Help- supplied jack with car broke and damaged car

[tiny_recy_mac]

I jacked up my wife’s car to change the front wheel. After I had removed the wheel the supplied jack snapped and dropped the car onto the disc and jack, damaging the body work. I phoned the car manufacturer and took the car and jack to an autherised dealer to be inspected and they have come back and said I had put the jack in the wrong place and the damage was my fault. The jack and jacking point are idiot proof, having a marked groove in the sill where the jack will only fit in so I am pretty confident it was in the right place and I don’t see how this would have made the jack snap.

They have gave me 2 options, take it to a second dealership for another opinion or contact Motor Codes but I am thinking of contacting a solicitor as it was only by luck i was not putting the new wheel on when it dropped.

Any suggestions of what to do or prior experience of this happening?

 

[adouglasmhor]

Use a trolley jack in future, the ones that come with cars are lethal.

 

[jarrod248]

I jacked up my wife’s car to change the front wheel. After I had removed the wheel the supplied jack snapped and dropped the car onto the disc and jack, damaging the body work. I phoned the car manufacturer and took the car and jack to an autherised dealer to be inspected and they have come back and said I had put the jack in the wrong place and the damage was my fault. The jack and jacking point are idiot proof, having a marked groove in the sill where the jack will only fit in so I am pretty confident it was in the right place and I don’t see how this would have made the jack snap.

They have gave me 2 options, take it to a second dealership for another opinion or contact Motor Codes but I am thinking of contacting a solicitor as it was only by luck i was not putting the new wheel on when it dropped.

Any suggestions of what to do or prior experience of this happening?

Ask to speak to the principal or google the chief executive of the manufacturer and email him directly. Explain you used it as per instructions in the book, you're disgusted with the attitude and it's not good enough.

 

[jarrod248]

Oh and don't you run about it's their fault, they can sort it.

 

[Joshua Slocum]

are you in the AA or RAC ? they often have a technical service and getting them onboard helps
mentio writing to Honest John in the telegraph !
google the make of car and the problem to see if any one else has had the same thing happen

 

[seanyboy36]

Daft suggestion time - photograph the car, you did right?

 

[tiny_recy_mac]

Still have car and the damaged jack, they took photographs at the garage to send to Vauxhall. I have requested a copy of their report stating it was my fault to see their logic. Will take your advice Jarrod and go higher next time on phone and get them to do the leg work.

Not in AA or RAC and who is Honest John?

 

[Joshua Slocum]

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/


he writes a column for the telegraph and most motor manufactures are nervous when he mentiones their names
a very useful ally even if its a blag

I pulled a similair stunt on a mentally challenged red cap and he backed down


seems you are not alone
http://www.vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk/index.php?threads/vauxhall-jack-failed.159818/

 

[CorpTax]

Not in AA or RAC and who is Honest John?

Former (?) possibly current (?) (I don't know, haven't bought it for years, wife decided it was causing me too much pleasure) Saturday motoring correspondent in the Telegraph. Has a website now at any rate. Quite influential on occasion:

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/

 

[jarrod248]

Still have car and the damaged jack, they took photographs at the garage to send to Vauxhall. I have requested a copy of their report stating it was my fault to see their logic. Will take your advice Jarrod and go higher next time on phone and get them to do the leg work.

Not in AA or RAC and who is Honest John?

http://ceoemail.com/index4.php
It's Tim Tozer then it seems you need to contact.

 

[wheel]

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/

seems you are not alone
http://www.vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk/index.php?threads/vauxhall-jack-failed.159818/

They are from 2008 you old fool.

 

[llech]

Yours wasn't the french pile of crap I changed a wheel for a complete stranger for this morning was it?

 

[wheel]

Looks like it was a pile of Luton crap

 

[Blogg]

Vauxhall have previous with dodgy jacks

http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport...ic-despite-goodwill-gesture-to-union-1.351530

Never trust any jack, always use stands as well if you are going underneath.

With a trolley jack, the whole thing relies on O rings not giving up on you!

Going to need a report from a qualified motor engineer if you want to go any further

 

[Ravers]

I once blew a tyre on a 3 day old Alfa Brera S causing about 3 grands worth of damage to the body work, wheel arch and exhaust.

It was definitely a faulty tyre, it just exploded as I was driving along. I wasn't even caning it, didn't hit anything and even if I did a brand new tyre shouldn't just explode.

The dealership didn't want to know and begrudgingly gave me a courtesy car while it was repaired at their garage and paid for by my insurance company. They were complete cnuts about the whole thing to be honest.

The whole thing was a ******* nightmare.

Anyway with hindsight I'd have just gone straight to a solicitor and thrown the book at them. PTSD, loss of sleep, anxiety attacks, the works.

Sue the cnuts for everything you can get. Say you were under the car at the time and nearly died and now you're having nightmares over it, losing sleep and can't leave the house.

**** them.

 

[jarrod248]

Vauxhall have previous with dodgy jacks

http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport...ic-despite-goodwill-gesture-to-union-1.351530

Never trust any jack, always use stands as well if you are going underneath.

With a trolley jack, the whole thing relies on O rings not giving up on you!

Going to need a report from a qualified motor engineer if you want to go any further

No he's not, he doesn't have to provide solutions, they have and at no expense to him. What he needs to do is complain, starting at the CEO saying he's disgusted with the way the dealership has treated him and say it's not good enough, he could have been disabled or even killed.

 

[jarrod248]

I once blew a tyre on a 3 day old Alfa Brera S causing about 3 grands worth of damage to the body work, wheel arch and exhaust.

It was definitely a faulty tyre, it just exploded as I was driving along. I wasn't even caning it, didn't hit anything and even if I did a brand new tyre shouldn't just explode.

The dealership didn't want to know and begrudgingly gave me a courtesy car while it was repaired at their garage and paid for by my insurance company. They were complete ***** about the whole thing to be honest.

The whole thing was a ******* nightmare.

Anyway with hindsight I'd have just gone straight to a solicitor and thrown the book at them. PTSD, loss of sleep, anxiety attacks, the works.

Sue the ***** for everything you can get. Say you were under the car at the time and nearly died and now you're having nightmares over it, losing sleep and can't leave the house.

**** them.

Yup another one, straight to the CEO. Don't waste your time with little people who will fob you off. They don't want to risk losing the franchise, when the CEO's office starts asking questions things happen. My car is going for a service on Friday, they'll wash it and bring it out front knowing I'm a serial complainer. Then they'll charge me a fortune for oil and I'll complain again. I was going to supply the oil myself but can't be bothered with the debate.

 

[Ravers]

I wouldn't even bother with the CEO, he'll still have the company's interests at heart.

A lawyer will just want to milk the cnuts for every penny he can get, which is what you should be aiming for.

Go straight for the jugular. Front page of the Daily Mail, the lot.

"Lethal car jack nearly kills children as car topples over in wheel change horror."

 

[Blogg]

No he's not, he doesn't have to provide solutions, they have and at no expense to him. What he needs to do is complain, starting at the CEO saying he's disgusted with the way the dealership has treated him and say it's not good enough, he could have been disabled or even killed.

And will get nowhere without evidence.

An OEM supplied vehicle jack is part of the car, so all that will happen thanks to product liability risk is a polite FO&D letter to the effect it failed because of improper use.

Need to show the device was unfit for purpose and if it is one of the shite jacks that rely on a nylon bushing not failing that should not be very difficult, but still in reality have an uphill battle.

(If however that same jack was being used in a vehicle workshop or by a business in the course of their trade and failed with resulting injury, HSE would be all over them and the car maker.)

 

[Joshua Slocum]

They are from 2008 you old fool.

oops sorry
but then I am not very up to date on mdoern motor cars
heres mine easy to fix with a big hammer