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Well, my third scheme car in 10 months has arrived.
This time a ŠKODA Kamiq Monte Carlo Edition in Moon White. After the disasters with the i20 and Clio (The latter now up for sale at Letchworth Renault if anyone fancies having a massive accident when the subframe slips out again!) I was hoping this time for everything to be perfect. How wrong I was…
I chose to have a Jeff Gosling Easy Release handbrake fitted to the manual handbrake as this was one of the compromises of having the Kamiq as I’d been piloting a Leon and Golf with electric jobs and auto-hold around since October and I’d previously had difficulty in releasing the one in the i20. However, the installer has fitted what’s referred to as a “Standard” version and my car requires an “Inline” model because if you go for 2nd, 4th or even 6th gear, the gear knob gets in the way of the easy release mechanism. Rather dangerous if you’re driving round town or pulling away with a bit of joie de vivre.
I was told by the salesman at ŠKODA that it was a case of unscrewing it myself and turning the extra handle around to be inline with the handbrake compared to the “Thruster” style it’s currently in, but according to the photos on the Jeff Gosling website the two styles are totally different and it’s not mentioned about being swappable as I was told by my dealer.
On the Motability listing it doesn’t refer to the two styles, only for a conventional handbrake or an unconventional handbrake for certain models.What do I do? Who do I contact? Who’s responsible for the fitting? I’m planning on ringing the adaption fitters tomorrow.
My adapter is over 140 miles away as a round trip to North Bristol so it’s not going to be easy to get it sorted I imagine. I’d rather not have to pay £125 for the correct style to be fitted too. Any advice would be appreciated!
On top of this I’ve already got a monumental rattle coming from the dashboard, squeaky springs, and a deep groaning noise coming from somewhere when I’m moving away in 1st on a hill. I’m praying it’s not early onset clutch failure which is a problem on 1.0 VAG cars.
How Lovely.(Thanks for reading my mini column and not falling asleep in the process!)
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The adaptation issue isn’t a Motability problem. It’s either down to you ordering the wrong adaptation (if you didn’t specify that you needed the inline version), or the adaptations company fitting the wrong one (if you ordered the inline version and they fitted the standard version). That being said, you would expect the adaptations company to check that what they were fitting didn’t foul something as critical as a gear stick! I’d suggest that you call the adaptations company and explain the problem. Hopefully they will rectify it for you.
As for the issues with the car itself, that’s for the supplying dealer to resolve. You do seem to be exceptionally unlucky don’t you? My concern for you is that if these issues aren’t resolved to your satisfaction, and you request yet another early termination from Motability, I think that there’s a very good chance that they will terminate your access to the scheme. Early terminations are costly for the scheme and affect the prices that we all pay, so they have to draw the line somewhere.
Good luck and let us know how it works out.
To be fair it is a Motability problem as well as the dealer and the Adaptation company as if it is not fit for purpose and could be a breach of contract and if under 30 days could cancel the car which I know is a big deal. It does seem since my local Adaptation company Brig Ayed sold the company and then closed the engineering factory where as many know made the products for many years they really knew there stuff and would have liaised with you during fitting but alas they have gone. Funny enough I would not buy a car from the Marshall group as I contacted the Skoda Letchworth and before even ordering my cars ask if as the previous progress Skoda where I had a fabia estate and they picked up my car for service and if there was any problems would do but Marshall told me they do not do this and had sacked all there drivers holy moly. Also Glyn Hopkin another one that previously used to have this service also got rid of their drivers now the local Toyota dealer told me they still do this pick up and deliver for Motability customers. But anyway I have digressed to different subject but it is all about service or no help. Motability will say that before you sign the contract with pin check that everything is working to your spec and if not make sure it is rectified before signing.
The adaptation issue isn’t a Motability problem. It’s either down to you ordering the wrong adaptation (if you didn’t specify that you needed the inline version), or the adaptations company fitting the wrong one (if you ordered the inline version and they fitted the standard version). That being said, you would expect the adaptations company to check that what they were fitting didn’t foul something as critical as a gear stick! I’d suggest that you call the adaptations company and explain the problem. Hopefully they will rectify it for you. As for the issues with the car itself, that’s for the supplying dealer to resolve. You do seem to be exceptionally unlucky don’t you? My concern for you is that if these issues aren’t resolved to your satisfaction, and you request yet another early termination from Motability, I think that there’s a very good chance that they will terminate your access to the scheme. Early terminations are costly for the scheme and affect the prices that we all pay, so they have to draw the line somewhere. Good luck and let us know how it works out.
You don’t get to choose which version you get on the order form according to the dealer. I’d already mentioned to the salesman that the Inline one would be better and that he’d ask the adapters to fit the correct style. He obviously didn’t. My fitter was also changed three times before collection without prior notification, so I didn’t actually know who’d fitted it until yesterday.
Rejecting the car is out of the question anyway, I haven’t got the time, money or patience to find another, there aren’t any more suitable cars on the scheme at the moment and I’ve already been told about the early termination policy. I want to like the car, it’s the right car for me, I’d just like one that doesn’t sound like a creaky door in the wind with a handbrake that gets in the way of the gear stick.
However, the installer has fitted what’s referred to as a “Standard” version and my car requires an “Inline” model because if you go for 2nd, 4th or even 6th gear, the gear knob gets in the way of the easy release mechanism. Rather dangerous if you’re driving round town or pulling away
In the first instance, I would speak to Morability and explain that you believe the wrong adaption has been fitted because the gear knob gets in the way of the easy release mechanism and you believe it is dangerous.
I was told by the salesman at ŠKODA that it was a case of unscrewing it myself and turning the extra handle around to be inline with the handbrake compared to the “Thruster” style it’s currently in, but according to the photos on the Jeff Gosling website the two styles are totally different and it’s not mentioned about being swappable as I was told by my dealer. On the Motability listing it doesn’t refer to the two styles, only for a conventional handbrake or an unconventional handbrake for certain models.
I would advise, you don’t unscrew anything and approach Motability with what the dealer has said and told you to do.
If you unscrew anything and are involved in an accident, you could be held responsible, not the dealer who told you do do it verbally, which imo was out of order.
You need to be pragmatic with Motability and not give them anything to end your lease and remove you from the scheme however, at the same time, you do need to make them aware, that the adaption shouldn’t interfere with the gear lever and point out, that it is not your responsibilty to make any changes to adaption as advised by the dealer. If that means the adaption fitter has to travel another 12 mile’s so be it!
I thought Motability was so supposed to be piece of mind but when there are problems it is hard to sort out but it’s down to Motability to sort as that is where the contract is with.
I had the same problem with the old handbrake lever and an adaption that presses the button to release the brake and that adaption hitting the gear shift knob but lucky for myself it turned out I didn’t need the lever.
I thought Motability were getting more involved when it came to adaptions because on my current order they put a pulse on it because of the said hand-brake adaption I haven’t had in my previous 5 MB cars.
I had my installer on email and phone not to mention MB themselves nagging me to get the adaption I’ve never had and told them countless times with this being my sixth Motability car I know what adaptions I need, trust me. They relented in the end after they got their feet out of their mouths.
There’s piece of mind and there’s antagonising but my advice for H.K_R is to contact the installer and if you don’t know who they are the dealer should because there the ones who put through the order in the first place. My installers have a mobile unit that comes to me, only used it once but something to think about if you can’t get to them.
Thinking about it, we had a problem with our person hoist and the installer came to our house to rectify it.
I thought Motability was so supposed to be piece of mind but when there are problems it is hard to sort out but it’s down to Motability to sort as that is where the contract is with.
Certainly not peace of mind. The only reason why I haven’t leased or PCPd by own car is the insurance which is impossible for a reasonably high millage driver to get for less than £150 Per Month.
I’ve now got a car that makes me feel extremely self conscious when parking in car parks with a handbrake that obscures the gear knob.
I’ve got Drive Smart to install now, and that’s going to go down about as well as a lead balloon.I spoke to Brookfields yesterday, they’ve ordered the correct easy release. I’ve got to go to Bristol and leave them the car by the sounds of things which will be nice :/
They apologised and explained that ŠKODA hadn’t bothered to tell them which one needed fitting at short notice.
The creaking sounds from the clutch is getting even more vocal. Lovely.
I’d be more worried about Drive Smart than creaking clutch😂
Anyway, happy to hear the adaptions company is going to sort the handbrake for you. You could always ask them if they minded sprayinga bit of wd40 on the clutch spring!
I spoke to Brookfields yesterday, they’ve ordered the correct easy release. I’ve got to go to Bristol and leave them the car by the sounds of things which will be nice :/ They apologised and explained that ŠKODA hadn’t bothered to tell them which one needed fitting at short notice. The creaking sounds from the clutch is getting even more vocal. Lovely.
Well well what a small World, that’s the same installers I’ve used on my last 3 cars, Dave Bates Controls before that with the other 3. Not had any problems with the two and only switched as Brookfields seem to be the ones the dealers preferred so I always leave it up to them.
I’m surprised their not coming to you for what should be, a simple fix.
I’d be more worried about Drive Smart than creaking clutch
Anyway, happy to hear the adaptions company is going to sort the handbrake for you. You could always ask them if they minded sprayinga bit of wd40 on the clutch spring!I don’t think it’s the clutch spring. That was my first thought, but it’s exclusively in 1st gear when you’re lifting the clutch up and there’s a clonk when you slot it into 1st.
Update:
I’ve had the easy release sorted by the lovely team at Brookfield, it took a grand total of 9 minutes for them to swap it over! Much easier to use now that it’s the “Inline” model.
However, bad news on the rest of the Kamiq front. The infotainment system has developed an unusual problem of doing something completely different from what you’ve pressed on the screen. Plus Laura, the voice assistant and navigation voice, goes into a complete shutdown and won’t say anything for several hours at a time.
I took the car to the dealer on the way back from Bristol on Friday to be told that they couldn’t get the car in until the 18th of March if I wanted a courtesy car. They’ll be keeping the car in for at least two days so no car isn’t an option for me, and neither is a taxi given the amount of driving that I do.
The noises from underneath are getting worse by the day, and I actually had extreme difficulty in creeping backwards up a medium sized hill on a country lane last night as it borderline stalls to get any form of movement.I had someone in a Tesco carpark come up to me today and tell me that there was a strange noise coming from my car. I had to tell the nice lady that I already knew which was quite embarrassing.
I’m going to try ŠKODA Assistance for advice tomorrow as I’m absolutely fed up of this nonsense already.
If the garage needs more than 3 days to diagnose your car, then you get a hire car through RAC. Maybe if you book it in on a friday, its in for essentially 3 days??
That is what I done dropped the car off, phoned motability, they areanged a taxi to get me home and a hire car was delivered to my house next day. I think it was Enterprise, but not sure.
It worked for me, maybe others have done that as well, if you want to chip in?
I had the hire car for 2 weeks.
If the garage needs more than 3 days to diagnose your car, then you get a hire car through RAC. Maybe if you book it in on a friday, its in for essentially 3 days?? That is what I done dropped the car off, phoned motability, they areanged a taxi to get me home and a hire car was delivered to my house next day. I think it was Enterprise, but not sure. It worked for me, maybe others have done that as well, if you want to chip in? I had the hire car for 2 weeks.
Just a tip off from the ‘other’ official Motability website (dealer’s site):
So there may be a delay currently obtaining a hire car.
If the garage needs more than 3 days to diagnose your car, then you get a hire car through RAC. Maybe if you book it in on a friday, its in for essentially 3 days?? That is what I done dropped the car off, phoned motability, they areanged a taxi to get me home and a hire car was delivered to my house next day. I think it was Enterprise, but not sure. It worked for me, maybe others have done that as well, if you want to chip in? I had the hire car for 2 weeks.
@h-k_r Just a tip off from the ‘other’ official Motability website (dealer’s site):
So there may be a delay currently obtaining a hire car.I was told that when I swapped a Cupra Leon for a Golf between Christmas and New Year’s due to an issue with the engine.
I scoured the length of the Southwest for a replacement that wasn’t a Fiat 500 and nabbed the Golf from Yeovil who had brought it in from Heathrow on a transporter with 10 other cars. I’ve never had one delivered though as they’ve always said that they can’t deliver to my area within a week because it’s 50 miles away from the closest branch, but I’ve just gone and fetched them myself which isn’t a major issue.If the garage needs more than 3 days to diagnose your car, then you get a hire car through RAC. Maybe if you book it in on a friday, it’s in for essentially 3 days?? That is what I done dropped the car off, phoned motability, they areanged a taxi to get me home and a hire car was delivered to my house next day. I think it was Enterprise, but not sure. It worked for me, maybe others have done that as well, if you want to chip in? I had the hire car for 2 weeks.
That’s what I did with my old i20 the once, but I had to go and pick the Kona Hybrid hire car up from Europcar myself.
They wouldn’t let me book the car in for a Friday because they’re not open Saturday and Sunday for the workshop apparently although that’s just a lie.
I’ve got ŠKODA Assist coming out tonight to have a look and fast track the car to the garage. The service agent on the other end that they would escalate to a priority case due to being a Motability customer with such a new car.
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