Part replaced under warranty failed again

Soarer · 14-03-2022 9:26pm #1

Evening all.

Got the a/c compressor in my car swapped out under warranty. 18 months later, the same part failed.

The dealer is saying that seeing as I never paid money for the part ie. they never "sold" it to me, there's only a standard 12 month warranty.

I'm arguing that whomever paid for the part is irrelevant, that the part was fitted by them, has failed, and should be replaced under the EU 2 year guarantee.

I can see both sides, but obviously I'm hoping I'm right so I don't have to pay for repair.

What say ye?

Jim_Hodge · 14-03-2022 11:28pm

The point of a guarantee is to provide protection for the customer for a fixed period of time. No matter how many repairs or replacements you receive in relation to an original product, that time limit still stands - so the replacement product would only be under guarantee for whatever time period was still remaining from the original guarantee.

elperello · 14-03-2022 11:51pm

An AC compressor would reasonably be expected to last longer than 18 months.

How long did the first one last?

Did you buy the car new and is it a main dealer?

Soarer · 15-03-2022 9:07am

Thanks for the replies guys.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118785971#Comment_118785971

Not really understanding this. Are you saying if an original part has the 2 year guarantee outlined by the EU but fails after 20 months, the replacement part only has a 4 month warranty?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118786083#Comment_118786083

I would've though the same, especially with the amount of use it got. Like I said to them, it's not like I'm living in Arizona!

I bought the car secondhand from a main dealer in the UK and imported it in January 2020. It was a Volvo Selekt car, which came with a 12 month unlimited mileage warranty completely transferrable to Ireland. Any work that needed to be done was covered by the warranty and carried out without issue. Great warranty to be fair. She was just under 6 years old when I bought her.

The original part failed in late 2018 after 4 years with the original owner of the car. There was originally a 3 year warranty with the car, but Volvo covered her repair as a goodwill gesture. The part failed in March 2020 for me and was replaced under warranty. It then subsequently failed again in September 2021, and this is the failure I'm looking to have covered. It was 18 months after the warranty replacement, and the 3rd failure in 3 years.

Full disclosure is they've offered me 50% off the price of replacement as a goodwill gesture. But I'm still thinking I shouldn't be out of pocket.

The technicality between the two of us is whether, because I didn't technically pay for the warranty part, if it only has a 12 month guarantee (like they're saying) or a 2 year guarantee (like I'm saying). If they're giving a 12 month guarantee, surely that means the 2 year guarantee applies?

darragh o meara · 15-03-2022 9:17am

Sorry, not up to speed on quoting posts since the update to Boards.

In response to your question in the last post:

"Not really understanding this. Are you saying if an original part has the 2 year guarantee outlined by the EU but fails after 20 months, the replacement part only has a 4 month warranty?"

Yes that is the accepted practice with every warranty replacement. I worked in warranty for a main dealers for years and I can confirm that the replaced part carries the same warranty as the original part. So in your question, yes it would only have 4 months coverage.

A/C pumps can go for a number of reasons and it might be worth going to an AC specialist to have a look. I have in the past been able to get AC pumps repaired too so this may be a lower cost option for you.

bucketybuck · 15-03-2022 9:24am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118786728#Comment_118786728

The replacement part doesn't have any warranty, not 4 months, not 2 years. There is no "technicality" about it.

A repair carried out under warranty does not extend the original warranty period, it is a straightforward concept.

whippet · 15-03-2022 9:27am

if I'm reading the OP correctly the car is about 8 years old?

there would be no expectation that something like an AC compressor would be still in warranty at this stage.

as mentioned before a part replaced under warranty does not attract a 'new' warranty period.

Soarer · 15-03-2022 10:08am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118786757#Comment_118786757

Thanks Darragh. Never been in this position before so learning as I go. Strange that they said it's outside the 12 month guarantee on replacement parts. ie. they give a 12 month guarantee on warranty replacements.

As for quoting, just press the "quote" button under any message, and it'll automatically quote said message into the reply box at the bottom of the page. Click the quoted message in said box and a little bin appears so you can delete again!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118786781#Comment_118786781

A condecending response is always helpful!

If it's such a such a straightforward concept, you might let Darragh know he was doing his job incorrectly for years, and tell my dealer they shouldn't be offering 12 month guarantees on replacement parts.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118786785#Comment_118786785

You did and didn't read it properly.

The car is 8 now, but was 6 when the part failed, and the failing part was only 18 months old.

Don't think the age of the car should come into it. If you got a main dealer to change the power steering pump in your car and it failed, I don't think they'd say "tough titties, your car is 8 years old!".

whippet · 15-03-2022 10:14am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118786901#Comment_118786901

I'm not saying that they can say 'tough kitties' but the warranty on the car is from the day it was originally sold (or any subsequent deal done afterwards).

Replacing a part under warranty is honouring the original warranty and any subsequent deals done. It is standard practice in many industries to cover the replaced part for 90 days (or some other token time frame) or to the end of the warranty period which ever is longest.

If you are to expect dealers to have to cover parts on 8 year old cars indefinitely it would drive up the cost of doing business and consumers will end up footing the additional costs

bucketybuck · 15-03-2022 10:16am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118786901#Comment_118786901

Darragh wasn't wrong, you read him incorrectly. He said that "the replaced part carries the same warranty as the original part", which is correct, it is the same warranty continued, not a new warranty.

I have been doing main dealer manufacturer warranty claims for a long, long time, if I am condescending its because I see a dealer offering 50% goodwill when they absolutely don't have to and it still isn't good enough for the customer, who didn't even buy the car from them in the first place. These places can't win.

Soarer · 15-03-2022 10:30am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118786930#Comment_118786930

Well then, what you originally said is wrong. You said a replacement part has no warranty, Darragh said the replacement part continues the warranty of the original part.

And I'm not saying the 50% isn't good enough. I've already told them it's extremely generous. I was just checking if I had a 2 year warranty is all.

And as for the poor dealer, I've already thrown them a few grand in servicing and repairs outside of warranty. So they're doing very well out of not selling me the car!

bucketybuck · 15-03-2022 10:46am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118786998#Comment_118786998

I wasn't wrong, you just don't seem to grasp the definitions. The warranty is on the original purchase. The warranty on the original purchase still applies. Any repair done does not extend that warranty period. There is no new warranty on the repair done or the parts, it is still the original warranty applying. The replacement part doesn't have a warranty, only the original part does.

Try and find a loophole all you want, you certainly aren't the first.

Soarer · 15-03-2022 11:03am

Will you stop contributing if I say you win?

Because I didn't come here for an argument, or to find a loophole. It was a simple question of "does a warranty repair have a 2 year warranty?".

bucketybuck · 15-03-2022 11:10am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118787138#Comment_118787138

Everything you paid for has a warranty. Bring them the invoice where you purchased the part and they will likely cover it.

Otherwise, bite their hand off for the 50% goodwill and consider them to be a good dealership.

whiterebel · 15-03-2022 11:15am

The 2 year warranty was never implemented in Ireland. Our Sale of Goods Act was deemed better than what was required under the EU Directive.

I have only ever come across one or 2 companies that restart a warranty after repair.

elperello · 15-03-2022 1:23pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118786728#Comment_118786728

I think you are correct the 50% offer is fair considering all the circumstances.

Part replaced under warranty failed again

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