Warranty Problems

[AdrianP]

Hi there, I have an Aygo Blue which is 18 months old and has done 10,000 miles. Apart from annoying things covered in other posts (tacho, door switch, glove box lid, front tyres etc etc) the car has been ok generally until yesterday. I was on my way home from a hospital appointment (a 2 mile journey each way) when the engine started running very roughly and a warning light came on. I realised it was running on two cylinders but made it home the last few hundred metres. I called my local dealer (WKB in Waterlooville) explained the problem and they asked if I could drive the car to them. Not a chance - it only just managed flat roads and no way would it make it over hills! They then suggested I call a breakdown service so I phoned the AA who arrived in 30 minutes.

The AA man connected his computer and announced that No 1 cylinder was misfiring. In two minutes he had removed the 'stick coil' from No 1 pot and called WKB. He explained that he needed a part for a vehicle under warranty and told them what it was. 'Sorry, no part in stock, you will have to wait 3 days' was the reply. He was transferred to the parts department who said 'Yes we have a part available at £105, we'll put it on one side for you'.

AA man drove me to WKB and I bought the part. WKB wanted the car to 1) carry out a visual inspection, and 2) change the part. Having initially stated that it would take 3 days, after I explained that I need the car as I am having cancer treatment, this reduced to 1 day. They won't let the AA man fit the part under warranty, even though I understand that the AA are authorised to do this, so at present I am out of pocket and very angry with WKB and Toyota GB for such a silly policy.

The car is running fine now thanks to the AA and no thanks to WKB Toyota.

I find it jaw-dropping that Toyota will make you wait 3 days for a part under warranty but you can buy it off the shelf in minutes.

Can anyone explain this bizarre attitude?

[jw67]

I can't understand why a part that is on the shelf would take 3 days for you to have it either .Also,as far as I understood it,if you or a authorised garage,etc fitted a genuine part then the warranty is fully "intact" so to speak.It therefore should be either

supplied foc or the payment refunded to you.Perhaps I am wrong ?

I would be pretty miffed if I had suffered the same problem as you have too.

[AdrianP]

Yes the AA mans face was a picture when he was first told three days then "it's on one side for you", he just looked at me in amazement and said "Did I hear that right?"

Apparently this is common policy for some manufacturers whilst others (Ford and Honda) are happy to hand over parts to an authorised fitter at no cost.

I used to extol the virtues of Toyota having owned them on-and-off since 1978, but having been asked yesterday by a friend, which car she should buy, a Yaris or a Honda Jazz, I'm afraid I had to say the Honda.

This isn't actually based completely on the warranty nonsense, but also on the general reduction in build quality that I have seen over the years in Toyota vehicles. The 1998 Celica was solid, well fitted and completely reliable and I ran in very hard for six years, whereas the Aygo isn't really a Toyota at all, just a European build from parts kits - most disappointing.

[Parts-King]

There is NO policy to hand parts over to third party companies to fit under warranty, there never has been.

Who was the person to say it would be 3 days? They obviously did not liase with the parts department

I'm sure if you had explained your circumstances to one of the management team then you could have sorted something out between the 3 of you. I can seen both sides of the coin, the dealer would not have been paid for the coil by Toyota if a whole raft of paperwork was not filled in, including the return of the failed part and signed jobcards bla bla!. The parts/service person was I suppose correct with the policy, it was just applied with little thought or judgement

Kingo

[AdrianP]

During our discussions with the parts manager I did explain that I could not wait three days for the car due to ongoing cancer treatment. I was booked in for chemotherapy the following day as it happened. Much to the consternation of the queue behind us (according to the AA man) I even showed the parts manager my patch where I had had a blood test that morning, but he was adamant that I should take the car there so they could fit the part, and presumably check it was actually the vehicle I said it was rather than some old heap I was attempting to get free parts for! They didn't seem to believe either me or the AA man which is very offputting from a dealer I've bought five cars from!

I have contacted Toyota GB to set in motion some sort of refund for the part, but I'm not expecting much at this stage.

Thanks for the comments

[Parts-King]

Well it is very shoddy to say the least

I would contact the dealer principle and explain the events, I'm sure you will get a full refund ASAP. Good luck with everything, I hope you get sorted out quickly

Kingo

[AdrianP]

Hi there, I did get a partial refund of sorts from Toyota GB in the form of a £50 voucher to spend on anything from my local dealer and an apology which is accepted. I'm still not happy with the car though as it just isn't up to Toyota standards so won't be getting another Aygo. Thanks for the comments.

[AdrianP]

There is NO policy to hand parts over to third party companies to fit under warranty, there never has been.

Who was the person to say it would be 3 days? They obviously did not liase with the parts department

I'm sure if you had explained your circumstances to one of the management team then you could have sorted something out between the 3 of you. I can seen both sides of the coin, the dealer would not have been paid for the coil by Toyota if a whole raft of paperwork was not filled in, including the return of the failed part and signed jobcards bla bla!. The parts/service person was I suppose correct with the policy, it was just applied with little thought or judgement

Kingo

The person who stated that it would be three days was the parts manager!

[Red diesel]

(pops on ranting hat) See this is what i don't get about these companies (car manufacturers, dealers etc) - even if they didn't have the part in stock (which they actually had). It still shouldn't take 3 days for a part to arrive, i was always under the impression that with airfreight and the like - in a Vehicle off road

(which Adrians Aygo would have been if the part was not available) - a manufacturer could have a part sent to the dealer in 24 hours. But unless im dreaming - theres no

mention of a Courtesy car. Surely if they wanted the car for 3 days for warranty work - a courtesy car would be a foregone conclusion, Ford (yes i know lol) or at least

our local dealer will give you a courtesy car even if the work will only take an hour. They do this so a customer can drop their car in for servicing while heading elsewhere (cattle market in our case lol). (takes off ranting hat).

On other more important matters - I hope Adrian that your prognosis is good and wish you all the best in your treatment.

Red diesek