I have to wait 1 month to sort my leak!

What a nightmare @GONA66. I hope you get this sorted, dealers will try anything they can to dodge warranty claims at times. I was considering using Preston for first service but may look elsewhere.
 
You mentioned up thread that you bought the van in the last month.

What date did you buy it? How many miles covered since you bought it? How many miles until it warned you about coolant level? Is it the same dealer fixing it that sold you the van?

It sounds to me like it had a pre-existing fault and the seller needs to repair it for you or tell them they can have it back.

I bought my van in Jan 2019, it had a pre-existing fault with coolant loss that I didn’t know about. It became apparent in 300 miles (10 days) as the coolant bottle emptied. I reported it back to the selling dealer, they muttered about extended 3rd party warranty claims but I told them I would give them the van back because it had a fault they had not told me about. They then repaired it with no further quibble, which was lucky because the parts alone were about £900 plus labour on top!
 
Update , VW have now been in touch ,they have spoken to the dealer and the dealer has told VW that the cause of the radiator damage is due to a spanner ! a very expensive spanner at that.
I informed VW that prior to collecting the vehicle from the garage i bought from ,the vehicle had had a service from the garages local VW dealer (keeping up are we )!!
That service was done less than 3 weeks ago i informed them.
The VW lady has escalated it further to a case officer who will be in touch in the next 48 hrs. I'm now going to contact the dealer from whom i bought the vehicle and explain the situation and see what his response is. I also have now collected a courtesy vehicle until this matter is resolved.
If i get no where with VW will my next point of call be with the selling dealer ?
Also why didn't the VW dealer repairing it tell me about the spanner ?

In regard to the question above , i've had the Caravelle 3 weeks and I've done approx 800 miles including the drive back from Bristol where i purchased it.
 
Update , VW have now been in touch ,they have spoken to the dealer and the dealer has told VW that the cause of the radiator damage is due to a spanner ! a very expensive spanner at that.
I informed VW that prior to collecting the vehicle from the garage i bought from ,the vehicle had had a service from the garages local VW dealer (keeping up are we )!!
That service was done less than 3 weeks ago i informed them.
The VW lady has escalated it further to a case officer who will be in touch in the next 48 hrs. I'm now going to contact the dealer from whom i bought the vehicle and explain the situation and see what his response is. I also have now collected a courtesy vehicle until this matter is resolved.
If i get no where with VW will my next point of call be with the selling dealer ?
Also why didn't the VW dealer repairing it tell me about the spanner ?

In regard to the question above , i've had the Caravelle 3 weeks and I've done approx 800 miles including the drive back from Bristol where i purchased it.
Edit full post as I had NOT kept up on different VW dealers.

Prepare to ask for your money back. Your issue will be with the selling dealer and his issue will be with the outfit he used to service the van.

If you are lucky, VW may step in and encourage the selling garage and servicing dealer (pre-sale) to pick up the costs of repair (or at least significantly contribute to those costs.)
 
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Let the two dealers slug it out between them and VW head office can referee! Keep the ball firmly in their court.

Prepare to ask for your money back though.
Would i be in a legal position to ask for a refund ?
 
Would i be in a legal position to ask for a refund ?
You can always ask for a refund….whether you’re legally entitled to one is another matter! Hopefully, someone who knows consumer law better than me will pop along and advise.

You need the “caused by a spanner” bit in writing from the investigating dealer. I would be inclined to summarise the discussion in an email to them, copying VW and stating what their diagnosis was. (You confirm what was discussed and they either counter it or it is accepted.) That forms the basis on which you enter a debate with the selling garage when you are either asking them to fund the repair or give you your money back. Van with spanner on the loose is not “fit for purpose”
 
I think you have a case to reject this van. Personally I would (and did) encourage my dealer to pay for the repair in full. If you reject the van I t will be aggro they are keen to avoid. At a guess the repair bill will be close to £1k for a new radiator plus the labour to dismantle the front end while fitting. Better they pay for that rather than you.

 
I think you have a case to reject this van. Personally I would (and did) encourage my dealer to pay for the repair in full. If you reject the van I t will be aggro they are keen to avoid. At a guess the repair bill will be close to £1k for a new radiator plus the labour to dismantle the front end while fitting. Better they pay for that rather than you.

Great post! I agree, if the repair bill is picked up, there is a good case for keeping the van. However, if it isn't, I feel there is a stong case for rejecting it and seeking a full refund.
 
Evening gentlemen , I final update on progress and result.
I'll keep this brief , as i'm NOT a typist ! After several days the van was repaired and the VW garage in Bristol footed the bill accepting liability for the spanner. The selling dealer was very apologetic and agreed to take back the vehicle once it had been repaired by the VW dealer in Preston.
So i decided to return the vehicle as the whole experience had left a sour taste, taking 11 days to sort itself out . Obviously although the matter has been put to bed so to speak, i was left without use of a vehicle for a while and slightly out of pocket with travelling expenses to purchase the vehicle and insuring and subsequently cancelling insurance etc, and now i had to find another Caravelle or similar.
So i've ordered a New Caravelle Executive 199 4motion from a supplier, which should arrive in April next year, and today i've purchased a stop gap car to see me through until then . Phew !! some journey the last 6 weeks have been , but as my father would say "The joy's of motoring " :whistle:

Finally thanks for all the posts of support and advice earlier in the thread, much appreciated :thumbsup:.
 
Evening gentlemen , I final update on progress and result.
I'll keep this brief , as i'm NOT a typist ! After several days the van was repaired and the VW garage in Bristol footed the bill accepting liability for the spanner. The selling dealer was very apologetic and agreed to take back the vehicle once it had been repaired by the VW dealer in Preston.
So i decided to return the vehicle as the whole experience had left a sour taste, taking 11 days to sort itself out . Obviously although the matter has been put to bed so to speak, i was left without use of a vehicle for a while and slightly out of pocket with travelling expenses to purchase the vehicle and insuring and subsequently cancelling insurance etc, and now i had to find another Caravelle or similar.
So i've ordered a New Caravelle Executive 199 4motion from a supplier, which should arrive in April next year, and today i've purchased a stop gap car to see me through until then . Phew !! some journey the last 6 weeks have been , but as my father would say "The joy's of motoring " :whistle:

Finally thanks for all the posts of support and advice earlier in the thread, much appreciated :thumbsup:.
Well done you! Thanks for updating. I think your made the right decision
 
@GONA66 would you mind adding your resolution to this poll, please?
 
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