We have a seven-year-old Burstner motorhome with a Renault Master engine which has done 30,000 miles.
In March we broke down while in south-west France, having experienced an intermittent problem, and were taken to the Renault garage near Périgueux. They could not find the fault so we drove on. Forty miles later we broke down again and were take to Renault at Limoges. Again they could not solve the problem but said experience suggested that the injectors were almost certainly the cause.
These were replaced at a cost of more than €2,500 (£1,785). We then drove a short distance to an overnight stop. The following morning we experienced the same symptoms so we returned to the garage.
After about six days of testing a fault was found on their equipment, but no solution. Fed up with waiting, we left France and returned home. Eventually they discovered that the electronic control unit was faulty. It was replaced at a cost of more than €1,200.
We returned to France, collected our vehicle and drove back to the UK with no further problems. However, we are very unhappy at having to pay for both repairs. The only concession the garage made was to charge us for parts on the second repair only. We thought about pursuing the matter via our Saga European motorhome insurance’s legal cover but, despite its name, this does not cover legal matters outside the UK.
We then imagined we could use the fact that the work was paid for with a credit card. However, our card provider, Halifax, informs us it would need to have inspected the van after the injectors were replaced but before the ECU was replaced – a rather unrealistic stance. Can you offer any advice? AS,
Halesworth, Suffolk
You are not the first – and won’t be the last – diesel vehicle owner to pay for unnecessary work this year. Problems with diesels are tricky to diagnose, and plenty of dealerships start changing things in the hope that will sort out the problem rather than diagnosing it correctly in the first place.
This would be a difficult matter to resolve in the UK – and the fact the garage is in France makes it even more challenging. We asked the UK European Consumer Centre, based in Essex which exists to help with cross-border disputes, and it told us: “The best course of action for this consumer would be for them to make contact with the trader by recorded mail, make formal contact with the credit card company outlining their case, and also seek advice from a consumer advice organisation such as the UK European Consumer Centre. We would then talk to the consumer and look at the specific details, checking background documents relating to the case and proceeding accordingly. Every case is different.” It has offered to help if you give it a call.
We asked Halifax why it wouldn’t entertain your section 75 claim (the card provider is held equally liable when there is a breach of contract) and it told us it would consider it – but only if you provide evidence to show that the first repair to your motor home was unnecessary. We would have thought that was self-evident and that the invoices would show that. In your shoes we would pursue Halifax, as in reality this is probably your best bet. If you had kept the injectors that were removed this would have been easier to prove, but they are gone.
The Financial Ombudsman Service will look your case – although it will probably take months. If all else fails, the small claims court would probably issue a ruling on whether Halifax should come to your aid, but it is not clear-cut.
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