New Owner Of Corolla Diesel 2.0 D4D - Help Please

[Dan39]

Hi there,

Ive just bought the above vehicle from a small local garage trader. Its a hatchback 54 plate.

From day 2 of owning the vehicle, the malfunction indicator lamp light came on the dash. As the light comes on, the vehicle loses complete power! Took the car straight back to the garage who said he would arrange for a diagnosis for me but couldn't fit this in for a couple of days but that he didn't think it was anything major since the light keeps coming on and then it goes off! The last couple of days, the same thing has happened (same time of day! First thing in the morning!) but the difference now is that the light is now permanently on.

My questions are:- is this a common fault? any ideas what it is? Is it fixable?

I have only owned this car for the last week. It has gone back to the garage today to have the problem diagnosed. I need this car to be safe since i am getting ready to go back to work after a bad car crash in August 2013 and i need to have confidence in the car. Many thanks for any help.

[Awebb180]

It could be any number of things. Anything from EGR valve to scv kit through to turbo. See what the codes are that come from the diagnostics and go from there

Alex

[Dan39]

Thanks for your reply Alex.

I'm expecting the seller (trader) to cover the cost - do you think i am being unreasonable? It could end up being very expensive and ive only had the car for a week.

[Heidfirst]

the car has to be of merchantable quality - you have consumer rights.

[Dan39]

Thanks for your reply. If you google 'malfunction indicator light', it states it could be something minor or indeed something major which is going to cost me money i can afford.

Im worried because when i drove the car from the forecourt, it had no working brake lights and had to go straight for replacement bulbs! Ive paid alot for this car and i just want a car that works and is safe. I had my autistic son in the car when it decided to 'lose all power' at a traffic light junction - he was a bag of nerves and that it not acceptable!

The guy at the garage says to leave the car with him today and he will take it for a diagnostic test. He said he'll ring me tomorrow. How long is reasonable for him to have the car? I dont want to rush him into getting it fixed but i also have a lot of hospital appointments later this week which will cost me a fortune in taxi fares.

Many thanks for all yout replies.

[Dan39]

Ok. spoke to garage who said that the car was still being diagnosed (they have had it since 9.30 yesterday morning)! .

I told the gentleman in question that it takes 2 mins because you just plug it in and it gives you a code (am i right?).

His reply was 'well its not actually that easy! The person doing the diagnostic check is checking all the sensors etc on the vehicle'. Can you check for something that isnt there? Im confused!

Am i just being fobbed off here? I am getting increasingly impatient with this trader who said by the way, he would check with the person doing to diagnostic check and to give him 40 minutes and he would ring me back (that was 2 hours ago!).

Am i being unreasonable?

Thanks.

[Awebb180]

It all depends on how good the code reader and the human being operating it. Anybody can get a code but some machines will give you a code and some will delve further. Diagnostic can take anywhere from 30mins to several hours depending on the fault. Have the garage come back to you yet?

Alex

[Aidan-]

Ok. spoke to garage who said that the car was still being diagnosed (they have had it since 9.30 yesterday morning)! .

I told the gentleman in question that it takes 2 mins because you just plug it in and it gives you a code (am i right?).

His reply was 'well its not actually that easy! The person doing the diagnostic check is checking all the sensors etc on the vehicle'. Can you check for something that isnt there? Im confused!

Am i just being fobbed off here? I am getting increasingly impatient with this trader who said by the way, he would check with the person doing to diagnostic check and to give him 40 minutes and he would ring me back (that was 2 hours ago!).

Am i being unreasonable?

Thanks.

I think you are being a bit unreasonable in saying that it only going to take two minutes, your main priority is to find the problem and get it fixed and your dealer seem's to be helping the main thing will be finding the the problem and what way he go's about it I hope you get it sorted let us know what he /she say's.

[Dan39]

Thanks very much for your replies.

Update on car which was dropped off monday 9.30am is that it is still not fixed. The man at the garage told me it would be fixed and back with me on thursday. I rang on thursday to enquire about where the car was and if i could come and collect it. He asked for one more day. I told him that i had heard the same thing from him on the wednesday. His reply was it will definately be back with you tomorrow ( today). Rang garage today to be told that by the brother that he was not in today and the car is still not back from the mechanics.

It must be said at this point that he will not tell me where exactly the car is (my daughter's car seat is in it) and when i said that i was now going to contact trading standards because i think ive given 'reasonable time' for him to fix the car, he just laughed and said trading standards are not gonna do anything because i have to be given time to fix your car and that is what im doing'!

Personally i think ive just been ripped off. He has all the money for the vehicle, he has the vehicle 'somewhere' but i dont know where and i just get fobbed off with another excuse to give him 'one more day'!

Dont know what else to do! I cant just kiss goodbye to the money because it was the insurance pay out for my previous vehicle and i dont have spare money to just go and buy another vehicle which i need for work and for the children.

I suppose this is what you get for going to a small garage instead of a toyota dealership :(

[Dan39]

Latest update. Its apparently not the fuel pump so the injectors are being tested. The earliest time it can be tested is monday! So still no car and still no idea as to its location :(

[Aidan-]

Dan you have a right to know where the car is who is fixing it you own it why he won't disclose this information I have no idea, but if its getting fixed I suppose that's the main thing but I would ask him again where the car is and if he won't tell you ask why not. It sound a bit strange to me and I would assume that if you own the car and won't tell you where it's at you could go to the police but that would have too be your last course off action main thing is getting it fixed good luck in your endeavours.

[Dan39]

Thanks for your replies.

Quick update on car.

Apparently its all 4 fuel injectors that have caused the problem. My husband spoke to garage (after spending days trying to get through and then getting told he wasnt in, he'd just gone out etc) who said the car should be ready for friday/saturday (hopefully he said). Ive decided that if my car is not sorted for saturday afternoon, im going to ask for my money back. They would have had it 2 weeks by then and i think that it considered reasonable time. I need to know where the car is so i can get my personal belongings back, if he refuses to tell me then i am going to call the police!

Do you think ive been reasonable and this is the appropriate action to take if it was your car?

[Dan39]

A very quick update. All 4 fuel injectors needed replacing on the vehicle. The garage have deemed it to be too expensive to repair and therefore we have been given our money back.

Many thanks for everyone's replies and assistance.

[Gasmater]

Hi

Did you get a warranty with you car

[Aidan-]

They had only bought the car when the problems started so the garage would not fix the car so they got their money back.