I learn with curiosity your current letter.
Sadly, I’m having a really comparable expertise, however, in my case, Renault needs to cost us £9,121 to restore the heater on our Zoe, which we purchased new for £30,000.
After two years – properly throughout the guarantee interval – it developed an intermittent fault with the heater.
We requested the native Renault seller to look at it nevertheless it was unable to take action because it didn’t have the “right diagnostics software program”. We later realized that the technician had did not put the request on the service sheet.
On the time, I didn’t have time to journey farther afield, and, because the heating generally labored, l didn’t comply with up.
One yr later, one other Renault seller recommended we re-gas the air con system. I took it to my native unbiased storage, which discovered and glued two leaks and re-gassed the system.
Just a few months later, the heater died fully.
At this stage, the automotive was 4 and a half years outdated and I took it to an EV specialist storage, which identified a compressor fault. Sadly, it couldn’t supply the Renault half to make the restore.
So again to my native Renault seller, which advised me it may do the restore for £1,650. After a two-month wait, work lastly began.
On eradicating the compressor, it discovered it had exploded, sending shards of steel all through the air-conditioning system.
Renault mentioned the entire system had to get replaced – a complete of 33 elements all through the automotive.
The seller then mentioned it couldn’t do the restore because it didn’t have a hoist to take away the EV battery, and we must discover one other storage that had the gear.
My husband contacted Renault UK buyer service once more to see if it may assist nevertheless it couldn’t even inform us which sellers had the gear to take away a battery. Ultimately, we discovered one however now we have now been quoted £9,121 to repair it. With the £2,000 now we have already paid, this makes a grand complete of £11,000 to restore a heater, making the automotive a write-off at 5 years outdated.
On the idea it’s out of guarantee, and the matter wasn’t recorded after we first complained, Renault seems to be washing its arms of the matter.
MS, by electronic mail
Based mostly on this, and the earlier letter from the opposite Zoe proprietor quoted £7,500 to repair the charging unit, it’s arduous to not conclude that it’s a very courageous one who buys a used five-year-old Renault Zoe.
A string of different homeowners have reported comparable heating issues, in addition to charging points, and, as each letters present, the aftercare within the seller community simply isn’t there.
If any extra of those tales emerge, the worth of used fashions will plummet. Who needs to personal a automotive that may be written off by a comparatively minor drawback – one which sellers gained’t contact?
I requested Renault about your case, and the response was very disappointing.
Moderately than explaining how you bought into this example – or, higher nonetheless, providing you a significant resolution – it despatched an extended technical clarification as to why this has occurred. In essence, it claimed compressor failures are extremely uncommon.
It additionally claimed the failure might have been attributable to the work executed by the unbiased storage when it re-gassed the system.
The ethical of the story is to take care of these issues throughout the guarantee interval – notably should you personal an electrical automotive. I believe you’ll have to promote the automotive for the battery’s worth and transfer on to a different marque. Potential Renault Zoe homeowners be warned.
Automotive insurance coverage: any minor claims with a significant invoice?
I’m to listen to from readers who’ve had minor automotive accidents lately – and the way a lot was paid out by the insurer.
It comes in opposition to the backdrop of hovering automotive premiums which have risen greater than 50% in two years.
I used to be lately contacted by a reader whose automotive was concerned in a tiny rear-end shunt at 3 mph (see the picture beneath).
His native storage quoted £350 to repair it however the driver who had prompted the accident mentioned he couldn’t pay, and wished to assert on his insurance coverage. The automotive was taken to the insurer’s authorized storage. It was there for 2 days. And the ultimate invoice? An astonishing £4,500 – to exchange a bumper.
I believe that is taking place day-after-day throughout the UK – paid for by us. No surprise restore prices are up 32%.
Are you able to beat that? E mail the same old handle.
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