New car niggle. What's reasonable?
Discussion
Not sure if this is the correct forum but anyway....
Picked up our new 595 Abarth today. All good, nice sales lad etc.
Took it for a good drive then this afternoon I gave it a thorough cleaning which involved removing the wheels to ACF50 the suspension and get some wheel sealant on the wheels.
Whilst cleaning and sealing the drivers front caliper I noticed a little dink on the side near the front -
Then looking at the rear part of the caliper I could see that it's been scratched or bashed and touched up a bit poorly.
There are also some scratches on a centre cap which look to be under the clear coating of the cap, in the actual badge.
So my question is should I complain or tell myself it's just a car?
To be honest if I complain I'm guessing the dealers will just say I've done it and I'm trying it on for a new caliper. Is it worth the hassle?
They'll know I've had wheels off as I've copper slipped the mounting face and wheel bolts.
It does bug me and surely all components should be as new.
Your thoughts welcomed. Thanks.
Picked up our new 595 Abarth today. All good, nice sales lad etc.
Took it for a good drive then this afternoon I gave it a thorough cleaning which involved removing the wheels to ACF50 the suspension and get some wheel sealant on the wheels.
Whilst cleaning and sealing the drivers front caliper I noticed a little dink on the side near the front -
Then looking at the rear part of the caliper I could see that it's been scratched or bashed and touched up a bit poorly.
There are also some scratches on a centre cap which look to be under the clear coating of the cap, in the actual badge.
So my question is should I complain or tell myself it's just a car?
To be honest if I complain I'm guessing the dealers will just say I've done it and I'm trying it on for a new caliper. Is it worth the hassle?
They'll know I've had wheels off as I've copper slipped the mounting face and wheel bolts.
It does bug me and surely all components should be as new.
Your thoughts welcomed. Thanks.
Thanks for the replies. Yes I think I'll mention it. On the one hand it's my wife's daily car so not a Sunday show car but on the other it's new and I intend to keep it mint, hence I'd like the best start as possible.
The exhaust isn't hanging perfectly level. I noticed on collection but the workshop was closed so I told the sales lad we'll just use it until the first free check which is in a month or two.
I'll ring him tomorrow and tell him about caliper.
When I was a service advisor at my local Ford dealers years ago I had people whinge about much less.
One guy went berserk because there was tyre soap left on his tyres after fitting. This was on accompany transit.
One thing I didn't realise is that you don't get a bunch of flowers or anything these days. No big deal but we gave them away with sales cars 20 years ago at Ford.
It's the first new car my wife and I have ever bought so I'd have liked her to get a bit of an experience. I almost ordered some flowers myself for the dealer to give her when we got there but thought that was daft.
My wife wasn't bothered. She didn't even know about flowers until I said.
Anyway cracking little car and I haggled hard so can't complain.
Cheers.
The exhaust isn't hanging perfectly level. I noticed on collection but the workshop was closed so I told the sales lad we'll just use it until the first free check which is in a month or two.
I'll ring him tomorrow and tell him about caliper.
When I was a service advisor at my local Ford dealers years ago I had people whinge about much less.
One guy went berserk because there was tyre soap left on his tyres after fitting. This was on accompany transit.
One thing I didn't realise is that you don't get a bunch of flowers or anything these days. No big deal but we gave them away with sales cars 20 years ago at Ford.
It's the first new car my wife and I have ever bought so I'd have liked her to get a bit of an experience. I almost ordered some flowers myself for the dealer to give her when we got there but thought that was daft.
My wife wasn't bothered. She didn't even know about flowers until I said.
Anyway cracking little car and I haggled hard so can't complain.
Cheers.
HustleRussell said:
I may have missed an 'in joke' but... why? Not a good idea.
Yeah, careful with adding lubricant to threaded fasteners unless you're going to compensate for it in the tightening torque you use on them. Generally, unless something tells you otherwise, you should assume bolts etc are meant to be used clean and dry.A light smear of something around the spigot ring to prevent the wheel seizing on is all you really need to do to avoid hassle with future removal.
If you'd bought it to put into concours competitions then you may get some sympathy but as an everyday driver where the component will spend nearly all its time caked in brake dust and road grime? Nope. You also mention that your wife will be driving it so the wheels will be as dented and scuffed as the caliper within a month.
High volume production cars are built to a price point and you're never going to get the finish you yearn for on something like that. You'll find that kind of finish is commonplace in a lot of partly visible areas like the door and boot shuts and all over the engine bay to varying degrees. On my old Focus the weld sealant around the boot hinge mounts looked like it had been applied with a spoon before being sprayed over the top of.
High volume production cars are built to a price point and you're never going to get the finish you yearn for on something like that. You'll find that kind of finish is commonplace in a lot of partly visible areas like the door and boot shuts and all over the engine bay to varying degrees. On my old Focus the weld sealant around the boot hinge mounts looked like it had been applied with a spoon before being sprayed over the top of.
Personally it wouldn't bother me and you've only noticed because you've taken the wheels off.
Problem you have is the garage will know you've taken the wheels off, they may well say that you've damaged the paint on the caliper when removing and replacing the wheels, had a go at touching it up yourself, you've realised you've done a crap job of a touch up so have left the other one alone.
Problem you have is the garage will know you've taken the wheels off, they may well say that you've damaged the paint on the caliper when removing and replacing the wheels, had a go at touching it up yourself, you've realised you've done a crap job of a touch up so have left the other one alone.
Whoa tough crowd, 
Very briefly-
Yes the thread is for real although I'm not particularly gutted about it I just thought some other folk may have experienced similar on their new cars.
Re the copperslip. Have done it all my life and my dad was a mechanic for over 50 years and done it too.
Neither of us have had a single thing come loose or go wrong due to it.
What we have had on cars without it is seized on wheels and wheel nuts, some nuts so tight that they actually snap off.
Yes that may also have been due to over tightening by someone but still.
A smear of grease on the wheel face and also on the thread and collar of the nut will ensure if I was ever changing a wheel with a standard little brace, it'll come off.
Nuts torqued up to 100nm and are fine.
The above is a whole different thread anyway.
I noticed caliper paint before removing the wheel but waited to get a good look.
Yes it's a daily car but it's my wife's (and mine) first brand new car. It's a 595 abarth Trofeo and a cool little car, so it won't spend its life covered in grime and being bounced off kerbs.
We've even cleared out 4 years worth of tools and junk to give it garage space.
We work hard for our money and look after things we buy.
I'll mention it to garage but won't get wound up over it. Nothing stays as new but I don't mind if things wear while I've got them, I'd have liked to start with perfection though.
Thanks for all the replies and despite the thread I don't actually have too much time on my hands. The total opposite in fact.
PS. No other faults apart from caliper and minor marks in centre cap, oh and wonky exhaust. Cracking little car though. Paintwork and interior very good.
Very briefly-
Yes the thread is for real although I'm not particularly gutted about it I just thought some other folk may have experienced similar on their new cars.
Re the copperslip. Have done it all my life and my dad was a mechanic for over 50 years and done it too.
Neither of us have had a single thing come loose or go wrong due to it.
What we have had on cars without it is seized on wheels and wheel nuts, some nuts so tight that they actually snap off.
Yes that may also have been due to over tightening by someone but still.
A smear of grease on the wheel face and also on the thread and collar of the nut will ensure if I was ever changing a wheel with a standard little brace, it'll come off.
Nuts torqued up to 100nm and are fine.
The above is a whole different thread anyway.
I noticed caliper paint before removing the wheel but waited to get a good look.
Yes it's a daily car but it's my wife's (and mine) first brand new car. It's a 595 abarth Trofeo and a cool little car, so it won't spend its life covered in grime and being bounced off kerbs.
We've even cleared out 4 years worth of tools and junk to give it garage space.
We work hard for our money and look after things we buy.
I'll mention it to garage but won't get wound up over it. Nothing stays as new but I don't mind if things wear while I've got them, I'd have liked to start with perfection though.
Thanks for all the replies and despite the thread I don't actually have too much time on my hands. The total opposite in fact.
PS. No other faults apart from caliper and minor marks in centre cap, oh and wonky exhaust. Cracking little car though. Paintwork and interior very good.
Couple of points I missed.
Copperslip a tiny bit on bolts and around centre bore of wheels for spigot.
Lightly done faces of those wheels as they were already orange rust where they mount against disc.
Car is brand new. Had 11 miles upon collection.
Yellow calipers part of the Trofeo edition.
Yellow calipers, Monza exhaust, Race circuits stored in display for telemetry,
Apple car play and a few other things.
250 in the U.K. Apparently but knowing Fiat, that's 250 per dealer.
Thanks guys.
Copperslip a tiny bit on bolts and around centre bore of wheels for spigot.
Lightly done faces of those wheels as they were already orange rust where they mount against disc.
Car is brand new. Had 11 miles upon collection.
Yellow calipers part of the Trofeo edition.
Yellow calipers, Monza exhaust, Race circuits stored in display for telemetry,
Apple car play and a few other things.
250 in the U.K. Apparently but knowing Fiat, that's 250 per dealer.
Thanks guys.
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