Low mileage, relatively new Golf has numerous misfires

[andrewdc]

Hello,

 

I bought a Volkswagen Golf (63 plate) in January for £14,500 cash, since buying it, it has suffered five misfires, three of which have occurred in the past three weeks, the first two of those three I was told it had been "fixed" and it's currently in the garage again being "looked at".

 

The trouble is, this has left the car incredibly untrustworthy and it's reliability questionable at best. The last two misfires occurred in the first 9 miles of a journey to work, not exactly a lengthy journey.

 

Volkswagen are prepared to offer me a new car "at cost", but will only give me part exchange value for this car that has the misfires and is clearly defective to be suffering misfires on two cylinders. It has spent around 10 days in the garage now in the past six weeks. Although they say they'll "definitely fix it" before I get it back, they said this twice before, so I have lost trust and confidence that the car can actually be fixed.

 

Unfortunately, the part exchange value leaves me around £4,000 short of what I need to settle the loan I took out for it, they're prepared to give me this extra if I agree to add £4,000 on to the finance of a new car, which isn't ideal.

 

Do I have no way of getting a full refund or a better price? The car is unsafe to drive and at this rate I'll have no choice but to take my car back and quite literally risk my life on the roads - the misfires leave me with no power and as I travel on single and dual national speed limit carriageways, this makes overtaking and anything else you may reasonably expect to be able to do in a vehicle rather difficult.

 

Forgot to mention the car has only done 12,300 miles, nowhere near what I would consider engine-breaking mileage.

[heliosuk]

OK, because of the length of time you've had the car it would be difficult to reject. Can you describe the frequency of the misfire? What golf is it, petrol or diesel? Was it a VW dealer you bought it from?

A check of fault codes should give an indication where to look. I'd suggest that when you book it in again (On the assumption it is a VW dealer) you do it on the principle that a loan car is available for an unlimited time and that you will only accept it back after a full validation of the repairs.

 

 

It would be worthwhile requesting a meeting with the dealer principal explaining that this is the last chance saloon to fix and that they should engage technical services in Milton Keynes otherwise you will take legal action.

 

 

You must though be prepared to follow through as your case is rather weak at present.