The consumer’s issue:
“My car broke down with a turbo fault. However, the warranty company declined to cover the cost of the repair. I therefore had to pay them, and am now requesting that these are reimbursed in full.”
The accredited business’ response:
- The car was not serviced in accordance with the manufacturer’s guidelines, which is a breach of our warranty agreement. Therefore, the customer’s claim is declined on this point alone.
- The agreement only covers a sudden and unexpected failure of a covered component.
- The turbo did not suffer a sudden and unexpected breakdown, which means that the work needed to remedy the fault is not covered by the warranty agreement.
The adjudication outcome:
- The Motor Ombudsman adjudicator found that the vehicle had not been serviced in accordance with the manufacturer’s servicing schedule. Therefore, the consumer had failed to satisfy their obligations under the warranty agreement.
- Additionally, the turbo did not suffer a “breakdown” as defined by the policy.
- As such, the warranty company did not have an obligation to cover the customer’s repair costs.
Conclusion:
- The customer and accredited business accepted the outcome as recommended by The Motor Ombudsman adjudicator and the case was closed.
