My car is dead.......................
Discussion
Hi Guys,
Bad news I'm afraid my Tamora left my house on the back of an AA truck on Wednesday morning bound for the dealers. It's now somewhere between them, the factory and TVR Power. It started to make a loud tappet type noise on Sunday evening and after speaking to the TVR Centre on Monday it was decided it would be best to get it back to them via the AA in case driving it did any more damage. After stripping it down at the dealer the diagnoses was "Premature camshaft ware" after only 2,800 miles !!!!!
Apparently the factory received a dodgy batch from their supplier. Um, sound familiar. So it was going back to the factory of an 8 - 12 week rebuild but now it's going back to TVR power and should be turned around in about a month. As my luck would have it TVR Power shut down for two weeks from this coming Monday so that's why it's going to take a month and not two weeks. So there you have it, they are not as bomb proof as we all thought. To say I'm pi55ed off is an understatement especially as summer has now decided to arrive. The dealer is trying to sort me out a Fiat Punto loan car, I just can't wait.
Has anyone every tried to get compensation of any sort from their dealer or the Factory for this kind of situation ?
Cheers,
Nick
Bad news I'm afraid my Tamora left my house on the back of an AA truck on Wednesday morning bound for the dealers. It's now somewhere between them, the factory and TVR Power. It started to make a loud tappet type noise on Sunday evening and after speaking to the TVR Centre on Monday it was decided it would be best to get it back to them via the AA in case driving it did any more damage. After stripping it down at the dealer the diagnoses was "Premature camshaft ware" after only 2,800 miles !!!!!
Apparently the factory received a dodgy batch from their supplier. Um, sound familiar. So it was going back to the factory of an 8 - 12 week rebuild but now it's going back to TVR power and should be turned around in about a month. As my luck would have it TVR Power shut down for two weeks from this coming Monday so that's why it's going to take a month and not two weeks. So there you have it, they are not as bomb proof as we all thought. To say I'm pi55ed off is an understatement especially as summer has now decided to arrive. The dealer is trying to sort me out a Fiat Punto loan car, I just can't wait.
Has anyone every tried to get compensation of any sort from their dealer or the Factory for this kind of situation ?
Cheers,
Nick
Firstly, sorry to hear that news.. 
I know that with major manufacturers (e.g. Ford) you can reject a car as unfit for it's purpose if it is under warranty and is off the road having repairs for 20 consecutive days or more, OR the car develops the SAME fault three times in the warranty period.
Whether this applies to TVR's or not, I do not know, but I imagine the CAB would be able to tell you... but this might not be the route you wish to take.
I know that with major manufacturers (e.g. Ford) you can reject a car as unfit for it's purpose if it is under warranty and is off the road having repairs for 20 consecutive days or more, OR the car develops the SAME fault three times in the warranty period.
Whether this applies to TVR's or not, I do not know, but I imagine the CAB would be able to tell you... but this might not be the route you wish to take.
Blimey Nick, thats bad luck, my comiserations.
Is it the same issue do you think as has been discussed at length before? I have to admit this is the second one I have heard of with this fault now and for a new model I feel that TVR are letting themselves down again. Conversely though they are such wonderful cars it almost makes it bearable.
Still, a month is not all that long and as soon as you get her back then it will be smiles all round again.
As for compensation I reckon you'll be lucky but its worth a go.
Matt.
>> Edited by plotloss on Friday 16th August 09:28
Is it the same issue do you think as has been discussed at length before? I have to admit this is the second one I have heard of with this fault now and for a new model I feel that TVR are letting themselves down again. Conversely though they are such wonderful cars it almost makes it bearable.
Still, a month is not all that long and as soon as you get her back then it will be smiles all round again.
As for compensation I reckon you'll be lucky but its worth a go.
Matt.
>> Edited by plotloss on Friday 16th August 09:28
I'm really sorry to hear that, Nick...and obviously a little concerned! I think I will ask my dealer to check the camshafts at the next service, or possibly take it to Joospeed and get him to have a look. Prevention is better than cure, after all! I hope it's back soon, Nick - then we can all get out for a Tamora track day! Chin up, old lad, it could be worse! cheers, Duncan.
It looks like my problem is not the only one. CanUck said "also had an engine problem - cam wear ("due to a bad batch of cam/followers"). This was uncovered at the 1000 mile service" in a previous thread.
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=14381&f=7&h=0
As for symptoms, there were none. It has always been a bit “tappy” but nothing more than a normal S6, or so I was told by the dealer. We were driving along the M25 at about 80ish on Sunday afternoon, roof down, music on. Got to our junction, slowed down and peeled off and the noise was there. Just like tappets but MUCH louder. I pulled over and took a look under the bonnet, the engine was still there and that's about were my knowledge ends. I did notice that the was some oil leaking from the front end of the long rail / rod that runs along the top of the engine. There is a metal bung in the end and a very small amount of oil seemed to be leaking out of this. We then crawled home. I got it out of the garage on Monday night in the vain hope that the noise had gone, it had not. I then noticed a small amount of oil on the garage floor just to the right of the passengers front wheel that had never been there before.
That's about it, don’t want to make you all paranoid. We collected our car on the 29th March so if you got yours around that time it might be worth getting it checked out. All I was told from the dealer is that there was a “bad batch” I don’t know how many were in the batch.
Cheers,
Nick
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=14381&f=7&h=0
As for symptoms, there were none. It has always been a bit “tappy” but nothing more than a normal S6, or so I was told by the dealer. We were driving along the M25 at about 80ish on Sunday afternoon, roof down, music on. Got to our junction, slowed down and peeled off and the noise was there. Just like tappets but MUCH louder. I pulled over and took a look under the bonnet, the engine was still there and that's about were my knowledge ends. I did notice that the was some oil leaking from the front end of the long rail / rod that runs along the top of the engine. There is a metal bung in the end and a very small amount of oil seemed to be leaking out of this. We then crawled home. I got it out of the garage on Monday night in the vain hope that the noise had gone, it had not. I then noticed a small amount of oil on the garage floor just to the right of the passengers front wheel that had never been there before.
That's about it, don’t want to make you all paranoid. We collected our car on the 29th March so if you got yours around that time it might be worth getting it checked out. All I was told from the dealer is that there was a “bad batch” I don’t know how many were in the batch.
Cheers,
Nick
If mine goes, I will be leaving the TVR fold. It should be a problem that's been sorted, and suppliers should be subjected to quality control by TVR. If you lose trust in the car, it's pointless buying them. I'll jusat have to join the Boxster brigade!!
No, I cant do that - it's just not my kind of car. I'll think of something...
No, I cant do that - it's just not my kind of car. I'll think of something...
you've got me worried Nick, mine was delivered first week of April. It's going in for (what had better be) last repairs to remaining build faults in Sep, will get them to have a look.
You would have thought if TVR took customer care remotely seriously (which they clearly dont) they would lend you a spare factory car...?
I'm afraid to say I'm beginning to feel like you, nubbin, the car's fantastic but the ownership is unnecessarily tiresome. Not saying I can live without it though!
You would have thought if TVR took customer care remotely seriously (which they clearly dont) they would lend you a spare factory car...?
I'm afraid to say I'm beginning to feel like you, nubbin, the car's fantastic but the ownership is unnecessarily tiresome. Not saying I can live without it though!
quote:
I know that with major manufacturers (e.g. Ford) you can reject a car as unfit for it's purpose if it is under warranty and is off the road having repairs for 20 consecutive days or more, OR the car develops the SAME fault three times in the warranty period.
Whether this applies to TVR's or not, I do not know, but I imagine the CAB would be able to tell you... but this might not be the route you wish to take.
Not that we'd want to be persuing TVR, but this is an interpreatation of the sale of goods act, and therefore applies to any new car purchase... "not fit for due purpose" is a phrase from the act.. however that said, I dont think an 8 week stint at the garage would necessarily constitute a breach of this if the car was fine beforehand and is fine again afterwards..
Cheers and comiserations,
Matt
I'm with you nubbin. If mine goes then that will be me done with TVR's for good.....
Sorry to hear this Nick. I have done well over 10k now and will be on my second track day tomorrow at Donnington, I guess I have been lucky so far... as for the dodgy batch theory I don't subscribe, the only thing thats dodgy is TVR's pathetic excuses...
Sorry to hear this Nick. I have done well over 10k now and will be on my second track day tomorrow at Donnington, I guess I have been lucky so far... as for the dodgy batch theory I don't subscribe, the only thing thats dodgy is TVR's pathetic excuses...
quote:
quote:
I'll jusat have to join the Boxster brigade!!
No, I cant do that - it's just not my kind of car. I'll think of something...
Go on Nubbin. You know you want to...
Congratulations, you have just reminded us all that there was someone who had less quality control than TVR.....
I spoke to the Man at TVR Power last night, very helpful. He filled me in on what needs to be done and how long it will take and by the sounds of it it's engine out, new camshaft, lifters and followers and some other top end bits. Then engine back in. About a weeks work. The good news is that it's first on the line when they get back from shutdown so I should get it back by the 2nd week in September and it will not need running in again !!!
He was very sympathetic towards the factory and assured me it was a supplier problem and out of the control of TVR. He did agree that it does not help TVR's reputation. I tried to find out how many car it has effected but the guy was unsure he had a guess at 10's as opposed to 100's. But he said "it will be a fair few"
Just keep and eye and ear on those engines chaps.
Cheers,
Nick
He was very sympathetic towards the factory and assured me it was a supplier problem and out of the control of TVR. He did agree that it does not help TVR's reputation. I tried to find out how many car it has effected but the guy was unsure he had a guess at 10's as opposed to 100's. But he said "it will be a fair few"
Just keep and eye and ear on those engines chaps.
Cheers,
Nick
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