Help please

TWS

Guest
I hope someone out there can point me in the right direction, here goes, my saga started last Monday when my 2008 Roller Team 700 started giving off a burning smell from the clutch, I took the M/H to Brownhils North east to get them to look at the M/H, I also had a problem with the combi boiler, but thats another story.

I arrived at Brownhills and was advised to take the M/H to Ford commercial, as the warranty was with Ford, so off I went to Ford in Newcastle, they booked the M/H in and off I went home. Next day the garage called and said that the clutch was overheating ! the M/H has 3600 miles on the clock, and Ford cutomer services are not covering the costs for repair under the warranty as the clutch is a wear and tear part.

I have made numerous calls to Ford customer services and Brownhill but I am still left with a bill of £700.00 plus for a new clutch. My eyes have been opened 100 % about Brownhills and the lack of customer care, I have spoken to consumer direct for advice also. The Ford garage where the M/H is at the moment are behind me, and are not sure why the clutch is overheating, they have advised Ford customer services that the M/H is immaculate and has been taken care of, I only noticed the smell when driving the M/H, I would consider myself to be a very careful driver, I hold a HGV licence also hold a Approved driving instructors badge, so I am 100 % sure its not down to my driving.

I will never buy another M/H from Brownhills, once they have your money they could not care less about you, and as for Ford, the people I spoke with at the customer services have no idea about the techinal side of things.

Can anyone point me in the right direction, what else can I do ? where can I go for help ? Are they right ? This is my first M/H and up till now we have had a pretty hassle free time, but this has really brought it home to me that when things go wrong you really need a dealer to be there for you.

Thanks Tom
 
Hi Tom,

In some ways Brownhills like any other dealer is correct as far as the chassis/cab warranty is concerned, BUT at the end of the day they supplied it and should be backing you all the way as 3600 miles on a clutch is totally unacceptable.

In the same way Ford cannot say at 3600 miles the clutch is due to fair wear and tear.

Suggest Trading Standards and start quoting Supply of Goods Act at the relevant parties.

Good luck

Peter
 
Thanks Peter, hope I dont have to go down the legal route, but really only see this as the only thing I can do. Just wish I hadnt bought from Brownhills, they have no intrest in me now after spending my hard earned money. We live and learn.

Thanks Tom
 
would it be worth a trip to the local citizens advice?

but totally agree, there is no way 3600 can be considered fair wear and tear.
 
Clutch problems

Hi Tom. Sorry to hear you are having problems. It sounds as if Brownhills have a bit of an attitude problem to say the least! I have a mate who lives at Aycliffe just down the road from you a bit, and he had problems with a new van he'd bought from Brownhills N.E. They were mainly niggles that should have been sussed out when the vehicle was prepped for sale, but they just hadnt bothered to do them. He had the van back to them several times and lost the use of the vehicle for weeks on end last summer. They were good on excuses and crap at sorting out the problems. He trades in his van every two to three years and gets a new one, but he wont be using Brownhills again. You would have thought that in these recession hit times businesses would be bending over backwards to keep their customers (who are spending an absolute fortune) happy. My mate thinks the same as you and says that once they've got your cash they lose all interest in you and the van they sold you. Hope you manage to get it sorted soon Tom.
Kreos
 
TWS said:
Thanks Peter, hope I dont have to go down the legal route, but really only see this as the only thing I can do. Just wish I hadnt bought from Brownhills, they have no intrest in me now after spending my hard earned money. We live and learn.

Thanks Tom
Click to expand...


your not the first i've heard of to be pithed orff with brownhills... you won't be the last.:mad:

i too have a potential problem with the clutch burning... in reverse going uphill..:eek:
on the flat it's fine...at the moment:rolleyes:... but i think it won't be long before it needs replacing...
ducato 2.8 50k on the clock 6 years old.... and i think this is to early for it to be playing up...:confused:
you have my sympathy...ford should be being pressurised by brownhills...but don't hold yer breath:eek:

regards;)
aj
 
Hi TWS,
is this the result of the famous gearbox/clutch judder when reversing a Fiat or Peugeot based chassis?
My Peugeot had a modified main drive gear and layshaft, also new clutch as a means of stopping this problem, and it did not work 100%. It is at the moment with Peugeot UK in Coventry, I get it back wednesday. I believe it's had yet another new Gearbox, clutch and flywheel fitted.
Hope it's right this time.
If yours is a 2008 model, then maybe this is the cause, and you need to keep at Fiat until they do something for you.
Speak to Andy Stothart from the MMM's magazine about it all, he is heavily involved with this clutch problem.

andystothert@blueyonder.co.uk

Good luck.

Happy Camping :)
 
I seem to recall that another Ford Transit motorhome has had a problem with a smelly clutch and it got better with time.
Is your clutch slipping or just smelling when driving off / reversing?
Mine went in to Ford last month to have a software remap to stop it stalling unless you gave it some beans when pulling off. It now revs up the engine when the clutch bite point is reached by its self and has 100% fixed the stalling problem.

Jeff. 2009 Transit 140bhp Dethleffs SE
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I would agree with Peters comments from John Crosses.

Many trading standards departments have a working partnership with local dealers and are best placed to fight your corner.

As an aside I would demand a meeting with the Ford Motor company aftersales manager.

Wrong I know, But your local dealership probably didnt supply the chassis, and I guarantee the time allowed by Ford to replace the clutch will be frugal at best. There is a distinct possibility the dealer too could lose money on repair.

TS and let them badger Ford customer services would be my advice

Channa
 
Yup Brownhills are a real kettle of fish. Our snagging list wasn't touched when we picked our van up & when I took it back ( At their request) to get all the bits done, they found they'd ordered incorrect parts . the work they did do involved breaking off one of the alarm contacts & fitting the bathroom cabinet door so badly that the mirror next to it came crashing out ( damaging the bathroom wall & bog seat) their response "We're not responsible for damage to the van..." so here we are 11 months later, 2 further attempt to get the correct parts & the last contact I had was 14 weeks ago when the customer servcies manager promised his full attention to sort out the issue. Oh !! The main issue is the drivers door leccy window works intermittently ( It didn't work at all but they "fixed" it......) only found out about the intermitancy when I had to drive 500 miles through the rain in Spain ( falling mainly not on the plane) with the window down.

They should just sell vans & out source the service & warranty as they couldn't give a F-F-Fig !!
 
It,s a shame when companies are prepared to take your hard earned cash and are not bothered to sort out or assist in any later problems, especially after this amount of mileage.

Why not start by printing of this thread and sending it to Brownhills MD. I'm sure it's not the sort of publicity he wants, especially on a motorhome site with 7,000 members.

Hands up who is going to Brownhills for their next vehicle? :mad:

Captain
 
i wouldn't touch brownhills have read too many bad things about them, when i was looking for a van years ago, i went into a large coachbuilt and a sales person came in and said this van would be ideal for me. (how would they know) i said i would think about it then went over to another van another salesperson came and gave me the same speil so i left them to it. have a look at the following website about other person's dealing with brownhills it is: www.Brownfools.co.uk then see what you think.
 
Hi TWS,
I did think that maybe a connection between your Ford and the Fiat/Peugeot problems, because they all have a Ford engine (bottom end) and possibly something to do with ratio's/torque, gearbox to engine. It was just a thought, but worth a check.

Happy Camping:)
Bill.
 
Pioneer said:
Hi TWS,
is this the result of the famous gearbox/clutch judder when reversing a Fiat or Peugeot based chassis?
My Peugeot had a modified main drive gear and layshaft, also new clutch as a means of stopping this problem, and it did not work 100%. It is at the moment with Peugeot UK in Coventry, I get it back wednesday. I believe it's had yet another new Gearbox, clutch and flywheel fitted.
Hope it's right this time.
If yours is a 2008 model, then maybe this is the cause, and you need to keep at Fiat until they do something for you.
Speak to Andy Stothart from the MMM's magazine about it all, he is heavily involved with this clutch problem.

andystothert@blueyonder.co.uk

Good luck.

Happy Camping :)
Click to expand...

But this is a FORD
 
tws

Sorry to hear about your problems,hope you get them sorted.It seems to be there are more and more problems arising with dealers.I brought a new bessy on a fiat 16 months ago ,have had problems with fiat and swift,still trying to get sorted. Iwill never buy a swift or fiat again,the service has been crap,my vehicle even came back from swift worse than when it went in,totally disguested with them.A few weeks after buying the van my alternator was sqealing,sent in to have fixed,tried to tell me it was not,went in 8 times 3 different places,finally fiat have done a recall,put new alternator on ,ok now ,took 14 months 8 trips and a lot of bull **** from them.If you have a problem ,take it back and keep on till they sort it.Best of luck .
 
Alf 1 said:
But this is a FORD
Click to expand...
Hi Alf,
Yes I am aware of that, but like I said in my previous thread, all these vehicles have Ford engines (bottom end) so could the problem be linked?
Either by ratio or torque?

Happy Camping:)
 
clutch slipping

hi tws
i know this sounds a bit simplistic but could the clutch on your van be in need of adjustment.
has the ford garage looked at this.
good luck with your clutch.
mine has performed faultlessly.
 
clutch

also i wouldn't pay £700 for a replacement clutch under any curcumstances.
these vans have rear wheel drive with a propshaft, sounds easy peasy to drop the gearbox and change the clutch.
i can't see how the price could be justified, but have to agree if it is the clutch should be done under warranty.
perhaps they are trying to fob you off.

good luck tws:mad::(
 
I would suggest you ring Ford Customer services and .... get names of every one you speak to and make it known you are writing this down, state you are gathering further responses from them before taking legal advice. State you are totally dissatisfied with the responses so far, a white van man would cover that mileage in a month or less, and no delivery organization would accept that.
Further state that you are an active poster on internet motorhome forums and that you have now disseminated their negative responses so far and would love to post a positive result to the motorhome buying public
This is the path i adopted when dealing with renault due to drive train probs with my Truck and all has been resolved at their expense.
 
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