Dealer's had me over?

[Coolcity]

I picked up my XF around the end of June from a used car dealer, and had a couple of issues, namely vibration at speed and jammed fuel filler door. The fuel filler door is now booked in for next week, having had to tell the dealer if they don't sort it I will, and send them the bill. 

The vibration went away when I changed the new but crap Joyride branded tyres that were on it for Pirellis last week. Prior to this I'd discussed with a mate that I thought the car originally had Dunlop tyres on it which looked nearly new when I went to view it, but couldn't be sure as I'd looked at a few cars that week. I had previously mentioned this when I rang the dealer about the fuel filler flap issue (which is just a broken plastic hinge), and they said that's what it had on (Joyride) when it came into them.

Anyway, I've just found out that it DID have Dunlop tyres on it. I downloaded and saved the (dealer's original) photos from the sales site and we've just been looking through them. They clearly shows Dunlop tyres were on the car when it was advertised, not the Joyride ones it had when I picked it up. Needless to say I'm not happy as I've forked out over £500 to replace the Joyride tyres but do I have any options? I would assume that all the dealer has to say was that the original tyres were knackered, or that it had Dunlops on when I picked it up and I must have changed them. I'm also assuming that the Joyride tyres are officially legal so if he's changed what was on it for a new set of tyres, albeit a crap make, I probably don't have much of an argument unless I can prove there's a significant difference. 

[Tomato]

Sorry to hear about your troubles. Did you see the car before buying it or buy it online?

If online probably better argument. 

Can you see the number plate when the Dunlop tyres are on, would need a certain angle picture. Have you ask why they are different? Suspect will say issue with original tyres hence why they replaced. 

 

[Coolcity]

I have photos that show the number plate for both front, and another very clear photo from the same batch of sales photos (so you can clearly tell the photo was taken in the same place), but not showing the plate for the rear offside. 

I did see the car before buying, albeit in a very tightly packed warehouse based showroom. That's how I knew it had Dunlops on to begin with, and although it's not something I picked up on when I collected the car, I later thought that I must have been mistaken as I'd looked at 7 or 8 cars that week, including 3 in the same showroom. It wasn't until last night we noticed that it did in fact have Dunlops on in the showroom. My mate came over to look at the car, but I've just taken it in to have the wheels refurbed so we ended up looking at the dealer photos. That's when we spotted it. 

This is one of the dealer photos, you can clearly see it's a Dunlop tyre. 

Of course it could be that they were knackered, but they look OK to me, but that's probably all the dealer would have to say to cover himself and I have no way of proving otherwise. I always check tyres because it's something that needs to be negotiated in the price if they need replacing. I know the Dunlops I saw were fine, at least visually.

I haven't asked yet because it's booked in on Monday to replace a broken fuel filler flap hinge and I don't want to "upset the Apple cart" until that's done - it's taken me 3 weeks to get a date booked with them - but I will be asking the question. I did mention that I'd changed the tyres on the car and the receptionist I spoke to (who probably wouldn't have known they'd been switched anyway) said that they sell the cars with the original tyres they come in with. 

Actually looking at the wheels again it's possible they changed the whole wheels and tyres because the front offside was quite badly scuffed and the coating had split all the way across. There's no sign on that on the photos. Hard to know their intention for sure, so I've added a question mark to the thread title. 

[PaulT]

Always difficult to make judgements from photos, the camera can make things look better than they are.

Be careful of the receptionist - what does the dealer do if for some reason the tyres are illegal, they have cracking etc, no doubt you got a 12 month MOT.

Reading your various threads it seems that from the start you have been unhappy with the car. Perhaps, you either need to accept what it is or sell it.

[Coolcity]

I think you've misunderstood the point of the photo. That was only posted to confirm that the tyres on the car when advertised were Dunlops, not the Joyride branded tyres I got when I picked the car up - ultimately my fault for not checking, but if you knew there were decent tyres on the car when you viewed it, it's not something you would expect to have been changed. 

I'm not unhappy with the car at all, quite the opposite in fact, but I think the dealer leaves a lot to be desired. The car wasn't particularly well valeted, given that they'd had a week to do it, the tyres were changed (and possibly the wheels as I said), the DPF filter was full when I picked it up which isn't something I'd expect, though I've never had a diesel car before so couldn't make a judgement on that, and there was a vibration at around 70 mph which I can understand the dealer missing as they've probably never driven it at that speed.

Since I got the car the DPF warning cleared (eventually, took 120 motorway miles or so to do it), I've changed the tyres, which resolved the vibration problem, and I've just got the car back today having had the wheels refurbed and powder coated and the calipers painted. It now looks as it should, and it goes back to the dealer on Monday to have the broken fuel filler door hinge replaced, which I've had to keep pushing them for and eventually threaten to have it done at the main dealer and send them the bill to get a response. 

I've spent just over £1000 to have the tyres changed and wheels refurbed, both my choice although the Chinese tyres were truly awful, I always assume there will be some things that need doing on a used car to bring it up to standard so I'm fine with that, it's just that I've never had such a poor experience with a dealer before. I know the car is good mechanically and now it looks as good as it drives, and I'm perfectly happy with it. But I'm convinced that the dealer has swapped the tyres and wheels for their benefit rather than because it needed it. the tyres I saw were in good condition, in fact almost new and I seriously doubt that there was enough wrong with all 4 to warrant changing them for a cheap Chinese brand. It's highly suspicious at best. And they do have a few dodgy reviews - but then so do most main dealers, so it can be tricky knowing who to trust. 

[The Voices]

I guess the 'dealer' will just say that they found a fault with the tyres so replaced them with correct size and speed rating.

It's astonishing how many non franchise dealers have the attitude that 'tyres are tyres' irrespective of brand or quality.

You mention that you have already had the alloys refurbished (presumably because they needed it), it might be that the dealer swapped the wheels (and tyres ?) from another car to avoid refurbing the originals ?

[Coolcity]

On 7/24/2021 at 9:09 AM, The Voices said:

I guess the 'dealer' will just say that they found a fault with the tyres so replaced them with correct size and speed rating.

It's astonishing how many non franchise dealers have the attitude that 'tyres are tyres' irrespective of brand or quality.

You mention that you have already had the alloys refurbished (presumably because they needed it), it might be that the dealer swapped the wheels (and tyres ?) from another car to avoid refurbing the originals ?

Yes, that's all they would need to say. Two of the wheels were bad, not so much scuffed but the whole coating looked as though it had been peeled away from parts of the wheel on both nearside wheels. It wasn't until later that I wondered if the wheels had been swapped too because I'm sure I'd have noticed damage that bad having checked the original tyres, and you can't see it in any of the photos. The car was dirty sand needed a good clean when I went to see it, they said it had just come in but I knew that wasn't true because the site I saw it on said it had been listed for around 8 weeks. I took that with a pinch of salt, assumed that's what they probably say to every buyer about every car. 

My take is that I negotiated new brake discs and pads all round as part of the deal, and my guess is that's when they swapped the wheels over. I know that one of the guys in there wasn't too happy with the deal the salesman had given me because he came after me as we were leaving and said he couldn't include the brakes unless I paid for the parts having just given me £700 or so off the window price. I said no and I didn't have the time to hang around any longer, so he reluctantly agreed. I thought it was a bit of gamesmanship on their part at first, as I'd not signed anything at that point, it was just a verbal agreement. 

Ultimately it's my fault for not checking before I drove the car away, but having viewed the car you don't expect things to be changed. Anyway it's done, and at least I know I've got decent wheels and tyres on now. I have had it back in for the broken fuel filler door hinge which they have replaced while I waited so at least they look as though they'll honour the warranty even if they do need to be pushed a bit.