In 2023, we bought a 2019 Vauxhall from Eden Motor Group in Reading. I wish we hadn't.□ Low mileage – just 14,000
□ Excellent condition
□ Good deal... or so we thought
Two weeks ago, after filling up with petrol, it leaked straight out all over the petrol station forecourt. A major safety hazard. The cause? A failed fuel tank – something you can’t see, can’t touch, and certainly wouldn’t expect to fail on a six-year-old car.
The part isn’t classified as a 'wear and tear' item – it’s structural and should last the lifetime of the vehicle.
Vauxhall’s response? - £1,665.00 to replace it.
▪︎ No apology - (it's out of warranty)
▪︎ No goodwill - (it's out of warranty)
▪︎ No responsibility - (it's out of warranty)
▪︎ No apology - (it's out of warranty)
▪︎ No goodwill - (it's out of warranty)
▪︎ No responsibility - (it's out of warranty)
So if you’re considering a used Vauxhall, especially through Eden Motor Group and Spoticar, ask yourself this:
□ What happens when something goes wrong?
□ Is a manufacturer that shrugs off major faults really worth your money?
In our experience, Vauxhall’s customer care ends the moment your payment clears - this is a recurring fault - link - you'll need this link - where I'm at with this - link
How long do you think a petrol tank should hold fuel before it starts leaking?
ReplyDeleteTen years? Fifteen? The lifetime of the car?
Vauxhall seems to think six years is enough. After that, if it leaks onto the forecourt, the road, or your driveway, it's apparently not their problem. That’s exactly what I was told this afternoon after my 2019 Crossland X developed a serious fuel tank fault leaking petrol immediately after filling up. A structural failure. No visible damage. Just a silent fault in the one component whose only job is to not leak fuel.
I wasn’t asking for a miracle, just a little goodwill and accountability from a major manufacturer. Instead, I got a polite “out of warranty” and a quote for £1,665.00.
This isn’t about wear and tear. It’s about reasonable expectation. If a fuel tank is no longer expected to last the life of a modern car, where’s that written in the brochure?
#Vauxhall #ConsumerRights #VehicleSafety #FuelTankFailure #MotorOmbudsman #NotBuiltToLast #Accountability - #EdenMotorGroup