Faults when buying a second hand car

Hi,

Could anybody help me and let me now what my rights might be. I bought a second hand Hyundai car 2.5 years old from a main dealer as a Hyundai Approved car with the remainder of its 5 year manufacturers guarantee. Having had the car less than 3 months the clutch went and I had a =A3550 bill to fix it. Hyundai and the Hyundai garage where I bought it both told me that it was basicly tough and that the manufacturers guarantee only covers the clutch for the fist two years.

Any advice please?

=A3550 bill for a new clutch in my book is a complete rip off. Go elsewhere and never visit that garage again. Don't go to a main dealer for such parts.

Jim (jim snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Mileage?

You are, I would suggest, stuffed. The life of a clutch varies wildly depending on how it's (ab)used.

( snipped-for-privacy@tesco.net) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Could well require both engine and box to come out, don't forget.

That £550 includes the VAT, don't forget - so £470

Dealer price for labour - let's say £60/hour. Parts price - let's guesstimate £70.

That's less than seven hours labour. A day. Not vastly excessive.

Depends on how badly you want to keep that five year warranty up, doesn't it?

I thought maybe there was some legal requirement for a cat just bought to work for at least 3 months? So what is the point in buying from a dealer exactly the same things are covered weather you buy from a main dealer or privatly if the car is within the warranty period but of course you pay allot more for a main dealer ' Hyundai Approved'

A clutch is usually termed a wearing part and the T&C will mention fair wear and tear etc.

Clutch life depends on many things, you dont state the mileage, but I've seen worn out clutches in less than 15k- that was total abuse mind.

You would have been able to determine when you test drove the car that there 'wasnt much life' left in it, so really you only have yourself to blame.

Tim..

Hi for everybody interested. According to trading standards you do have recourse under the sale of good act 1979 to make a small claim against them. However you need to get the garage responsible to do the work which might involve a wait! If you like me have the work done because you need the car to move it weekens your case but a partial repayment is not out of the question

Clutches are classed as a "consumable" and aren't usually covered.

A clutch is rather like brakes and tyres. How long it lasts depends on the driver. Some can get through one in only a few thousand miles - others might make one last well over 100,000.

Yup. It's called stupidity. The people who buy into this "XXX Approved" used vehicle deal are the same fools who buy extended warranties from Dixons which aren't worth a toss.

Good luck. They'll probably successfully argue it is a consumable.

Conor ( snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Which, of course, it is.

It always amuses me when know-nothing muppets invoke SOGA and the like as a cover-all.

Same could be argued for the whole car.

Could anybody help me and let me now what my rights might be. I bought a second hand Hyundai car 2.5 years old from a main dealer as a Hyundai Approved car with the remainder of its 5 year manufacturers guarantee. Having had the car less than 3 months the clutch went and I had a £550 bill to fix it. Hyundai and the Hyundai garage where I bought it both told me that it was basicly tough and that the manufacturers guarantee only covers the clutch for the fist two years.

Any advice please?

Give the clutch a good working out net time you buy one.

On 22-Nov-05 12:45:17, Jim said

Our two just lie around the house all day, maybe pop out once in a while to wind up the neighbour with a garden deposit. Never had a day's work out of either of them.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

All the best, Angus Manwaring. (for e-mail remove ANTISPEM)

I need your memories for the Amiga Games Database: A collection of Amiga Game reviews by Amiga players

Not always - my Accent has always be a b*st to get into 2nd gear - it feels like the clutch is dragging, but 60k miles later it hasn't got significantly worse.

Not to anything like the same extent.

A clutch plate only wears when partially engaged so hundreds of thousands of motorway miles will wear it less than a week of climbing a steep hill in stop-go rush-hour traffic.

Driving with your foot resting ever so lightly on the clutch pedal can kill one *very* quickly too.

If the failure is for a reason other than clutch plate wear you *might* have a claim.