gpssti4

iTrader: (6)

I have a problem with an Astra company car and have had since it was new 5 months ago. Advise/opinions please................

Five months ago the car was delivered to me with 85 miles on the clock. On my first drive home I noticed a knocking noise when changing gear. I reported this to my local Vauxhall dealer who test drove the car with me. The dealer agreed that the noise was not normal and they'd look into it. The car was booked into the dealer who checked everything was tight underneath, they reported back - all ok.

Car was still the same - 2nd visit to dealer, new engine mounts fitted - after 3 weeks of waiting. Car still the same. Only to be told "oh they all make that noise". WHF!!!

So, I try another dealer. They agree that the noise is not normal and investigate. They can't find anything wrong so it the same "they all make that noise, it's backlash in the gearing/take up of drive"

I manage to get the leasing company to get Vauxhall to send a Vauxhall assessor out (not from the garage but Vauxhall themselves).

In the meantime whilst driving home from work - 50mph in traffic one of the engine mount bolts 'falls' out - I nurse the car home the last few miles. The AA confrim that the car needs to go to Vauxhall.

I agree to meet the Vauxhall assessor at 11am and collect the car for the test drive. The noise is reduced, but there is another noise under heavy acceleration. The Vauxhall assessor tells me that the radiator etc is mounted on rubber bushes to reduce the noise and that it may be that striking the engine!!!!!!!!!! WTF. I tell him to stop trying to be cleaver and sort it out. We agree to me driving another Astra for a few days to see if there is a difference, I hope there is.

Three weeks later I've heard nothing, so I chase the leasing company. I'm promised a return phone call.

The next day my boss sees me and tells me that I've got to stop complaining about the car so much - this has come from HR at our head office. Apparently, Vauxhall have told the leasing company that the car is fine and that I'm complaining about nothing. The leasing company then tell my HR department and so on.

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but when an engine mount bolt fall off the car at speed then that's not really acceptable is it? There are now other faults with the car - split fuel line, faulty seat, vibrating dash (oh err mrs)

Where do I go from here. A new job I think.

Graham

Shark Man

Take your boss for a test drive in it....see what he thinks.

gpssti4

iTrader: (6)

He knows it's crap, but his hands are tied.

It's Vauxhall I'm really mad with though, they are washing there hands of it.

Tripple'O G

rubbish....HR are "supposedly" on our side so go tell them to sort it out....then say to them they can either sort it out (which will be a lot cheaper then you having an accident and suing the **** out of the company) or reap the conseq...

I wonder what they'll do then??

Simon C

Personally if a bolt fell out under load condidtions and the fuel line's split, I'd be refusing to drive the car as its un-roadworthy.

Scooby Snacks 23

You seem to have done quite a lot of stuff yourself (ie going to different dealers etc) so you have been very pro-active in trying to get it resolved. It might just be me but I would have handed it back to the leasing company the first time I noticed it and told them to sort it and that you don't want it back until it is mended to your satisfaction.

The leasing company will own the car so it's actually in their interest to get it sorted, but their apparent complaint to your HR department is strange (remember, they are a supplier to your company, not a client!).

Do you have the opportunity to give the car back and ask for another one? You could always make up a reason (back problem and the seats aren't comfortable enough, another child on the way and it's not big enough etc)?

DaveD

iTrader: (2)

A friend at work had an Astra hire car for the day yesterday.

After dropping another person off, he then tried to select reverse , but only succeded in pulling the gear lever out!!

Took it back to the hire centre this morning, and when asked "Was everything alright?" he produced gear lever. Oddly the woman behind the counter didn't seem the lease bit supprised!? :suspicious:

Paul3446

Vauxhall.

Say no more!

gpssti4

iTrader: (6)

Yeah, I've done loads, but all to no avail.

All it seems that the leasing company want an easy life. They are not concerned about my problems. I did tell them (backed up by email) that I was rejecting the car and that I'd stop paying my contribution to the car. That didn't work, they said that Vauxhall had to have a chance to put it right.

I'm really mad as they say I'm complaining too much and that the car's not faulty! I haven't complained about it since they replaced the engine mount bolt. Even my company isn't backing me. Although my boss did mention a story about a previous employee who crashed his car as he didn't like it.

Guess the moral in the story is 'never buy a Vauxhall'.

Think I'll look for a new job and then write to evey motoring magazine, well some anyway.

Graham

OllyK

Reminds me when I used to work for a haulage firm. Had a call from one of the drivers saying his wing mirror was broken. When I asked how he done it he said "the truck rolled over on to it"

Chip Sengravy

coffee moment!

Goon

I had similar with an Astra a few years back, brand new with a list of faults that got longer and longer.

I moaned to the lease company, I moaned to Vauxhall and I moaned to my boss.

It was a huge lemon, but nobody except me gave a toss, so I just drove it until it blew up, and it did several times leaving huge bills to be paid under warranty.

My advice, just run it into the ground and never get another lease Vauxhall again.

gpssti4

iTrader: (6)

ru'

Surely that was on your mind right when they said 'the company car is a vauxhall'???

gpssti4

iTrader: (6)

Nooooooooooooo, I chose it!



.......... because it was cheap (well it has nothing else going for it does it), infact so cheap that they pay me an extra £36 a month to have it!!!!!!!!!!!

I could have paid my hard earned cash for another car Scooby, Evo, Beemer, Golf, etc, but chose to pocket the money - noth that they've actually given me the money yet???

Shall I go and hold my head in shame having admitted that I am a fool?

Graham

spireite

I was given a ****ty rover a couple of years ago at last place i worked . It actually went for about 4 miles in second gear before gearbox gave up .

Paulo P

iTrader: (42)

I also have a Vauxhall as a company car but mine is a 2 year old Vectra. It was delivered to me as new with 130 miles on the clock and it was hard to get in to 1st gear. I thought that because it was a new car it'd loosen up. It's done 43,400 miles now it's still like it It's been back to Vauxhall a few times for it and all they've done is change the fluid and adjust the linkage but nothing has made any difference.

Chip Sengravy

I've got a vectra and its a mega machine. very pleased with it

Jaybird-UK

Sorry to hear of your problems, I dont have that problem since my company car is made by Fuji Heavy Industries

Paulo P

iTrader: (42)

Vauxhall should have you stuffed then

Chip Sengravy

for the money I had to play with, it was the best of the lot IMHO.

its a black estate with pimp tints. if I pootle along in the slow lane, white van man thinks I'm a rozzer, you see them approaching at warp factor 9, and then slam on 200yds behind

Fuzz

Serves you right, you greedy cheapskate!


Andy