Would you pay £3,000 for a car repair that never happened? Because I did
Posted by Puzzled-Ebb-1143@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 55 comments
I paid £3,000 upfront for parts to fix my Nissan. Almost a year later, I’ve now been told that Nissan can’t supply the final part (the Body Communication Unit) anymore but they fitted the other parts and that I have to collect the car from Nissan by next week ,in a stripped, non-working state, with no refund.
If they’d told me from the start that the main part couldn’t be supplied, I never would’ve paid upfront. Now, 11 months later, I’m left with a dismantled car and £3,000 wasted on parts I can’t even use without the BCU and I’m still paying finance.
Just a warning… don’t hand over money unless the full job is guaranteed.
Honestly, I’m just clueless about what to do next.
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Distracted_David@reddit
Start making a fuss on LinkedIn if you have it. Tag Nissan Motor Corp and the dealership/someone senior from the dealership. I’ve seen this approach play out favourably a good few times.
MrOtto47@reddit
!remindme 3days
pls update us OP
super_sammie@reddit
Hopefully you paid on credit card? If so it’s section 75 time!
Puzzled-Ebb-1143@reddit (OP)
I paid the £3,000 in monthly instalments through Bumper that was the option the dealership offered me .The total quote was £4,200, and it included parts like: ECU ,BCM (Body Control Module) ,IPDM Control Unit Steering lock , Keys ,Battery
Alundra828@reddit
Jeeeeez, are we talking Nissan Micra, or Nissan GTR?
That is write-off territory for a lot of Nissan cars. I'm assuming yours is on the older side to have all those issues.
Puzzled-Ebb-1143@reddit (OP)
Haha definitely not a GTR it’s a 2014 Nissan Qashqai (14 plate). Bought it on finance last year for just under £9,000, and it broke down about a year later. They quoted me over £4K for the repair, I paid £3K upfront… and now it’s basically a non-runner sitting in pieces because Nissan can’t supply the final part.
add___13@reddit
10 year old Qashqais are 9k!?
Minimum_Possibility6@reddit
I know prices have gone up in the second hand market but 9k for a ten year old qashqais is ridiculous
ClintonLewinsky@reddit
Ok so i believe (check r/LegalAdviceUK that your contract was with Bumber and this may work for a section 75 protection route
Either way if you have paid for the car to be fixed and it hasn't been, you need the money back, or at least a big chunk of it.
Tell us more about the garage? Main dealer? Back street? Bloke on his drive
Puzzled-Ebb-1143@reddit (OP)
The garage is a main dealer: Marshall Nissan Maidstone, so I really didn’t expect it to go this badly. I paid upfront thinking I was in safe hands
ThugLy101@reddit
Id complain to Nissan directly also is the car is financed from the same garage?
super_sammie@reddit
If that’s a credit agreement they are jointly liable in most cases. Get in contact with them and talk about using your section 75 protections. At minimum that’s the £3k back.
Then have the car fixed elsewhere and small claims and additional costs due to them leaving it in pieces.
Puzzled-Ebb-1143@reddit (OP)
Thanks yeah, I’m definitely looking into Section 75 now. I used Bumper to pay in instalments, so I’m checking if that counts under the same protection?
Practical_Scar4374@reddit
As it's essentially credit can't you do a section 75 still?
fernofry@reddit
I'm sorry this has happened to you. You're best seeking proper legal advice since they've effectively destroyed your vehicle as well as charging you.
N57_Fish@reddit
Not sure if it’s a common model but it might be worth phoning every scrappy etc within 100 miles to see if there’s one in a car that you could have?
Puzzled-Ebb-1143@reddit (OP)
Nissan Qashqai
jizzyjugsjohnson@reddit
Literally one of the most common cars on the road. There will be hundreds of scrap second hand versions of whatever this part is knocking around. Insane they can source one
cdoc365@reddit
Get the email address for the Nissan MD. Can be found online. I found it for a friend who had similar from Nissan. He was very helpful
nolinearbanana@reddit
Leave the car with them.
Letter before action demanding either:
1) They make good the contract they agreed to when they took your money - assuming you asked them to repair your car and they said they would.
2) They return you car to you in the condition they received it and return all your money as well as compensation for leaving you without a car for 11 months while they messed around.
Puzzled-Ebb-1143@reddit (OP)
Yeah, but they’ve now given me a deadline I have to collect the car by next week… They’re really unhelpful, especially when it comes to email communication. I asked for a detailed breakdown of the work done around the car in writing, and the manager got noticeably irritated. At the end of the call, I said “have a nice day” and she just hung up without saying anything back. Definitely doesn’t feel like they want to resolve this properly.
nolinearbanana@reddit
You can ignore their deadline.
You're better off not collecting the car as they haven't completed the work.
Puzzled-Ebb-1143@reddit (OP)
That’s what I’m worried about if I don’t collect the car, I’m afraid they’ll try to charge me storage fees or make up extra costs. But if I do collect it, then it feels like I’m just accepting a stripped, broken car and letting them off the hook.
I genuinely don’t know what’s the smarter move right now.
ScaryButt@reddit
Contact citizens advice, they might be able to help with your legal rights
MelPejicsLeftFoot@reddit
If you paid 3k for them to fix the car but they can’t, why can’t you get the 3k back?
Puzzled-Ebb-1143@reddit (OP)
They’re keeping the money for the ECU, IPDM control unit, steering lock, keys, and battery but all of those are basically useless without the BCU, which Nissan now says they can’t supply.
TheWanderingWomble@reddit
Has the dealer tried to source a 2nd hand unit from a scrap dealer? Due to supply shortages there's a lot of fitting used parts these days. If the dealer won't source a used part then an auto-electrician will be able to get one and use their equipment to code the unit to your car.
Puzzled-Ebb-1143@reddit (OP)
Guess that's my only option..getting a used part
TheWanderingWomble@reddit
You could also contact Nissan UK Customer Service department and ask to make a complaint about one of their dealers. They have the power to force the franchised dealers to take action. Never dealt with Nissan so I don't know how receptive the head office is to complaints.
The_Blip@reddit
ALL of it?
Do you have an original quote?
Tell them if you paid them £3000 for them to repair your car and that they have not done so. Their inability to properly validate their ability to source all components before commencing the purchase of components is a failure on their part, and that you had not agreed to the individual repairs, but a repair in whole. Tell them if you do not hear back from them within 2 weeks that you will be receiving a full refund, you will be filing a court claim. Then, if they don't get back to you, or refuse to refund you anything, file said claim.
It gets a bit murky if they offer you some compensation. Since I don't actually know what your agreement is, they may well be entitled to a portion of the funds. Refusing a fair offer from them may mean you won't be able to claim back all the court fees. But if they offer you nothing, you most likely will.
ConsciouslyIncomplet@reddit
Your mistake as paying in advance.
Puzzled-Ebb-1143@reddit (OP)
Exactly!!! I wouldn’t normally pay upfront like that, but I genuinely trusted them since it was a Nissan main dealer. Thought it meant things would be handled professionally. Clearly I was wrong
Another_Random_Chap@reddit
If it was a main dealer, then I would most definitely be making a serious complaint to the dealer's head office and to Nissan UK. You've been without the car for a year, presumably being strung along by the dealer promising it will be ready soon, and then they tell you it can't be repaired and now expect you to collect a non-drivable car. That's appalling service.
If you paid by credit card I would also be contacting my credit card provider and asking for a refund.
carlbernsen@reddit
Look for a used, tested bcu and supply it to them.
Refuse to pay or collect the car unless the agreed work is completed.
Once the user is in their hands begin to charge them for holding your car well beyond a reasonable time. £250 per day.
Puzzled-Ebb-1143@reddit (OP)
They’ve also made it clear they don’t use used parts, only new ones so I can’t even supply my own. Whole thing has been a mess from start to finish.
Puzzled-Ebb-1143@reddit (OP)
Yeah, the part (the BCU) was on backorder the whole time then suddenly, after I told them I was thinking about taking the car elsewhere, they came back and said it’s no longer available at all. That’s when they told me to just come and collect the car by next week
BigDumbGreenMong@reddit
I would contact some motoring journalists with your story - it's insane. A bit of publicity should help convince Nissan to make this right.
_gingercat@reddit
I replaced the BCM on my old Fiesta. My regular, independent garage took one off another Fiesta they’d been sold for scrap and programmed it to my car. They had a friend who was a Ford specialist so came out with the equipment to program it, otherwise I believe the dealer has to do this. You should be able to get one from a scrapyard.
Ask for an itemised bill, it should total less than £3000. You could try the ombudsman. It’s been rather a long time and probably past the deadline but you could also try contacting your bank. You’ve only just received the car back, not in the expected, completed condition which is what you paid for.
Puzzled-Ebb-1143@reddit (OP)
Yeah, I asked about that but they told me they only work with new parts, not used ones from breakers or scrapped vehicles
_gingercat@reddit
Thought so, not unusual for a main dealer. I assume this was one?
Might be worth calling up a few independent garages, see if they can do it or give any advice. You might be able to get hold of one yourself from a scrapyard/breaker, or a garage might have more luck. Then it’s just finding someone to program it for you, if it needs to be.
First_Folly@reddit
I'd be getting litigious. Seek accredited advice, though. I'm just a layman.
RaptorHavx@reddit
Damn, I would buy a car for that, no way spending this much on a repair.
Juniper__Bloom@reddit
Did you get any form of contract with what they were going to do? If so, what did it say?
Did they tell you at any point that they had actually ordered that part?
Puzzled-Ebb-1143@reddit (OP)
The communication has been awful. I was never clearly told that the parts had even arrived or been fitted I only found out when I said I was thinking about taking the car elsewhere and asked for a refund of the £3,000. That’s when they suddenly said the parts had already been installed and couldn’t be refunded.
Striking-Jaguar-991@reddit
I presume you’re communicating with a dealer? I’d look to contact Nissan UK and make a fuss as that is unacceptable.
Puzzled-Ebb-1143@reddit (OP)
I tried, no support from them
cgknight1@reddit
Contractual breach, get legal advice and send a letter before action.
Defiant_Employee6681@reddit
UP FRONT? what garage charges up front?
Defiant_Employee6681@reddit
I’d pay for the diagnostic (maybe) up front, but no garage should be charging you for the full repair
True-Abalone-3380@reddit
You need to go over to /r/LegalAdviceUK/ and /r/CarTalkUK/ to see what they advise.
I suppose one big question is did you pay them to do a job, or did you pay they for a list of parts. That could well make a difference to where to legally stand.
Glad-Business-5896@reddit
No, I wouldn't do that
cyclingisthecure@reddit
I'd rather of went on holiday with it but it's your money not mine
Imadeutscher@reddit
Try the legal uk sub, hopefully there something you can do about it
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