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NozSpark

Seaman stains™
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Bought a "new" car the other day, drove it less than 3 miles and the cam belt snapped:_| :_| :_|

Service book said it had been replaced 20,000 miles ago? :|

Bought it privately from a company (ex co. car) so hopefully I should have some recompensePray,,,, If not my tools are coming out and I'm doing a head and belt change! X(

Oh yeh,, It's a N reg 1.6L 16v Vectra......great condition, except for the belt and valves

 
30 day warranty on a private sale?

Doubt it.

Very unforunate. Hope you prove me wrong.

 
i just bought gf a 04 plate megane, as part of buying from a garage they serviced and changed timing belt, drove it for less than a day before realised the engine was about to pack up, belt had been incorrectly fitted, been back in garage for 2 weeks now having engine rebuild, not even sure i want it back to be honest

 
This kind of thing always seems to happen when you are spent up, or have to spend on something else (or both even!)

TBH the car did not cost that much, but I am gutted that this has happened so soon after buying it. If it had happened a few months after it wouldn't be such a "mental" problem, but we bought this car on Wednesday and held off picking it up till Saturday (for the road tax as it was on a SORN), picked it up and was on the way to drop my parents car back when this happened....

Oh yeh, we scrapped the car that this was replacing due to the cost of getting it through the MOT the day before..

Luckily my parents have just gone on holiday for 5 weeks so I have a good bit of time to repair it if I have to...

My Mrs is going to see them in the morning and she is persistent if nothing else so hopefully she'll either get us our money back or at least something towards the repair (I'm not overly hopefull though)

 
When I've sold cars in the past I write 'sold as seen' on the receipt so there's no comeback. If you bought it from an individual you have very little comeback. Although if I'd sold the car I'd feel guilty not sure I'd give you your money back.

Selfishly why would I? My reputation as a car dealer is not at risk, I don't want to be stuck with a knackered car, and by law I don't have to.

I am sorry for your situation mind :|

 
The thing is I bought the car from a company, although they are not a car dealer they were just selling their company car. It was also not "sold as seen", it was sold as a good reliable runner, however I am not going to hold my breath!!

 
Sold as a good reliable runner.

That's what you'd have to prove if you were (hopefully not) to go to court.

That they sold you the car knowing it was not.

How? That's another matter.

 
I'm no mechanic but isn't the cam belt one of these things that 'goes' with no warning? I asuume seller was unaware this was going to happen? Though this is why they were changed at certian intervals

 
would agree with apache on this,

CAM belts wpould never come under any sort of comeback even to a dealer, meerly a consumable that can go at any time.

any car/van I have ever bought has been treated to a cam belt change, regardless of what the record says, tho, TBH, not always in the first 3 days, and I wouldnt ever have expected it to go that quick, nor i doubt would the seller.

in short,

IMO I dont think you have jack to stand on with a cam belt failure, I certainly wouldnt entertain that sort of complaint, and doubt a court would either, sorry.

 
What are the manufactures recommended intervals for Cam belt replacement?

If you have documents saying it was replaced 20,000 miles ago..

IMHO..

this seems quite low to me?

maybe either Cam belt was NOT chnaged...

Or mileage NOT correct?

With my motor the Cam Belt intervals are 5years or 72,000?

Do you have any RAC/AA/Green flag membership, or similar?

who may have technical & Legal advice.

 
As I have said I do not hold out much if any hope of the seller helping us out in any way, although there is always hope!!

In the morning I will be contacting the main dealer to confirm the cam belt change (service book was used to aid sale where it had cam belt replacement noted) and I will also be contacting the legal line at the RAC.

Will see how it goes??

Steps,,, it wasn't 3 days it was 3 miles!!

 
As I have said I do not hold out much if any hope of the seller helping us out in any way, although there is always hope!!In the morning I will be contacting the main dealer to confirm the cam belt change (service book was used to aid sale where it had cam belt replacement noted) and I will also be contacting the legal line at the RAC.

Will see how it goes??

Steps,,, it wasn't 3 days it was 3 miles!!
Wish you luck with it Noz!Guiness Drink

Fingers crossed & all that:|

 
I just had a full cam belt kit fitted on my van, had them change the water pump aswell, this was a genuine dealer kit fitted by an approved repairer but still cost in the region of

 
would agree with apache on this,CAM belts wpould never come under any sort of comeback even to a dealer, meerly a consumable that can go at any time.

any car/van I have ever bought has been treated to a cam belt change, regardless of what the record says, tho, TBH, not always in the first 3 days, and I wouldnt ever have expected it to go that quick, nor i doubt would the seller.in short,

IMO I dont think you have jack to stand on with a cam belt failure, I certainly wouldnt entertain that sort of complaint, and doubt a court would either, sorry.
Guess steps said 3 days as thats how long it takes for him to get 3 miles;)

Macca

 
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