Is The Dealer Liable?

[teejaybee]

Apologies as this is a spin off to another thread I started. Trying to cut a very long story short...

2 Speakers in my car need to be replaced, not covered by the 5 Year Old Approved car warranty, bill almost £500. Dealer has offered a goodwill gesture of £75. Took the car in today, one speaker replaced but the second at the back is not working at all. When I bought the car from the dealer 6 months ago it had a top of the range Parrot hands free system fitted (by the previous owner)

Today the service guy asked when I had had the h/f fitted as it could be that causing a problem with my speakers, I told him the car came with it. It is now going back in tomorrow to be further looked at. The Dealer is throwing in an hours labour free but after that "anything they find I will be liable for". The worse case scenario is that the h/f was wrongly wired in and I may need a new head unit...£1500.

I think as they sold me the car with the hands free system alraedy in place, if it is this that is causing me problems is the car "fit for purpose"?

I have spoken to trading standards and they believe I have a case under the sale of goods act. I am waiting to see what tomorrow brings.

Anybody got any opinions either way? Is it just my tough luck or should the dealer pay? :tsktsk:

[wicked677]

Were the speakers working when you purchased the car or did you later notice that they weren't? Are you unable to disconnect the parrot at all? Hate to put a downer on things but dealing with trading standards and other government agencies is a ball-ache and will probably take weeks if not months of phonecalls and messing about.

If you are able to disconnect the parrot and see if the speakers are then working correctly after that. I don't understand why if two speakers have gone the dealer has only corrected one? Or has another speaker gone?

Was it a Lexus dealer?

[dave1]

If you reported this to the dealer within 6 months of purchase then he is liable. Whilst the used approved warranty may not cover it the Sale of Goods Act certainly should by way of "reverse burden of proof". The offer of £75 is derisory and will be offset when they add on a little labour to cover it.

You may find that whilst the service dept don't want to know, the sales dept are the people to speak to.

[teejaybee]

The speakers appeared to be working when I bought the car, I didn't actually check them all, it's just over the last month or so I've noticed the sound coming and going.

What I think has happened today is that when the dealer tried to fit the new second rear speaker it wouldn't work leading them to believe it's not the speaker but something else (the Parrot) so they are going to look under the back seats tomorrow to get at the amplfier to se if the Parrot wiring is affecting anything. I guess they will disconnect the Parrot and take it from there.

Between the sales dept and the service and the dealer boss they came up with £75 as a goodwill gesture.

I have owned the car for 7 months now so I can still use the sale of goods act but the onus will be on me which if the dealer finds that the Parrot was wired incorrectly then I can proceed!

[Geoffers]

When you took a call on the Parrot, did it come through the speakers that are now not working? (or did/does it come through all speakers?). If it never came through these speakers then that instantly rules out the Parrot.

I find it difficult to believe the Parrot has blown the speakers - they are high end in the Lexus range and low impedance. The Parrot has its own amp so you would expect multiple speakers to be blown, not just one or two. Even the Parrots own small amp.

If the Parrot is cutting off the connection to one of the new speakers, then they can bypass just that speaker being controlled by the Parrot if the engineer is any good and you will still have the use of the HF.

It could still be a Lexus amp problem or just a plain sticky relay in the parrot system. (or even a faulty new speaker - I've had that before)

It does sound as if at least one speaker was faulty though because replacing it cured the issue with that one.

Make sure you keep the old speakers just in case it is a wiring issue and the connection has been re-made temporarily. I think you mentioned in the other post that you felt it was coming in and out. At least then you can get a refund on the replacement speakers if this is the case.

[teejaybee]

Update, car back in this morning at 8am, ready at 11am, NO CHARGE! Phew

Fair play to Lexus Bristol, they didn't charge me any more labour and the rear speaker didn't need replacing, there was a loose wire. So speaker ok and h/free ok. Total cost £237 for front speaker.

Happy Bunny

Thanks to all for opinions

[wicked677]

So the speaker that they swapped didn't need to be changed after-all

[teejaybee]

Correct, but the front one had blown