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How new must a new vehicle be?
Page 26
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I WAS most interested in the article on new vehicles which were built years previously ( CM 5 August) as I have some experience of this myself.
The problem is that salespeople have to sell, otherwise they are out of a job: if that means they have to exaggerate some details like the vehicle's payload, or conceal others like the true 'build date' of vehicle, then they may be tempted to do it.
Mass produced vehicles are built then stored for a time before distribution and retail sale, which can be a few weeks, months or years.
The best new car lever had was a Sierra 2.3 diesel estate.made in Genk,Belgium.sold at a big discount when Ford changed the body styling around 1988.1 was surprised when the battery failed at just three months; although it was replaced under warranty I deciphered the VIN plate, and found the car was built almost two years earlier. After that it was fine and I had no problems, but the salesman never mentioned that aspect of it.
When looking for a new Transit 190 chassis cab in 1999, when Ford. having tweaked all they could out of the old model, was running them out before next generation models came on stream.I got a very good deal.The salesman assured me that the warranty was "just the same" as before, and that he "believed" the extended service intervals applied to my new vehicle. Obviously there was no mention of its build date.
However, on my first trip to Germany it broke down, thanks to a loss of coolant, at the Kennedy Tunnel in Antwerp. That's when !found the warranty lacking. as there was no European roadside assistance.unlike my previousTransit.
After spending 135 on mobile phone calls to Ford and the dealer, a Belgian breakdown man got me going for £67! Worried at this, I contacted Ford's head office, who told me that my new Transit was in fact almost two years' old, that the new service intervals did not apply, and that I would need more servicing to comply with warranty requirements!
Anyway. by exchanging faxes, letters and having discussions with the dealer all these problems were resolved. My extra costs for telephone and breakdown were reimbursed and the dealer's sales department agreed to meet the cost of the additional servicing required, when it arose.
As for residual values being affected,well my experience of vehicle sales staff is that they will seize on anything at all to bid you down. How many of us have bought a vehicle registered one year. only to be told that it is really "next year's model" to bump the price up? It's only when you sell it later that you're told "Oh.it's the registration year that counts". Ha ha.
Little wonder that the motor trade tops the list of complaints to the Office of Fair Trading.
Dave S Boyes
(formerly Rodlane Transport) Bramley, Leeds