How Buckled Does An Alloy Wheel Have To Be To Fail The Mot?

[eyemdee]

This wheel came off a clean low mileage 2004 Fiesta Mk6 purchased from a local dealer 2 weeks ago. The tyre tread depth is 6mm on the outer rim and 3mm on the inner!!

The car came with a new MOT certificate dated two weeks previously. A safety check at our local Ford Dealers revealed that the car was absolutely fine...

apart from...

TWO badly buckled wheels, both front Wiper Blades split and smearing badly, all 4 indicator bulbs emitting white light, frayed drivers' seat belt, assorted corroded brake pipes and flexible pipe metal funnels, broken oil filler cap and empty coolant header tank, heavily corroding rear coil springs and the one and only item mentioned on the MOT advisory - front brake discs down to minimum thickness.

Apart from that it is OK!

The Ford Dealer would not take the car on the road, saying that the buckled wheels made it unsafe to do so, and required a disclaimer to be signed before the car was driven away.

The question is - what do we do now?

[andyedge]

Take it back to the dealer you bought it from & demand they fix it or refund your money.

[eyemdee]

Take it back to the dealer you bought it from & demand they fix it or refund your money.

Yes, these are two of the options open to us but neither is without its drawbacks. Taking the full refund option first, this would leave us over £150 out of pocket and without a car. The safety report from Ford does not indicate anything terminal so at least with this one we now know exactly what we are dealing with. The money spent on a spare key, the Ford service and safety check, and a tankful of fuel would all be down the drain.

As far as getting the seller to fix it, which they have offered to do, this car has to be viewed as an example of their repair standards. The unusual tyre wear on the wheel in the photograph is entirely consistent with the car having been driven with a broken front coil spring which presumably happened when the wheels were damaged. The coil spring has been replaced together with the "excessively rough steering" fixed by moving the dangerous wheel to the back of the car!

If they cannot even be bothered to replace two split Wiper Blades prior to delivery I cannot imagine their standards stretching to a proper repair on the cooling system. Radweld or similar at best! Would you let them repair your car? If we did let them have it back for repair, what is to stop them saying that too much work is needed, refunding the sale price and re-selling the car to the next unsuspecting punter?

We are looking at claiming back the cost of reasonable repairs and parts that we can fit ourselves to make the car roadworthy and fit for purpose. If we have to go to the Small Claims Court then so be it, but there will be reports with all photographic evidence going to Trading Standards and VOSA in respect of the questionable MOT certificate if this proves necessary.

[iNath]

I don't believe you could take them to small claims to sue for costs if you don't give them a chance to fix it themselves first. I understand where you're coming from with not trusting them but I believe that's how the law works, sure something that knows a but more will be along soon.

[eyemdee]

I don't believe you could take them to small claims to sue for costs if you don't give them a chance to fix it themselves first. I understand where you're coming from with not trusting them but I believe that's how the law works, sure something that knows a but more will be along soon.

I've definitely seen it somewhere that you have 4 options if a car or other product is misrepresented by a seller:

Refund

Replacement

Compensation

Reduction in price (there is a single word for that but I cannot remember it)

Can't remember where I read it either but I will find it if it comes to that. ;)

[eyemdee]

^^^ Rescission - that's the word

Found it in my history:-

http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/living/business/tradingstandards/consumeradvice/ts-detailpage/?frmClient=6ADB0A7B-1185-6B25-FCE7438976CCE371&frmItemID=122489&frmShared=1

[Bladerunner]

One nasty experience back in the day was following the purchase of a Renault Laguna with only 25,000 mls on the clock, (will never buy another Renault as long as I draw breath), it was not a cheap car by the way.

Anyhow I felt the car did not break as expected so I phoned them up (week after purchase) and got the usual run around, lots of excuses and a reluctance to even check the car.They did finally check and surprise surprise found nothing wrong , so being part of a family business I got our solicitor on the case and the garage had to pay for the work done by my trusted mechanic.

New discs and pads all round so was not a cheap job.

God knows what the first owner had done with it but we decided to shift it on 6 months later-more money down the drain.

As iNath states I also think the garage must be given chance to effect the repairs prior to you taking them to court, get everything down in writing as we all know people can squirm a bit when money is involved.

Hope you get satisfaction in the end.

Cheers.

[eyemdee]

The dodgy wheels have been temporarily replaced so at least it is now safe to drive. Our main concern now is the coolant loss which is suspected by the Ford Dealer to be leaking cylinder head core plugs. It is booked in tomorrow with a local garage to have the cooling system pressure tested. Once we know exactly what needs to be done we can look at the options again but I do not want it filling with Radweld! I am still dead against having anything done by an outfit that sold a car in an unroadworthy and potentially dangerous condition.

[Carl.21]

i saw this thread which brought back some bad memories :( i hit a pot hole which buckled my wheel and tracking which over time got worse, to cut a long story short this was the end result. Pretty scary!!!

[Fenners]

I've just bought a 2010 fiesta had problems turns out I had 3 buckled wheels and a miss firing piston. They've given me 3 new alloys, new set of spark plugs and leads. Not impressed :/

[eyemdee]

i saw this thread which brought back some bad memories :( i hit a pot hole which buckled my wheel and tracking which over time got worse, to cut a long story short this was the end result. Pretty scary!!!

Yes, the tyre on this one could have given way at any time. The really annoying thing is that it was knowingly sold like this with a new MOT certificate and several other obvious faults!

[Stoney871]

Report them to VOSA.

If they're issuing MOT chits for an unroadworthy car then they are committing an offence.

[eyemdee]

Report them to VOSA.

If they're issuing MOT chits for an unroadworthy car then they are committing an offence.

The MOT certificate was issued by another garage and it is possible (although very unlikely) that different wheels were fitted to the car for the test. Our issue is really with the selling dealer but if they are not prepared to pay for rectification then I will be speaking to the MOT station to see what they have to say about the issue of the certificate on a car with so many glaring faults.

[Fenners]

Just got mine back from ford it had 3 buckled wheels so had 3 new alloys and new spark plug set with leads only had it 4 days!! Can't believe the state it was sold in really, more the inconvenience of not having your new car :/

[eyemdee]

Just got mine back from ford it had 3 buckled wheels so had 3 new alloys and new spark plug set with leads only had it 4 days!! Can't believe the state it was sold in really, more the inconvenience of not having your new car :/

Yes, we were disappointed to say the least at the condition of the car on delivery. Now that our local garage has had a look and confirmed the cooling system is fine and that the remaining safety issues are MOT advisories rather than fails, we are a little happier. The selling dealer has been extremely reasonable and agreed to pay our reasonable costs in making the car "as it should have been when it was sold" so the 2 damaged wheels will be replaced with matching second hand ones if they can't be straightened.