The consumer’s issue:
“I made a claim against my warranty for my new car, and was advised it needed to have an oil pipe replaced in the turbo system to rectify the issue. Unfortunately, the manufacturer was unable to supply the required part for two months. I am therefore looking for them to reimburse my finance repayments whilst my car was off the road, and for the business to provide me with a free service.”
The accredited business’ response:
- While we accept there was a delay in obtaining the component, the consumer was given a loan vehicle to use until we were able to repair their car.
- However, we do not accept responsibility for covering the customer’s finance repayments whilst their vehicle was off the road.
The adjudication outcome:
- The adjudicator concluded that there was a breach of The Motor Ombudsman’s New Car Code, as the necessary replacement part was not available to repair the customer’s car.
- However, the adjudicator did not believe the finance repayments were a loss that the business should accept responsibility for.
- As the business had already apologised for the delayed supply of the necessary replacement part, and had kept the consumer mobile while waiting for the component to be supplied, The Motor Ombudsman adjudicator was satisfied that the resolution provided by the business was reasonable.
Conclusion:
- The complaint was upheld in the consumer’s favour, but no further redress was recommended.
