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Part replaced under warranty failed again

  • 14-03-2022 8:26pm
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,008 ✭✭✭


    Evening all.

    Got the a/c compressor in my car swapped out under warranty. 18 months later, the same part failed.

    The dealer is saying that seeing as I never paid money for the part ie. they never "sold" it to me, there's only a standard 12 month warranty.

    I'm arguing that whomever paid for the part is irrelevant, that the part was fitted by them, has failed, and should be replaced under the EU 2 year guarantee.

    I can see both sides, but obviously I'm hoping I'm right so I don't have to pay for repair.

    What say ye?



Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,705 ✭✭✭✭Jim_Hodge


    The point of a guarantee is to provide protection for the customer for a fixed period of time. No matter how many repairs or replacements you receive in relation to an original product, that time limit still stands - so the replacement product would only be under guarantee for whatever time period was still remaining from the original guarantee.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,069 ✭✭✭✭elperello


    An AC compressor would reasonably be expected to last longer than 18 months.

    How long did the first one last?

    Did you buy the car new and is it a main dealer?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,008 ✭✭✭Soarer


    Thanks for the replies guys.

    Not really understanding this. Are you saying if an original part has the 2 year guarantee outlined by the EU but fails after 20 months, the replacement part only has a 4 month warranty?

    I would've though the same, especially with the amount of use it got. Like I said to them, it's not like I'm living in Arizona!

    I bought the car secondhand from a main dealer in the UK and imported it in January 2020. It was a Volvo Selekt car, which came with a 12 month unlimited mileage warranty completely transferrable to Ireland. Any work that needed to be done was covered by the warranty and carried out without issue. Great warranty to be fair. She was just under 6 years old when I bought her.

    The original part failed in late 2018 after 4 years with the original owner of the car. There was originally a 3 year warranty with the car, but Volvo covered her repair as a goodwill gesture. The part failed in March 2020 for me and was replaced under warranty. It then subsequently failed again in September 2021, and this is the failure I'm looking to have covered. It was 18 months after the warranty replacement, and the 3rd failure in 3 years.

    Full disclosure is they've offered me 50% off the price of replacement as a goodwill gesture. But I'm still thinking I shouldn't be out of pocket.

    The technicality between the two of us is whether, because I didn't technically pay for the warranty part, if it only has a 12 month guarantee (like they're saying) or a 2 year guarantee (like I'm saying). If they're giving a 12 month guarantee, surely that means the 2 year guarantee applies?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,237 ✭✭✭darragh o meara


    Sorry, not up to speed on quoting posts since the update to Boards.

    In response to your question in the last post:

    "Not really understanding this. Are you saying if an original part has the 2 year guarantee outlined by the EU but fails after 20 months, the replacement part only has a 4 month warranty?"

    Yes that is the accepted practice with every warranty replacement. I worked in warranty for a main dealers for years and I can confirm that the replaced part carries the same warranty as the original part. So in your question, yes it would only have 4 months coverage.

    A/C pumps can go for a number of reasons and it might be worth going to an AC specialist to have a look. I have in the past been able to get AC pumps repaired too so this may be a lower cost option for you.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,560 ✭✭✭✭bucketybuck


    The replacement part doesn't have any warranty, not 4 months, not 2 years. There is no "technicality" about it.

    A repair carried out under warranty does not extend the original warranty period, it is a straightforward concept.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,718 ✭✭✭whippet


    if I'm reading the OP correctly the car is about 8 years old?

    there would be no expectation that something like an AC compressor would be still in warranty at this stage.

    as mentioned before a part replaced under warranty does not attract a 'new' warranty period.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,008 ✭✭✭Soarer


    Thanks Darragh. Never been in this position before so learning as I go. Strange that they said it's outside the 12 month guarantee on replacement parts. ie. they give a 12 month guarantee on warranty replacements.

    As for quoting, just press the "quote" button under any message, and it'll automatically quote said message into the reply box at the bottom of the page. Click the quoted message in said box and a little bin appears so you can delete again!

    A condecending response is always helpful!

    If it's such a such a straightforward concept, you might let Darragh know he was doing his job incorrectly for years, and tell my dealer they shouldn't be offering 12 month guarantees on replacement parts.

    You did and didn't read it properly.

    The car is 8 now, but was 6 when the part failed, and the failing part was only 18 months old.

    Don't think the age of the car should come into it. If you got a main dealer to change the power steering pump in your car and it failed, I don't think they'd say "tough titties, your car is 8 years old!".



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,718 ✭✭✭whippet



    I'm not saying that they can say 'tough kitties' but the warranty on the car is from the day it was originally sold (or any subsequent deal done afterwards).

    Replacing a part under warranty is honouring the original warranty and any subsequent deals done. It is standard practice in many industries to cover the replaced part for 90 days (or some other token time frame) or to the end of the warranty period which ever is longest.

    If you are to expect dealers to have to cover parts on 8 year old cars indefinitely it would drive up the cost of doing business and consumers will end up footing the additional costs



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,560 ✭✭✭✭bucketybuck


    Darragh wasn't wrong, you read him incorrectly. He said that "the replaced part carries the same warranty as the original part", which is correct, it is the same warranty continued, not a new warranty.

    I have been doing main dealer manufacturer warranty claims for a long, long time, if I am condescending its because I see a dealer offering 50% goodwill when they absolutely don't have to and it still isn't good enough for the customer, who didn't even buy the car from them in the first place. These places can't win.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,008 ✭✭✭Soarer


    Well then, what you originally said is wrong. You said a replacement part has no warranty, Darragh said the replacement part continues the warranty of the original part.

    And I'm not saying the 50% isn't good enough. I've already told them it's extremely generous. I was just checking if I had a 2 year warranty is all.

    And as for the poor dealer, I've already thrown them a few grand in servicing and repairs outside of warranty. So they're doing very well out of not selling me the car!



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,560 ✭✭✭✭bucketybuck


    I wasn't wrong, you just don't seem to grasp the definitions. The warranty is on the original purchase. The warranty on the original purchase still applies. Any repair done does not extend that warranty period. There is no new warranty on the repair done or the parts, it is still the original warranty applying. The replacement part doesn't have a warranty, only the original part does.

    Try and find a loophole all you want, you certainly aren't the first.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,008 ✭✭✭Soarer


    Will you stop contributing if I say you win?

    Because I didn't come here for an argument, or to find a loophole. It was a simple question of "does a warranty repair have a 2 year warranty?".



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,560 ✭✭✭✭bucketybuck


    Everything you paid for has a warranty. Bring them the invoice where you purchased the part and they will likely cover it.

    Otherwise, bite their hand off for the 50% goodwill and consider them to be a good dealership.



  • Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 15,104 Mod ✭✭✭✭whiterebel


    The 2 year warranty was never implemented in Ireland. Our Sale of Goods Act was deemed better than what was required under the EU Directive.

    I have only ever come across one or 2 companies that restart a warranty after repair.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,069 ✭✭✭✭elperello


    I think you are correct the 50% offer is fair considering all the circumstances.



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