21 replies to this topic

[TOMOPRED]

Has anyone ever come across this? I took my vx into JCT600 (Wan_ers) as it is the only one near to me in Bradford. I wont go into detail with past problems as i have posted them before and there is too many to mention(just avoid going there). It has failed its Mot due to a missaligned os light they say the car has a euro lh drive light in. Now i have never had the light changed and bought the car off jct with only 2000 miles on the clock Xdemo. They must have either fitted it before i bought it or does anyone know of it happening in production? They tried to use my mot insurance to replace it at a cost of £699. I could have gone down this route but they have tried to put new tyres brake disks and pads and various other items over the past 2 years only to get a second opinion and find out its a scam and there was nothing wrong with them infact i still have all the original brakes and tyres on as it has only done 10,000 miles which it passed its MOT on yesterday. My second question is how do you report these people as it must be a form of fraud to tell you work needs doing that doesnt on such a consistent basis.

[mandarinvx]

Should be fairly easy to tell if they're trying to fob you off - drive up to a wall (about 6 feet away) and see which direction the lights are trained on - obv they should both be angled to the left The headlights can be adjusted, but I think that's really meant for height adjustment

[TOMOPRED]

Should be fairly easy to tell if they're trying to fob you off - drive up to a wall (about 6 feet away) and see which direction the lights are trained on - obv they should both be angled to the left

The headlights can be adjusted, but I think that's really meant for height adjustment

Cheers for that will do!
Do you know where i stand if they have fitted the unit before i bought it?

[rcvaughan]

If you take the car to a council MOT centre I've heard you are more likely to get a pass. Council centres (who do busses, police cars, etc etc do MOT tests for council vehicles HAVE to do MOTs for private vehicles too) but they do not offer any other services/repairs etc etc so they have no incentive not to pass you as they will not make any money from reparing failed vehicles.

Might be worth a try.

http://www.moneysavi...ravel/cheap-mot

[nickxcpro]

If it is just an MOT you are having just take it somewhere else, its gonna cost you £50.00 or so extra much better than 699 for a new light. oh and dont ever go back there!!!!!

Edited by nickxcpro, 28 October 2008 - 02:08 PM.

[simsy]

They are more than likely just looking for work. (from experience) I can not believe you have the wrong light type. I was made to feel like I was about to be physically attacked a couple of years ago (took some verbal abuse) for refusing to allow new wiper blades to be fitted to my wifes car after an MOT failure... Made me feel like petrol bombing them, but I just bad mouth them when ever possible instead.. it was an MOT place in the middle of Poynton, Cheshire.....

[sworks]

Surely if they have supplied a car with a 'Euro' headlight, then the car was never road worthy!? Which could render your insurance useless? Might be talking rubbish, but could be worth a go to try and recoup the cost of a new headlight? Could try putting the frighteners on them (threat of legal action).

Edited by sworks, 28 October 2008 - 02:34 PM.

[TOMOPRED]

Surely if they have supplied a car with a 'Euro' headlight, then the car was never road worthy!? Which could render your insurance useless?

Might be talking rubbish, but could be worth a go to try and recoup the cost of a new headlight? Could try putting the frighteners on them (threat of legal action).

Thats a good point will check that out cheers

[The Batman]

my vx failed its mot on one of the headlights, all it took was the mechanic to 'wiggle' it round a bit and then tighten the bolt up. job done

[BradW]

My drivers side headlight seems to have a light beam bias toward the right. Owned the car since new, no light replacements or anything. Thought it might fail MOT but its been through two and nobody said a word. To my mind I appear to have lights that light left and right of my car and next to nothing in front! Maybe I too have a Euro light on one side!

[TOMOPRED]

Took the car for a second opinion if has got a left hand drive light in and the mot insurance doesn't cover it. So its either JCT 600 or Vauxhall who fitted it. First thing I did was ring JCT 600 to tell them the headlight was in since i bought the car and that they passed the MOT last year with the same head light in. They haven,t rang back yet so proving it might be a problem. Does anyone know how i can prove the headlight was fitted from manufacture or at the garage at a later date, Otherwise im looking at a £700 bill minimum.

[The Batman]

just take it too another garage. a more lenient one.

[techieboy]

Does anyone know how i can prove the headlight was fitted from manufacture or at the garage at a later date, Otherwise im looking at a £700 bill minimum.

So are you sure it's a left hand drive version and it's not just badly adjusted or badly fitted/seated RHD headlamp?

Have you tried taking the headlight out and checking for a part number on it (from memory they usually have a Skipton label with part number and manufacture date on them)?

Can't see any way you can prove when it was fitted. Obviously you know you haven't replaced it but I can't imagine a dealer is going to take your word for it as it's only a 30 second job to swap a headlight (one nut to undo),

[jazzyjeff]

just take it too another garage. a more lenient one.

Better to lose £50 than £700 (or am I missing something? )

JJ

[The Batman]

either that or search the breakers and buy a second hand headlight

[The Batman]

you didnt state which one it is but this is one on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.co.u...Q...A1|240:1318

or ring douglas valley or someone like that

[TOMOPRED]

The headlight has been checked by a seperate garage and they also say it is an os euro headlight thanks for all the comments! I am awaiting a comment from vauxhall but i wont hold my breath! I think it has been fitted on the production line at lotus and as i very rearly use the car at night I never noticed. I cant believe a car dealer can get away with fitting a euro light on the production line and not have to replace it ! How as it managed to get through testing surley they test the lights? I dont want to sound like a moaning git but if this has come off the production line like this I am not just gonna bite my lip and pay. I still feel there must be part numbers listed when they are fitted on the car from new! Does anyone work for a vauxhall garage who may be able to help me with advice! Its not so much the money its the principle why should I have to pay for another garage mistake.

[techieboy]

The headlight has been checked by a seperate garage and they also say it is an os euro headlight thanks for all the comments! I am awaiting a comment from vauxhall but i wont hold my breath! I think it has been fitted on the production line at lotus and as i very rearly use the car at night I never noticed. I cant believe a car dealer can get away with fitting a euro light on the production line and not have to replace it ! How as it managed to get through testing surley they test the lights? I dont want to sound like a moaning git but if this has come off the production line like this I am not just gonna bite my lip and pay. I still feel there must be part numbers listed when they are fitted on the car from new! Does anyone work for a vauxhall garage who may be able to help me with advice! Its not so much the money its the principle why should I have to pay for another garage mistake.

The problem is proving you didn't just buy a replacement off eBay last month and fit it after getting a parking ding. I just don't think you'll ever be able to prove it's a production line cock-up and you'll just go blue in the face arguing it.

One thing for sure though, Vauxhall will never have the build records down to anything like that level - you'll need to go to Lotus for those. I'm pretty sure that with the exception of the chassis, engine, gearbox and stereo none of the parts have an individual serial number that could be traced back to manufacturing/assembly. Just the odd sticker here and there with date of manufacture on the actual part.

Try PM'ing "The Insider" - he may have access to some more priviledged information.

Edited by techieboy, 03 November 2008 - 11:04 PM.

[BradW]

It occurs to me that when they were making the final batch of NA's they may well have used the bits that were left in the parts bin. Surely not?...?... If there is one car affected there is likely to be more... was your car one of the final batch made?...

[The Insider]

If the light was fitted at production as a misbuild then it should (if the selling dealer was any good) have been picked up at PDI, once it has left the dealer then it becomes very difficult to say if/ when a part has been changed. The only things that might be a giveaway would be if the lamp appears to have been disturbed. Perhaps the previous owner would have some info if the lamp was ever replaced?