Thanks for dropping by. My name is Penn and for the past 20 years I have been confined to a wheelchair following an accident in which I suffered a spinal cord injury to my neck. There are two items that I just could not do without. The first is my electric wheelchair, and the second is my specially adapted motor vehicle. Without either of these mobility aids, I am confined to my house.
I decided to put together this web page which describes the experiences I have recently had with a local Chrysler dealer here in the South West of England. Everything you read on this page is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God. I haven't elaborated, dramatised, made anything up or said anything that isn't fair.
Carrs of Exeter have various outlets in the Southwest of England. They also deal in prestige cars such as Ferrari. Everything on this web page has come about because of the way C.O.E dealt with my situation knowing full well how incapacitated I was without transport.
I recently took my Chrysler Voyager to them because the ABS warning light would not go out. Because of the complex nature of the fault, a registered Chrysler dealership were the only people who could work on the car. I had found out that certain Chrysler vehicles between the ages of 1991/93 were subject to a recall because of the very problem I was experiencing. I informed Carrs of my findings but they totally dismissed this as ridiculous even though I informed them of where I had gained the information. They obviously did a bit of homework and then admitted that there was indeed a recall and offered to undertake the work. This was where all my troubles started.
They started work on my car and then informed me that there was a component that needed to be ordered. When I asked how long it would be before my car was going to be fixed and ready for collection, the only answer I received was, six days, six weeks or six months. I was now virtually housebound without transport. As the weeks passed by, there was still no sign of my vehicle being returned to me.
You can understand that after three months without a car I was getting extremely desperate. All I would get in response to my inquiries about when the part was going to be available was "it is on backorder, we don't know when it's going to be available"
I then started researching this matter myself using the Internet. With the help of some American friends I managed to locate more than one outlet in the United States that could provide me with the exact part needed to complete the recall on my vehicle. In the meantime, I was still being told that the part would not be available until the end of April. This is when I got the local media involved. After a phone call from consumer journalist Natalie Cornah who works for Spotlight television, a hydraulic assembly mysteriously appeared and was fitted to my car within two days. Somewhat sooner than they had been telling me for weeks on end. We can only guess why.
My car was now finished with all faulty parts replaced. Carrs of Exeter kindly offered to carry out the MOT "free of charge". I thought, that's very kind of them so I took them up on the offer. Well, they managed to find nearly 1000 of repairs that needed doing. I thought, who are you trying to kid? And rejected their offer to carry out the work on my car.
I was then given the bombshell. Two of the components that had been replaced, one of which was the one I'd waited for, were not part of a recall. I knew for a fact that the Hydraulic Assembly was part of the recall and I should not be paying for it. They would not have it, if I wanted my car back, I was going to have to hand over 3000. I could have taken legal action there and then but that would have meant my car being impounded at Carrs of Exeter for many months. I needed my car, so under duress, I reluctantly paid the 3000.
I then took legal action against Carrs of Exeter to claim back what I had paid them. I have been reimbursed for the hydraulic assembly which Carrs of Exeter initially denied was part of the recall.
There is also the subject of cost. Why are these parts so incredibly expensive? The hydraulic assembly was 1050, more than twice as much as I could have got it from the United States. I know that garages have to make a mark up on components, but surely this is bordering on the ridiculous.
After all the heartache, inconvenience and enormous expense, my car is now actually worse off than it ever was before going into Carrs of Exeter for the recall. I cannot drive the car for more than a couple of miles without the brakes binding. I have had two garages try and find out what is causing this binding. Neither of them have been successful in finding out what is wrong. All I say is that this problem WAS NOT in evidence before the recall.
I am now in the process of purchasing a European car. Regrettably, my Plymouth Voyager will either have to be scrapped, or sold for a pittance because of what is still wrong with it.
I have asked myself in the last few weeks, "was it really worth it? " After paying my legal fees, I came out of the case with just over 200. Carrs of Exeter would not reimburse my legal fees even though they were in the wrong. I wasn't going to let this large company get away with lining their pockets with my money. I am pleased I did it, even though I lost out financially in the end.
I regret ever taking my car to Carrs of Exeter. I expected my car to be repaired in a reasonable and acceptable time, regrettably, I got neither.
This has been an awful experience which has made me come to a decision that I would never contemplate purchasing another Chrysler product again.
Penn
Brixham
United Kingdom
0 comments