As you know I bought a rep-mobile (Vx Insignia) back in February, which so far I've been very happy with; apart from an electrical glitch related to the DAB radio which took a long time to fix.
Just after I got it back the radio interface panel stopped working, meaning all radio / navigation / volume / car config functions etc are frozen out. The radio can't be turned on (or off) and the map display is stuck on the default zoom setting. The steering wheel controls only work from time to time.
This is, as you can imagine, deeply irritating and a serious safety hazard as it forces me to listen to Thought for the Day on R4.
According to the dealer it's a button fault in the panel (I suspect caused by the previous dismantling of the car for the DAB problem) and once again, the part is on back-order with no anticipated delivery date. On top of this, I'm now getting another warning related to the front camera system.
Mechanically, the car is sound - and very, very good, averaging 66 mpg. Electrically... well, I used to have a Citroen that was more reliable.
It's been in the dealer for a total of 9 days so far, and will have to go back for another three when this part comes.
I'm not particularly keen on rejecting the car - not even sure this justifies as acceptable grounds - but equally I'm not happy about paying for it while a big chunk of functionality is broken with no known fix.
Who is actually responsible for it? The dealer? The finance company? The credit card company who paid the deposit?
What's a fair compromise to negotiate for from the dealer? Cash? Service package? How would you play it?
Any advice appreciated!
Last edited by: Fursty Ferret on Tue 4 Jun 13 at 09:47
|
If it were me, I would complain via the finance company. You have more rights under credit agreements than outright purchase.
Just to make you feel better, my Lads 2008 fully loaded insignia does exactly the same thing. If they haven't cured it in the last 5 years I doubt there is a fix coming......
They will of course claim yours is the first they have seen it happen on.
|
>> They will of course claim yours is the first they have seen it happen on.
The Renault approach to customer service.
If you're on the phone, asking them to open Google is the best way to deal with that, I find.
|
>>They will of course claim yours is the first they have seen it happen on.
Yes. Way back in the 80s, my shiny new Maxi was the first one known to suffer violent clutch judder!
|
If you're on HP you are on pretty solid ground
tinyurl.com/mqrdsgs
Last edited by: R.P. on Tue 4 Jun 13 at 18:49
|
FF, I'm sad to say that you've reinforced my long held prejudice against Vauxhall, when you originally posted about your intended purchase I refrained from commenting although I wanted to to shout NO, DON'T DO IT.....
I had a truly dreadful 'ownership experience' in the late 1990s/early 2000s with their cars & dealer service. Similar to you, a minor fault with the computer display panel would see the car returned with no warning lights reconnected and heater vents which fell out of the dash. With every (reliability related) problem Vauxhall dealers fixed they'd introduce multiple others through sheer shoddy workmanship (damaged aircon following oil seal replacement, broken door trim following speaker replacement, unattached indicator following headlamp replacement) - the list was endless and their incompetence astounding.
I have not owned, leased or rented a GM car since and your tale cures me of the desire to try either the handsome (to me) Holden Commodore or Opel (in Aus) Insignia.... sorry.
Unfortunately I doubt you can reject it and get your money back, I sincerely hope your ownership experience improves, honestly I do. Are there any small / family owned dealers within a reasonable distance of you ?
Last edited by: idle_chatterer on Thu 6 Jun 13 at 11:02
|
The Ferret says "which so far I've been very happy with" and "Mechanically, the car is sound - and very, very good, averaging 66 mpg"
So it's hardly the-end-of-the-world, is it (annoying, yes) and who needs a blimming camera on the front of the car anyway?
:)
|
>>
>> So it's hardly the-end-of-the-world, is it (annoying, yes)
Because it augurs badly for the future ownership experience ? Anyway - FF paid for lots of toys, driving a 5y/o car with toys that don't work is an irritation, at a few months old it is infuriating I would contend ?
|
I'm just trying to be kind really :)
There's nothing worse than deciding on a car/model/colour etc. and having to keep on taking it back to the pain dealer to have niggling faults corrected, I know, I've been there with a, eh, Citroen :(
>>Because it augurs badly for the future ownership experience ?
Well, www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/vauxhall/insignia-2008/?section=bad
|
IC's Vauxhall experience was mine too, I'm afraid - although it had glimmers of good in it - and I felt my buttocks clench as FF announced what he was buying.
One glimmer was the dealer I bought it from: Approach of Andover, which isn't too far from Fursty's Buckinghamshire base. This was in 1993, though, so I've no idea how, or even if, it is there today. But I'd second the advice to go to a smaller, less corporate dealer if you can find one.
When the Astra was nearly two years old I left Hampshire for Warwickshire and put it in the care of the unlovable Cowie group. Sadly this coincided with the onset of mechanical problems, which they seemed unable to describe to me civilly, never mind fix. Six months later I was offered a company car, chose a Saab and - well, you know the rest.
Fortunately, Vauxhall's product range for most of the last 20 years has been enough on its own to put me off having one, but if I am ever tempted, the one word 'Cowies' ought to be enough to set me right again.
|
|
I was given a lift today in an Insignia Turbo. I was dead impressed. Pretty fair and comfortable interior and a fair old kick in the back.
|
My first new car was a Frontera. Would have been alright if built properly as the basic idea and price was ok. But it wasn't built ok, and spent far too long in the fourteen months I owned it in the dealers.
Wasn't helped either by the fact that for one of the faults, I had to push hard on the third attempt to fix a fault to get the dealer to talk to Vauxhall as I suspected from the type of fault I wasn't the only one. Indeed I was right, Vauxhall gave the right fix and that was that - for that fault.
But when the back axle needed replaced at 12000 miles and the new one was noisey, I traded it in against a Discovery which I kept for over five years.
Vauxhall is still on my avoid list!
|
I would never touch another Vauxhall again.I had a new Vectra at the time and it had to have a new clutch fitted at 3500 miles due to it juddering.The replacement was suppose to be an upgraded one but it soon started juddering again.Then it needed a new thermostat at 8000 miles.Once the car was nearing 3 years old i traded it in.The engine was making a funny noise at this point and i wasn't prepared to deal with it out of warranty.
In contrast the Ford Mondeo i have had for 3 years has not missed a beat and continues to be a pleasure to own.
|
|
We have 10 lease Insignias on the fleet at work, diesel ecoflex/dynamics or whatevever they are. We got them at a rediculously low price. However they are disliked by everyone who has been given one and they suffer from a constant stream of niggling problems which the dealers seem unable to sort.
|
I got a low spec Insignia as a hire car once (1.8LS or whatever the basic one is). Disliked a lot! But I had it for less than 8 hours so I could live with it.
A while later I got a 2.0 DTi 160PS SRi.... it was okay. I didn't hate it and had it for about a week and did over 600 miles. I could have lived with it for longer. I didn't like it as such but it was okay. Handles okay and rode okay (18" wheels).
So same car, different spec - one was okay for me the other I hated. Go figure. Could I live with say an Insignia Elite for longer? Maybe. If It had to. Next car options won't include it unless necessary though!
|
|
.... and there will be hundreds of thousands of satisfied Insignia drivers out there who've never had a problem.
|
...once they've returned it to the rental company, you mean?
};---)
|
>> .... and there will be hundreds of thousands of satisfied Insignia drivers out there who've
>> never had a problem.
Most of them probably won't publicise their satisfaction. It's usually only the dissatisfied people who say anything publicly.
|
>> My first new car was a Frontera. Would have been alright if built properly as
>> the basic idea and price was ok. But it wasn't built ok, and spent far
>> too long in the fourteen months I owned it in the dealers.
>>
>> But when the back axle needed replaced at 12000 miles and the new one was
>> noisey,>>
That's Japanese build quality for you! - made for Vauxhall by Isuzu IIRC?
|
>> >> My first new car was a Frontera. Would have been alright if built properly
>> as
>> >> the basic idea and price was ok. But it wasn't built ok, and spent
>> far
>> >> too long in the fourteen months I owned it in the dealers.
>> >>
>> >> But when the back axle needed replaced at 12000 miles and the new one
>> was
>> >> noisey,>>
>>
>> That's Japanese build quality for you! - made for Vauxhall by Isuzu IIRC?
>>
Yes, but made in Luton though
|
>> That's Japanese build quality for you! - made for Vauxhall by Isuzu IIRC?
>> >>
>>
>> Yes, but made in Luton though
>>
Were they? I didn't know that.
I do know the Rascal was...
Really
A
Suzuki
Crudely
Assembled in
Luton.
|
>> >> That's Japanese build quality for you! - made for Vauxhall by Isuzu IIRC?
>> >> >>
>> >>
>> >> Yes, but made in Luton though
>> >>
>>
>> Were they? I didn't know that.
>> I do know the Rascal was...
Well, according to Wiki
" It was originally built at the former Bedford Vehicles factory in Luton, UK; it would become known as the IBC factory (Isuzu Bedford Company). In the 1980s the plant had come under joint control between Isuzu and General Motors, with the Frontera being built alongside a number of other commercial vehicle models."
|
|
I believe the offending axle was German.
|
Vauxhall Customer Care telephone number: 0844 369 0112
BBC Watchdog: ssl.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mg74/contact
Last edited by: L'escargot on Sat 8 Jun 13 at 09:05
|
Vauxhall Insignia - Is it me? (dealer content) - Zero
