Failed engine on Vivaro van - what are my options?
I lease a two year old Vauxhall Vivaro van. I’ve had it since new and covered 25,000 miles. A few weeks ago it started miss-firing when I started it up on my driveway; the RAC diagnosed no compression and towed it into my local Vauxhall dealer.
After a thorough inspection, the dealer has said the damage to the engine is not due to a manufacture fault and therefore is not covered under the warranty. They believe the damage is due to engine overspeed or a missed gear change, which has caused the engine revs to exceed a safe limit.
The total cost of replacement engine is £7823 and the lease company has stated that it is on a finance lease agreement and is not covered by their maintenance cover. Can I challenge Vauxhall's decision?
After a thorough inspection, the dealer has said the damage to the engine is not due to a manufacture fault and therefore is not covered under the warranty. They believe the damage is due to engine overspeed or a missed gear change, which has caused the engine revs to exceed a safe limit.
The total cost of replacement engine is £7823 and the lease company has stated that it is on a finance lease agreement and is not covered by their maintenance cover. Can I challenge Vauxhall's decision?
Asked on 20 November 2013 by BobbyG381
Answered by
Honest John
Since you stand to lose £7800, you had better get an expert witness to assess the reason for the engine failure. It is possible to miss a gear and over-rev. The governor will not work in this circumstance. Expert witnesses: www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/expert-witnesses/
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