what a night!!!!!!!!
 

Left work at 5:30, only to find my 2 month old car wouldn't start (Renault Megane). It kept saying "Steering Locked" on the dash" Waited an hour for the AA man to arrive he spent a hour working on the car but couldn't find the fault, so we towed it to the Renault garage.
The AA man organised me a hire car and drove me to the airport to pick it up. When up to the europcar desk to pick up the car only to find that they wouldn't give me a car cause I didn't have the paperpart of my license.
So I had to go and get a taxi home, arriving home at 9 or so, and have to get a taxi back to the airport in the morning before work to get the hire car!

Re: what a night!!!!!!!!
 

How many people carry the paper part of their licence around! not many I would guess...

Re: what a night!!!!!!!!
 

your actually not meant to carry it around with you, at least thats what I have been told :)

Re: what a night!!!!!!!!
 

I haven't even sent off for my licence yet, copper told me I should of done when I got pulled over the other week.. But it says you've got 2 years to send off for it :confused: :eek:

Re: what a night!!!!!!!!
 

A colleague has lost his paper part, so called the DVLA as he was due to pick up a hire car 2 days later.
I think they gave him a number to get the hire company to call to confirm that the licence was held and in order.
Course at 5:30 the DVLA have probably gone home.
Of course, I think you do have a legal requirment to carry both parts with you while you are driving.

Re: what a night!!!!!!!!
 

Exactly.
Good thing it happened near to home where i can actually go and get it!

Re: what a night!!!!!!!!
 

Although what I'm most annoyed about is my car is only 2 months old and has to be towed to the garage. It was already at the garage twice before for minor faults.

Re: what a night!!!!!!!!
 

5pm actually ;)

Re: what a night!!!!!!!!
 

I'd contact the main dealer and reject the car I think - IIRC you can do that under some new consumer laws that came out a while ago?

Re: what a night!!!!!!!!
 

two words come to mind Money Back

edit: doh!! The lady beat me to it.

Re: what a night!!!!!!!!
 

*mumble* civil servant scroungers *mumble* :D

Re: what a night!!!!!!!!
 

Have to find out whats actually wrong with it though, the AA man didn't have a clue, the guy at renault didn't know.

I'll be making it very clear tomorrow when I speak to them that i'm not happy.

Re: what a night!!!!!!!!
 

Well, it's got an electronic steering lock, being a funky keyless car (I love not having to get the card out my pocket) so I'd guess that if the lock isn't disengaging, the mechanism is buggered, or if you're able to turn the wheel then the sensor is buggered.
Im my experience, Renault themselves are very reasonable when it comes to warrenty issues, much more reasonable than some of the garages themselves.
When my turbo blew on my Laguna, the snotty girl in Dixons didn't even want to contact Renault and see if they would fix it as I was late for my service, the AA man had to basically shout at her to get her to call them.
Considering it would have been about £3000 just for parts for me to have to pay, and I was only a couple of hundred miles away from the 60,000 warrenty limit, and I'd been late on my services by a couple of thousand miles each time, Renault paid for all the work. I had to pay for the hire car use, but that was at the AA rate of only £14 per day

Re: what a night!!!!!!!!
 

Yeah well the lock isn't engaged and the wheel can turn so it must be something to do with the sensor.

Hopefully they can fix it tomorrow

Re: what a night!!!!!!!!
 

Re: what a night!!!!!!!!
 

No, the man obviously has taste, hence why he bought a megane.
He's also probably concerned about safety and liked the fact that it's got 5 stars in the ENCAP tests.
There's also the huge advantage of not having to use a key to start the car, just put your foot on the brake or clutch and hit the start button.

Re: what a night!!!!!!!!
 

The Sale and Supply of Goods to Consumers Regulations 2002.

You have the legal right to choose repair, replacement, partial or full refund or compensation if a fault appears within 6 years (5 in Scotland) and it is reasonable for the goods to last that long.

The goods or item must have been faulty at the time of purchase, however the onus is on the retailer to prove that they were *not* faulty when bought.

The retailer *may* be able to argue that you have "accepted the goods" after a "reasonable time" (which is very dependant on what the item is, and for a car is almost certainly longer than two months!) but that does not absolve them from their obligations under the Sale of Goods Act that goods must not only be "of satisfactory quality" but also "fit for purpose".

One other useful point: If you bought the car with a credit card or under a finance agreement, the card provider or finance company is jointly and severally responsible for the quality of the goods supplied, so if the retailer won't budge, you can always try side-stepping them and going for the credit company!

Frankly if I'd already had these problems, I would tell the retailer that I was rejecting the car as unfit and demand your full money back, plus compensation for time wasted, needing to hire cars etc. (You may not be able to get the latter back without going to Small Claims, but they're a good negotiating tool because you can offer to drop them if they'll refund/ replace the car immediately...!)

Re: what a night!!!!!!!!
 

Incidently, other than this possible faulty sensor, what problems have you had?

Re: what a night!!!!!!!!
 

It's what you get for buying fancy modern cars with complex electronics - it's a headache on wheels. No sympathy at all :D

Re: what a night!!!!!!!!
 

I take it you still have to wind up your car in the morning then before it will go anywhere :p:

Re: what a night!!!!!!!!
 

My driver instructor described me as a "Bolshevik" and after several months of lessons his smoking habit had increased to about a pack a lesson :D You'll be pleased to know I never passed my test, despite three attempts. Notable incidents included jumping a red light (had no choice) and the examiner having to take control of the car when I failed to spot another car when changing lanes. Could have happened to anyone. I get my mate to drive me places. His cars have always been "basic" - Ford Escort, Ford Sierra, and now a Proton. Nothing complicated to go wrong and if something does go wrong you can take it to a cheap back-street garage. There's nothing fancy that only the dealer can fix.

Re: what a night!!!!!!!!
 

Yep and 0 - 60 by friday ;) :D

Re: what a night!!!!!!!!
 

same as the Megane then /runs

Re: what a night!!!!!!!!
 

Water leaking into the rear light cluster, sunroof not closing properly and a loose drivers side repeater.

Re: what a night!!!!!!!!
 

Given that she works for an electrical goods retailer, I can sort of see her point...

anyone seen my coat? :disturbd:

Re: what a night!!!!!!!!
 

Nope, you don't have to carry any of your documents while driving - but if required to present them at a police station, you do have to bring both parts then. Any penalty points you've aquired are only recorded on the paper part.

Re: what a night!!!!!!!!
 

Lo mate, if they wont do the decient thing I could prolly arrange a toasted car party in Poleglass. ;) :)

Re: what a night!!!!!!!!
 

LOL I'll let you know how I get on!


Anway apparently the whole steering column needs to be replaced, going down to see them this aft so will get more info then.

Re: what a night!!!!!!!!
 

Thats a normal wwty approach, replace the whole part rather than try to fix part of it. This is a good thing for the car.

And the further safety benefit that there is no key, ignition barrel etc about where your knee cap ends up in an accident. SAAB realised this years ago and moved the ignition to the centre console near the handbrake to protect the drivers knees in the event of an accident.

Re: what a night!!!!!!!!
 

I'm confused here. What is this paper part of the license that everyone is talking about? I've got a driving license, but I can't remember any additional part. Or are we talking about the new license with the photo on it?

Re: what a night!!!!!!!!
 

New one, with two parts

Re: what a night!!!!!!!!
 

How about this for getting repairs done under warranty. We've got an Astra for our company pool car and it was delivered in January. The CD player was faulty on delivery and the car was taken to the local dealer to have the unit replaced under the warranty. The dealer didn't have any in stock so we'd have to wait for one to be delivered. The months have rolled by with numerous calls to the Dealer, Vauxhall's Head Office and the leasing company. This culminated in the car being taken in to the dealer a couple of weeks ago to have the unit checked (again!). They decided to remove it and send it away, but told us not to worry because it would be back "in a few days". After no call for a week I phoned to find out what was happening and they told me that the company that supplies the CD players (not Vauxhall :confused: ) hadn't returned the part and they didn't know how long it is going to take :mad: They'll call us when it comes in - I won't hold my breath.......

Re: what a night!!!!!!!!
 

Or a Swedish one, on my sixth Volvo in 20 years and have never, ever had a breakdown of any kind.:cool: