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View Full Version : Cambelt change at 26,000 miles is this normal?



lyndsey2103
02-05-2007, 04:36 PM
Hi all,

I'm new to the site and hope someone might be able to help me. I purchased a second hand polo 6 months ago from a private dealer. The car is a 51 plate and only has 26,000 miles on the clock. However, at the weekend my car broke down. It was recovered to a VW dealer where my fiance was informed the cambelt had snapped/broken and in the process of doing so had damaged the cylinder head gasket, costing me a whopping £1134 for the repair. I've been reading other posts about cambelts going at around 55,000 miles, so can someone tell me if it should have gone after only 26,000 miles?? If this is not normal, would anyone be able to recommend whether i'd get any joy if i complain to VW?? Or if someone has had a similar experience?

Any help would be much appreciated as the money for the repair has wiped out the savings for my wedding. :bigeyes:

bora(ing) nick
02-05-2007, 04:48 PM
Hi all,

I'm new to the site and hope someone might be able to help me. I purchased a second hand polo 6 months ago from a private dealer. The car is a 51 plate and only has 26,000 miles on the clock. However, at the weekend my car broke down. It was recovered to a VW dealer where my fiance was informed the cambelt had snapped/broken and in the process of doing so had damaged the cylinder head gasket, costing me a whopping £1134 for the repair. I've been reading other posts about cambelts going at around 55,000 miles, so can someone tell me if it should have gone after only 26,000 miles?? If this is not normal, would anyone be able to recommend whether i'd get any joy if i complain to VW?? Or if someone has had a similar experience?

Any help would be much appreciated as the money for the repair has wiped out the savings for my wedding. :bigeyes:

Although your car only has 26k miles... it's 6 / 7 years old....

It's reccommended that the belt should be changed at 40K or every 4 years whichever comes first.

£1134 sounds a tad on the expensive side, but probably about right depending on how much damage the camshaft did.

Sorry it's not what you wanted to hear, Nick

bora(ing) nick
02-05-2007, 04:56 PM
Thinking about it..... did the dealer sell you the car with a full service history???

If so you may have a avenue there to explore, because the essential item of maintenance wasn't carried out?

onzarob
02-05-2007, 05:37 PM
Nick right about the time interval, eshrules managed to get his cambelt change for free after the dealer claimed it had a full service history...worth a try, speak to trading standards.

Rob:D

lyndsey2103
03-05-2007, 09:25 AM
Thanks for your help guys.

The dealer sold me the car with the full service history and a service had last been done around 3,000 prior to me buying it (so around 20,000).

I called the dealer about the cambelt and he said when i bought the car he'd have recommended I get the cambelt changed - but my parents were with me at the time and he definately didnt say anything of the sort.

It was the dealer I bought the car from who suggested I complain to VW because he said after so few miles it shouldnt have gone, however I think he might have been trying to deflect my attention away from him. He said it was my responsibility to check these things.

Since speaking to the VW garage that are dealing with the car they seem to think that the cambelt should have been changed in October 2005, however as I have only had the car since the end of October 2006, I wasnt aware of this (and it doesnt say anything to this effect in the service history). Nonetheless, I'm assuming that this will mean VW will not accept any responsibility.

Bora(ing) nick since speaking to the repair guy its £1134 and rising as they havent checked the engine for further damage yet!! Could my day get any better and its only 9.20am!

Seems like 'm just going to have to put it down to experience!

Thanks again though everyone.

Eshrules
03-05-2007, 10:07 AM
ok.... first of all :zx11: dealers think they are above the law and consumer legislation... fact no.1 they arent

now, to the matter in hand. allow me to explain my situation, this may help you resolve yours.

i bought my VW golf 00 W plate, from a private dealer in stockport in october 2006. the car had then done 79k. the last time the timing belt had been changed was at 50k, but in 2002/3, so it was well over due in respect of the time interval. recommended interval for my car is 60k or every 4 years, whicever comes first. i had got my car on finance and when the dealer refused point blank to replace the timing belt (after the car being in 4 times to fix a turbo fault...ended up with a recon turbo in the end). i contacted trading standards and my finance company. a 3rd party arbitrator was employed to act on my behalf and within 2 weeks the timing belt was replaced.

now, the dealer sold you your car with a FULL service history and im presuming with the statutory 3 month warranty that must be given with each and every car sale from their forecourt. this is their first breach... trade description act states goods sold must be as described.... he described it as having a FSH, if it didnt have its belt changed in accordance with service recommendations by the manufacturer, he has misled you and as such, has broken the law.

you dont say how you paid for the car, if it is on finance, you have a lot more power. if you do have it on finance, instruct your finance company to allocate an arbitrator to get involved and clear up the situation. the fact that the car is outside of the statutory warranty is irrelevant. the car's repair is now the finances responsibility. they cannot refuse to do this, if they do, threaten to take them to the small claims court for breach of contract in regards to the sale of goods act (implied terms) and if that doesnt budge them, go ahead and do it... theyll settle out of court before they have to defend themselves.

if you paid cash... you dont actually have as much power, but the goods still have to be fit for their purpose and of suitable quality. a major failure such as this within 6 months is not in accordance with this. you could do with finding an advert or paperwork which states the car was sold with a full service history. if the dealer has not specifically stated that the timing belt needed doing and you accepted this as a condition of the sale, they are well and truly knackerd. he cannot simply say he 'said this and said that' ... it all has to be documented in the paperwork.

should he argue this, there is also the fact that he has sold a car with a 3 month warranty which was , for all intents and purposes, VOID in regards to the timing belt, as it had not been maintained in accordance with manufacturer guidelines.

i would advise you not to do anything regards repairs, i know it means being without a car, but if you fix it and then seek refund for the repairs, you will find it extremely difficult. also, any communication, i would advise to put in writing, dont do anything on the phone.

in the meantime, contact trading standards, explain your situation and they will give you specific legal advice on your rights.

dont give up just yet.... fight tooth and nail, i am sure you will get a result and keep us updated :beerchug:

lyndsey2103
03-05-2007, 10:50 AM
Hi eshrules,

Thanks so much for your advice.

Ok so i've just got off the phone from the dealer doing the repairs and its now going to cost £1513.43 as the car also needs 2 camshafts and 4 spark plugs as they too were damaged! My major problem is that the car is in a dealership in Milton Keynes and I live in Manchester. My fiance was driving the car back from Chatham when the car broke down. I have local recovery with Green Flag so to get the car recovered back to Manchester would have cost £450 + VAT. Instead we opted for free recovery to a local dealer - Milton Keynes Wayside - where the car still is. They are doing the repairs on the car as we speak and its going to be ready for this Saturday - my train ticket is booked and i'm due to collect it at 12pm (which i arranged before finding this site and you helpful people!).

I paid £3695 cash for the car on 21st October 2006. The car broke down on Friday 27th April, so it was 6 days outside of the 6 month warranty. Although the guy i bought it from said that a cambelt wouldn't have been covered under his warranty as he'd have recommended I get it changed (which he didnt), and ultimately thats the drivers responsibility. The car was bought from a private dealer called Leigh Mathers Car Sales in Knutsford. Unfortunately I dont have a copy of the original advert for the car and i can't be 100% sure, but i'm almost certain it did specify a 'FSH'. Whislt he definately didnt mention that the car needed a new cambelt or that he'd recommend I change it, he did say that although the car had been serviced 3000 miles ago, that was over a year ago and it should be serviced soon. I didnt get it serviced as I couldn't afford it and was due to get it booked in this month! Therefore i'm almost positive its my fault for not getting it serviced.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing and a few hundred for a service seem nothing compared with the £1500 bill i'm now landed with!! :aargh4:

Eshrules
03-05-2007, 11:04 AM
Hi eshrules,

Thanks so much for your advice.

Ok so i've just got off the phone from the dealer doing the repairs and its now going to cost £1513.43 as the car also needs 2 camshafts and 4 spark plugs as they too were damaged! My major problem is that the car is in a dealership in Milton Keynes and I live in Manchester. My fiance was driving the car back from Chatham when the car broke down. I have local recovery with Green Flag so to get the car recovered back to Manchester would have cost £450 + VAT. Instead we opted for free recovery to a local dealer - Milton Keynes Wayside - where the car still is. They are doing the repairs on the car as we speak and its going to be ready for this Saturday - my train ticket is booked and i'm due to collect it at 12pm (which i arranged before finding this site and you helpful people!).

I paid £3695 cash for the car on 21st October 2006. The car broke down on Friday 27th April, so it was 6 days outside of the 6 month warranty. Although the guy i bought it from said that a cambelt wouldn't have been covered under his warranty as he'd have recommended I get it changed (which he didnt), and ultimately thats the drivers responsibility. The car was bought from a private dealer called Leigh Mathers Car Sales in Knutsford. Unfortunately I dont have a copy of the original advert for the car and i can't be 100% sure, but i'm almost certain it did specify a 'FSH'. Whislt he definately didnt mention that the car needed a new cambelt or that he'd recommend I change it, he did say that although the car had been serviced 3000 miles ago, that was over a year ago and it should be serviced soon. I didnt get it serviced as I couldn't afford it and was due to get it booked in this month! Therefore i'm almost positive its my fault for not getting it serviced.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing and a few hundred for a service seem nothing compared with the £1500 bill i'm now landed with!! :aargh4:

unfortuantely, if youve already actioned the repairs, there is very little you can do, you have more or less admitted liability in doing so :(

the statement that the 'timing belt would not be covered anyway' is absolute tosh and he knows it.... its not a wear and tear item and as long as it has been changed in accordance with VW guidelines, it WOULD have been covered for failure, such as this instance....

im not sure if theres any room for movement here as you have already started the repairs as i say :(

you have every right though to try and pursue this i think, through the small claims court as the car has had a major failure 6 days outside of its warranty and the dealer knows he would be up a creek without a paddle regards this.... you may have to speak to trading standards about that though :beerchug:

lyndsey2103
03-05-2007, 11:17 AM
Well thanks for all the advice anyway.

I'll contact Trading Standards and see if they would be able to advise me, although i think im fighting a losing battle.

I dont think the cambelt has been changed at all since the car was first purchased, as when it was looked at by the Milton Keynes dealership they said that the cambelt should have been replaced in October 2005 - i'm assuming four or so years after the car was first sold.

:(

Sam
03-05-2007, 12:30 PM
Well thanks for all the advice anyway.

I'll contact Trading Standards and see if they would be able to advise me, although i think im fighting a losing battle.

I dont think the cambelt has been changed at all since the car was first purchased, as when it was looked at by the Milton Keynes dealership they said that the cambelt should have been replaced in October 2005 - i'm assuming four or so years after the car was first sold.

:(

Milton Keynes just happens to be where VWUK are - that could be worth a wander on over, or a call to get one of the guys to have a look.