4 days with new car – 14 days being repaired
Discussion
I recently traded a 2018 Alfa Giulia Quadrifoglio plus cash my way for a 2018 Alfa Giulia Veloce at a long-established and reputable indie Alfa dealer.
The Veloce has just 7500 miles on the clock. 4 days into my ownership and after less than 300 miles in it, it stopped at a junction and refused to start. Codes showed fuel system error. The last I saw of it was when it drove off on the back of a flatbed organised by Alfa Services.
That was on Good Friday and 2 weeks later it is still being worked on (under warranty until October) by the local main Alfa dealer. They got it running again but the problem keeps returning and they are at a loss why. One day it's fine, the next it refuses to start. They checked the fuelling system and noted that it's had a new fuel pump which suggests that the problem existed before and was 'fixed' by replacing the pump.
Alfa UK technicians have said they have had a few cars with a similar issue. Alfa have been great and the dealer was as helpful as he could be when I called him on Friday saying 'You know that car you sold me...'
What I don't want back is a car that appears to be okay but at any random point to throw a wobbly again.
At what point - and how strong is my case - to reject the car and either ask for a like-for-like replacement model (of which he has a few but not the same dark blue paint & tan leather that I specifically went for) or seek recompense some other way?
Car was bought via distance selling and payment & collection done in person. Thanks in advance.
The Veloce has just 7500 miles on the clock. 4 days into my ownership and after less than 300 miles in it, it stopped at a junction and refused to start. Codes showed fuel system error. The last I saw of it was when it drove off on the back of a flatbed organised by Alfa Services.
That was on Good Friday and 2 weeks later it is still being worked on (under warranty until October) by the local main Alfa dealer. They got it running again but the problem keeps returning and they are at a loss why. One day it's fine, the next it refuses to start. They checked the fuelling system and noted that it's had a new fuel pump which suggests that the problem existed before and was 'fixed' by replacing the pump.
Alfa UK technicians have said they have had a few cars with a similar issue. Alfa have been great and the dealer was as helpful as he could be when I called him on Friday saying 'You know that car you sold me...'
What I don't want back is a car that appears to be okay but at any random point to throw a wobbly again.
At what point - and how strong is my case - to reject the car and either ask for a like-for-like replacement model (of which he has a few but not the same dark blue paint & tan leather that I specifically went for) or seek recompense some other way?
Car was bought via distance selling and payment & collection done in person. Thanks in advance.
If I remember, you have a certain amount of time to reject a car, and the clock stops if you have no access to it due to a fault.
In my experience Alfa Romeo are not particularly great at diagnosing and fixing odd issues. Things like this will go back and forth with Italy, probably being asked to take baby steps each time.
I say this from having a Veloce from new in 2018, and it being in the garage for 6 weeks with a minor issue, which ended up with me rejecting it (successfully) and having to go to great lengths to do so ... Even getting the warranty cards and Teseo transcripts. After I rejected it, it took another 6 weeks to appear at Manheim, so I assume the fix took a significant amount of time.
If you're happy with the car in general (the Veloce is bloody lovely) I'd do as ZX10NR said, and see if you can swap to another.
Keeps you happy and in another car, the dealer gets paid by Alfa to fix the other, so they're happy.
Nothing worse than expecting a car to fail.
In my experience Alfa Romeo are not particularly great at diagnosing and fixing odd issues. Things like this will go back and forth with Italy, probably being asked to take baby steps each time.
I say this from having a Veloce from new in 2018, and it being in the garage for 6 weeks with a minor issue, which ended up with me rejecting it (successfully) and having to go to great lengths to do so ... Even getting the warranty cards and Teseo transcripts. After I rejected it, it took another 6 weeks to appear at Manheim, so I assume the fix took a significant amount of time.
If you're happy with the car in general (the Veloce is bloody lovely) I'd do as ZX10NR said, and see if you can swap to another.
Keeps you happy and in another car, the dealer gets paid by Alfa to fix the other, so they're happy.
Nothing worse than expecting a car to fail.
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