Engine Control Light

[Mary]

Hi

I'm having BIG problems with my Pluriel. Bought it 13 months ago (it was 18 months old). Already it has had the engine light come on 6 times. Thrice it totally lost power and had to get Breakdown recovery out. Three times it still had power and I took it in myself twice. Once the light corrected itself after 3 days!!! I'm not 100% sure what is going wrong as the garage has resisted giving me any documentation on the issue at all! But there are murmerings of replacing the fuel sensor, the throttle warehousing, the throttle sensor unit, etc. The car's condition is causing me all sort of expense in taxis / thanks yous for lifts / missed work (I'm a free lancer), etc. But what is really galling is the appalling customer service the service department (main Citroen dealer!) gives. Lousy service, no call backs, no communication, no courtesy cars, no estimation of time it will take, etc, etc.

 

Now they accept they've been crap and I've quoted the three strikes and you're out bit from the Sale of Goods Act - but they've offered a deal. They give me another Pluriel of the same age and 11k less on the clock, I use a different service centre and I pay them £850 for the privilege! Apparently the payment is because in the time I've had the car I've damaged the paint work - which I accept - but paint work doesn't stop a car working!

 

I think its cheeky after all the hassle and expense I've been put to (which is easily more than £850!) - but they say the new car is of a much higher value than the condition of my car now.

 

What should I do next?

 

If I go legal (as I'm very tempted to do) - will I get my original purchase price back and compensation - or will my result be reduced for the marks on the car - even though the marks are neither here not there as the issue is I want a car that works and I can rely on?

 

As a freelance accountant ands finance writer I'm tempted to go legal and very public - but if they gave me a decent deal (with out this £850 nonsense) it would make for an easier life all round....

 

Any advice?

 

Mary :P

[hertsnminds]

the payment is because in the time I've had the car I've damaged the paint work

I would get an independent quote on repairing the paintwork. For £850 you could almost get the car fully resprayed. I suspect the payment is actually to cover the difference in value of the 2 cars due to age/mileage.

 

Have a look on www.autotrader.co.uk (I found at least ten 2 year old Pluriel with under 20k on the clock for around £6,500) and at other Citroen dealers and see what they are quoting for similar Pluriel then compare that to the deal you are being offered.

 

Also remember a dealer will try to buy a car from you at about £2,000 less than they will try to sell it for on the forecourt.

 

Ian

BLack 55 VTR+

[karmthims]

Mary, personally I think that they have offered you a fair deal as you have had the use of the car for the last 13months and you will have put more mileage on it. In relation to the paintwork, they are going to have to get the car up to a standard that would look good on a forecourt for sale and they have to service the car put a warranty on it pay someone to clean the car, MOT the car as even though the car is three years old it will need a new MOT when they sell it so that the new owner of the car has a 12 MOT. The list goes on.

 

I think you should go for it because even if you do get a solicitor on the case, the only people who gain anything in a situation are the lawyers.

 

Good luck

[NickW]

Is that just their opening offer or the final deal? You could at the very least ask for an extended warranty, etc to be thrown in (something like warranty direct would cost about £200 for a year, and you wouldn't have to go back to that service centre).

 

Going legal could take a very, very long time and all the while you'll have a car you're not happy with. It wouldn't hurt to take advice though.

 

Best of luck