Alfa Romeo Forum banner

My Love has gone down the pan - for good.

Tags
love pan
1K views 10 replies 8 participants last post by  rarebear 
#1 ·
To give an update to my current situation.

Following from my post "my love has gone down the pan" the following has taken place.

So Alfa Romeo Customer Services said not to helping as they considered a car with 60K and 3 years old to be of excessive mileage.

Wrote to Christopher Nicoll and emailed and got a response back from Lauren Bell claiming that she would let me have a response by 25th March.

25/3/09 got an email from her at 17.26 this afternoon.

Thank you for your email and subsequent letter addressed for the attention of Christopher Nicoll.

Christopher has asked that I reply to you however he will be aware of my response.

After careful consideration, I can confirm that we are unable to contribute to the failure of the water pump on your vehicle. It is with regret that the vehicle has failed outside of the warranty however we would deduce from this and the vehicle mileage that the part has not suffered from a manufacturing defect.

We appreciate that this may not be the response anticipated however due consideration has been given to your case.

Please accept my sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused by this and should you wish to contact me, my telephone number is stated below.

Yours sincerely

Lauren Bell

-------------------

I'm not going to invest my money with or in Alfa again.. This was my first and now last Alfa car.

Going to get it repaired. (not from dealer).. But something is not right with this…

NO SUPPORT FOR CUSTOMERS and who at the end of the day is going to keep them in business!! Customers ...

Not happy.
 
See less See more
#5 ·
So you would be happy to pay for the repairs if the water pump had failed and damaged the engine after having the 60k service carried out on the 9th Jan the warranty ending on the 20th Jan (asked the dealer about extending my warranty in December 08) and for it to happen on the 9th Feb!

I appreciate the others may not but looking through posts on this forum that others have managed to get some contribution towards the repairs after the warranty has ended just makes me wonder..
 
#4 ·
The fact is, the part failed within the service interval (5 years or 72k miles IIRC) so they should IMO help out as they set the service intervals.
 
#7 ·
I think you have a good case and Alfa haven't got a leg to stand on.

I'm not familiar with the diesel engine,but if the water pump is driven from the cam belt,then that water pump should be designed to last at least as long as the cam belt ,72k miles (ONLY if the FIRST cam belt change is stated at 72k miles).

Theres no sense in having a water pump with a lifespan of 60k when the timing belt is to be changed at 72k,as you have to renew the timing belt every time its loosened to change the water pump.

I think Alfa are giving you the runaround to try and put you off,the "60k miles in three years is a high milage therefore tough"attitude is totally unacceptable,thats only 400 miles a week,perfectly normal.

If you have owned that car from new and always had it serviced on schedule at a main dealer,then Alfa should pay up,no excuse.

The waterpump was the weak link,it failed before it was due to be replaced(timing belt)therfore destroying the engine.

You questioned your dealer at 60k regarding the timing belt and he said "No problem,we'll do it at 72k" then your dealer is also,to a degree,responsible

Hang in there ash6812 and stand your ground.
 
#9 · (Edited)
25/3/09 got an email from her at 17.26 this afternoon.

Thank you for your email and subsequent letter addressed for the attention of Christopher Nicoll.

Christopher has asked that I reply to you however he will be aware of my response.

After careful consideration, I can confirm that we are unable to contribute to the failure of the water pump on your vehicle. It is with regret that the vehicle has failed outside of the warranty however we would deduce from this and the vehicle mileage that the part has not suffered from a manufacturing defect.

We appreciate that this may not be the response anticipated however due consideration has been given to your case.

Please accept my sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused by this and should you wish to contact me, my telephone number is stated below.

Yours sincerely

Lauren Bell
I find this extremely disappointing, depressing even, but I am not entirely surprised. It may be that, due to the rather tight economic climate at the moment, ARUK may feel that from a financial viewpoint, they may no longer be able to support any further claims for waterpump failure. The ARUK Profit Centre may be looking a bit 'shaky' at the moment, and as is the way with all proud words of extoling the virtues of 'customer focus' and 'building brand loyalty' and 'instilling professionalism in the dealer network' such epithets always seem to slide inexoribly down the pan in times of hardship, whether it be your pan ash or somebody else's.

But surely there is 'causal damage' here? The waterpump fails and dislodges the cambelt, causing damage to the head. If the waterpump failed outside the three year warranty, and caused no effect elsewhere, then ARUK may have a point. But this is not the case. The failure of the waterpump has undermined the integrity of the timing gear before it is due to be changed, therefore the failure of the former has resulted in damage to the latter.

I would seek legal advice. Don't let them get away with it. As things stand at present it is simply not acceptable:tut:
 
#10 ·
I too would be leaning a little more onto Alfa as the water pump is 'normally' changed with the Cam belt.... though saying this, even though Alfa state 72k for the Cam belt, an Alfa mechanic advised me to change every 60k miles as the water pumps are known to fail around then.... maybe something Alfa need to address themselves...
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top