cleaned due to build up of brake dust and grit. Basically they hadn't been cleaned in years even though the car had been serviced.
I still can't get over the fact that spark plugs were not checked or replaced during any service over the last few years. The book is stamped from multiple Toyota garages incl. Denis Mahony. It's not the cost of the plugs (few euro) but it means that they obviously don't even check basic parts during a service.
I shouldn't really have to be thinking about what work needs to be done on a car straight away if I'm buying from a main dealer and paying extra because of it. I didn't go to a dealer down an alley or buy off some lad on the side of the road.

That is a very small issue and it wouldn't be really common to clean the callipers when changing pads and the dust wouldn't come up as an issue when inspecting pads while they are on the car. I think the garage is clutching at straws with that one.

Worn brake pads I wouldn't see an an issue either in terms of the car being fully serviced in april 2016. That is more than a year ago and pads can become worn in that time frame, previously free calipers can also become seized in that time frame.

The plugs are the bigger issue if the car was fully serviced last year, the plugs should still be in good condition and not corroded. A Service due sticker doesn't mean it was fully serviced however but the plugs should probably have been changed prior to selling.

JohnBoy26

CiniO wrote: »

I think you misunderstand the term "fully serviced" spoken by dealers about the car they're selling.
All it means is that they changed oil (for cheapest one possible), possibly oil filter, and if buyer if very lucky also an air filter.

I think you are kinda in the land of dreams thinking they'd look at things like spark plugs or alternator belt, not to even mention fuel filters, pollen filter or other misterious stuff

Not in a main dealers. Fully serviced means fully seviced

Del2005

silenoz wrote: »

The car seemed fine when I bought it. I didn't realise the brakes were in such poor condition. There didn't seem to be any issue with braking. I noticed a bit of screeching develop soon after buying it but it had only gotten bad lately. The garage I brought it too said that there was a bit of an issue with the caliper piston sticking on one corner but I don't think any of the pads were seized exactly, just that all brake housing needed to be cleaned due to build up of brake dust and grit. Basically they hadn't been cleaned in years even though the car had been serviced.
I still can't get over the fact that spark plugs were not checked or replaced during any service over the last few years. The book is stamped from multiple Toyota garages incl. Denis Mahony. It's not the cost of the plugs (few euro) but it means that they obviously don't even check basic parts during a service.
I shouldn't really have to be thinking about what work needs to be done on a car straight away if I'm buying from a main dealer and paying extra because of it. I didn't go to a dealer down an alley or buy off some lad on the side of the road.

It doesn't matter who you buy from you should always get a 2nd hand car checked out. A trip to your mechanic could have raised these issues and it's wayy easier to get stuff rectified before they have your money. All a big dealer means is that they have a fancy show room and coffee machine, they're still 2nd hand car sellers.

CiniO

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

Not in a main dealers. Fully serviced means fully seviced

Last year I bought a car privately (06 car)
Person selling it, bought it from a main dealer a year before.
He said he didn't service it during his ownership, but he bought it from main dealer as fully serviced. Main dealer's stamp in service book with date and mileage seems to confirm it. Car traveled less than 15k km since then.

Right after purchasing I serviced the car myself - changed oil, oil filter, air filter, pollen filter and spark plugs.
Oil filter was extremely stiff, and I have suspicion that it wasn't changed during last service, but can't prove it.
Air filter looked very fresh, so I was happy that it surely was changed during last service less than 15k km ago.
Pollen filter was extremely dirty and looked like it was origianal from factory - never changed.
Spark plugs were totally worn - impossible they were changed during last service.

Conclusion - previous owner bought 9 year old car from main dealer as fully serviced, while in fact car had only air filter, oil and possibly oil filter changed.
Pollen filter was never touched despite the fact it was absolutely filthy, and spark plugs were in appaling condition barely allowing enging to work normally.

Tell me more about main dealers and how you can trust them.

Toyotafanboi

I think the difference is people hear or read the word "serviced" and think, oh yeah, that's great, no worries so and are more than happy to leave it at that.

It's like buying anything, if you don't know, ask someone who does to give you advice or do a bit of in depth research yourself.

Merely being "serviced" really isn't enough to acknowledge unless you are buying a nearly new car from a franchise dealer where it won't have yet had a chance to deviate from the necessary.

If buying an older car, you need to be reading the history. Has it had all it's filters in good time or has it just had 10 oil changes? It's not that much extra to Check, particularly on such an expensive investment.

Isambard

I'd suspect your mechanic was looking for work although his price was fair enough. Move on and forget it, for only €220 you have your car fully serviced now and you are good to go for a while.