Straggler Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 I hope you wise Villans can help. I have had problems with my Ford Kuga (2014 model purchased 18 months ago). It failed before Christmas with horrible grinding noises coming from the front left wheel. I got it taken to my local Ford dealer who said that an impact had knocked (sheered) some bolts off the gear box and that subsequent shaking had damaged the prop shaft. As it was due to impact and the repairs quoted running into the thousands I had the insurance take it on. Direct Line took it to their own mechanic who has said that it is mechanical failure and no sign of any impact damage so not covered under insurance. I do however have the car under warranty still with the dealer (the same place the original diagnosis was done). This does now mean that I am stuck between the insurer and the dealer both saying in their expert opinion the problem is not theirs. There isn't a third option, it is either an insurance job or a warranty job, but how to I get this to a conclusion? The only thing they agree on is that bolts are missing on the gear box and it is this that has caused all the problems, it is how and why they are missing that the argument is over. For the avoidance of any doubt the Ford dealer has done all the servicing on the car and we have a 36 month warranty that is still running from the purchase of the car. thanks for your help in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
choffer Posted January 10, 2018 VT Supporter Share Posted January 10, 2018 I have no particular insight but I’d imagine the CAB would. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandy Lifeboats Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 Try the Financial Ombudsman. I can't imagine this scenario hadn't cropped up many times before. They should point you in the right direction. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferguson1 Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 CAB or even Martin Lewis? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Straggler Posted January 10, 2018 Author Share Posted January 10, 2018 thanks for the advise guys, as it happens I did put a similar post on money saving expert. I got two replies both saying get it looked at independently and use the result of that to go after one or the other. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeyp102 Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 Are you aware of any impact or accident? If not, then the insurance would likely be right. They would only cover accidental damage. Have you shown either company the other engineer report? I wouldn't necessarily get an independent engineer review yet until you've discussed it with ether party, because you could be stuck with the cost of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted January 11, 2018 Moderator Share Posted January 11, 2018 Dealers are talking shite. Ask them where the impact occurred and where their evidence for this is. There’s no way an impact (with no external signs of damage) would cause bolts to sheer off the gearbox. Talk to trading standards and tell the garage that unless they make good the damage under the warranty then you'll have no option but to take them to court (small claims isn't that expensive). 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted January 11, 2018 Share Posted January 11, 2018 (edited) Really you want this sorted by the dealer under warranty as you'll be shafted in the long run by losing your no claims bonus if insurance pay. As Bicks says, tell them there has been no road accident or impact and that it is a result of normal driving. If the car cannot cope with that then they need to repair it. Also, is there a risk the insurer might make it a class C or D right off if they repair it as a result of an "accident"? That will massively drop its value. Edited January 11, 2018 by Genie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Straggler Posted January 19, 2018 Author Popular Post Share Posted January 19, 2018 I have an update. First up thank you to everyone who made suggestions, I do really appreciate them all. So today I went to see my insurer (Direct line) at the garage that they took my car to be checked. I admit I was expecting to be told they are not going to fix the car under insurance and get me to arrange for the car to be collected myself. As it turns out, the insurer had been in touch with the dealer and the dealer had sent out an engineer so we could all get under the car together and agree how the damage happened. Not only that, but both of them behaved like decent human beings, agreed that there has been a mechanical failure and that the dealer would take the car back and fix it under warranty. I'm a little bit stunned tbh as I was gearing myself up to do small claims and all sorts. It was all friendly and both of them seemed happy to make sure that it was one of them that would cover it as they both started from the same point that I should not be left with the bill. Obviously I still need to get the car back and be happy that the repairs have been done to a decent standard for it to be a genuinely happy ending (and I do love a happy ending), but I feel so much more positive about this than I have at any time since before Christmas when it all went wrong. I'm so impressed with Direct Line, to my mind they have gone way beyond the call of duty to sort this out and on top of that they have agreed to shut the claim down without it effecting my no claims and that the free hire car that we have been using is indeed still free even with there being no claim. Hartwell Ford (the dealer) could have prevented all this heart ache with a fair/correct diagnosis in the first place, but they didn't have to send a mechanic out today and they could have continued to be awkward so I'm more inclined to be happy that they seem to be doing the right thing now. All in it's been quite a good day. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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