A question about towing a vehicle?

[wylie]

Our son bought a car with full mechanical check through the dealer's mechanic, and a check from our mechanic. Both checks came up clean.

Five days later, he drove it to Southport where the transmission broke. He had it towed by RACQ to the local specialist for his vehicle type, and they looked at it today and said it needs a new transmission.

He has the statutory warranty from the dealer plus he paid for a five year warranty. He called Motor Dealers Association (or similar) today and they advise him that the dealer needs to fix this issue, but my son is obligated to return the vehicle to the dealer as it is within 200km of the dealer's premises.

RACQ will apparently not tow him a second time (even though the initial tow was only a few km). If he has to get it back to Brisbane, does anyone know a cheap way to get it here.

I believe RACQ would have towed him the initial 50km and his roadside assist (which was thrown in with the deal - though he probably paid for it anyway) will tow him 30km.

If RACQ will not tow it again for the same problem, he can probably get it towed for free for 30km and pay the extra per km fee ($6 or so) but it will still cost him a few hundred.

Does anybody know a better way to have it brought back to Brisbane?

 

[vincenzo]

Anyone you know that can tow him? He can leave the engine running, so the brakes will still work as normal, just stick the tranny in neutral... unless it's seized

A bit of a worry that your mechanic didn't pick up on the tranny being about to cark it.

 

[battler]

You could try some independent transport contractors who may be able to bring it back cheaper as a backload.

 

[wylie]

Thanks for the super quick replies.

I got a price from RACQ for $275 Southport to Newstead and will give a few other towers a call to see if I can get it cheaper.

As to both mechanical checks not picking it up..... I don't know how easy this should have been to pick up, or if it is simply bad timing?

It has certainly turned what was a very exciting first car purchase into something that is so disappointing for him. But that is life, I suppose.

Now we just have to hope that the dealer comes to the party and/or the other warranty covers the repair. I just hope we don't have to fight all the way to get what should be covered.

 

[The Y-man]

Wylie,

1. what sort of car is you son's?
2. do you have, or have access to a (significantly) larger car with a towbar and has an allowed braked towing capacity the combined weight of your son's car and a tandem trailer?
3. is there somewhere near you that you can hire a tandem trailer?

Had my little BMW 3 series break a diff once in the middle of nowwhere - had to ring up my dad, "Hi Dad.... can you hop in your big 4wd and go down to the local servo and hire the big trailer down there? Yes the one with 2 axles and a winch on it.... and then can you come down to xxxx...... "

Cheers,

The Y-man

 

[wylie]

I suppose we could tow him. We have a tow ball, but I didn't think you could do that these days. I don't really think it would be worth the risk as we would have to crawl along the motorway from Southport and through the Valley .

I suppose we could do it late at night?

It is an automatic. I thought towing an automatic was not advisable?

As you can tell, I am a bit too much of a girl to know too much about cars.

 

[Dazz]

Does anybody know a better way to have it brought back to Brisbane?

Depends what your definition of "better" is....


Cheapest

Drive down there yourself and tow him back. That will involve the least amount of cost but alot of time and a hell of a lot of risk, to the car, to you and the towed driver, and obviously everyone else on the road.


Safest

Don't tow it at all. Hire a tilt tray truck and have it brought back on the back of that to keep it off the road. Involves a decent amount of money, but eliminates all time impost and all risk.


.....and then there is a bunch of options in between. Let us know which way he chooses.

 

[The Y-man]

I suppose we could tow him. We have a tow ball, but I didn't think you could do that these days. I don't really think it would be worth the risk as we would have to crawl along the motorway from Southport and through the Valley .

I suppose we could do it late at night?

It is an automatic. I thought towing an automatic was not advisable?

As you can tell, I am a bit too much of a girl to know too much about cars.

Um.... are we talking the same thing here?

http://www.moveyourself.com.au/pagegen.asp?pageid=11&skinid=1

http://www.coateshire.com.au/products/prod.aspx?S=45&G=38&P=642

Cheers,

The Y-man

 

[wylie]

Depends what your definition of "better" is....


Cheapest

Drive down there yourself and tow him back. That will involve the least amount of cost but alot of time and a hell of a lot of risk, to the car, to you and the towed driver, and obviously everyone else on the road.

Absolutely agree, and this just is not an option. I was really just thinking out loud after having it suggested. But with further thought, there are too many risks involved to consider it further.

We will have it towed and I suppose the other option from Y-man is interesting, but our vehicle would strain I think, so thanks Y-man, but I think this could only work if we had a more powerful car.

Since posting the question, I phoned two tow companies and got quotes of $275 and $240. We are hoping the dealer with agree to have it fixed at the coast, but failing that, the son will be up for a tow fee. He was thinking it would cost him considerably more than the quotes I got, so he is relieved that if it must be towed at his expense, at least it is cheaper than first expected.

 

[VYBerlinaV8]

Borrow or hire a car trailer, and get a family member or mate with a 4WD to tow it for you.

 

[wylie]

I wouldn't feel comfortable borrowing someone else's car to tow another car, but thanks for the idea.

I will give the RACQ a call to see if either of the cars we have available could do the job of towing another car on a trailer without giving themselves a hernia .

The best scenario is that the dealer's statutory warranty should cover it, and we have put it to the dealer that he use a specialist at the coast that we have found, so hopefully it may not need to be towed anywhere.

"Real life" has slapped this son hard this week. Today he bought a parking ticket and instead of placing it on the dash, he put it in his pocket. He realised what he had done, went back to the car to find a ticket being written for $50.

I also found out today that because he has deferred uni, he must pay his own health fund whilst he is not at uni, and must back pay it since 1st March to have continuous cover.

He's feeling a bit battered tonight .

 

[Slim Pikins]

Wylie,

He has something going for him

1st. His Mum and family.

2nd. Do a double check on the health insurance! My son was covered to age 25 by HBA even though he wasn't studying, so different funds have different rules.
My daughter dipped out on the 25 yr thing because she got married younger.

3rd There are a lot of mechanics and things in Victoria that can do warranty work, without having to go back to the dealer, so check that out, for Qld

Slim

 

[wylie]

Wylie,

He has something going for him

1st. His Mum and family.

Thanks Slim. That's nice .

2nd. Do a double check on the health insurance! My son was covered to age 25 by HBA even though he wasn't studying, so different funds have different rules.
My daughter dipped out on the 25 yr thing because she got married younger.

I called my health fund today and the lady took it to her supervisor. I was hoping that his deferment would mean he was still covered. He needs wisdom teeth out (this was planned for last Christmas but Mum was in hospital so all that got shelved). He also needs a small op (just found out today as well, hooray!!) and so he really needs to backdate his cover so he is covered.

If he goes back to uni, he can go back on our family plan until he is 25. He's not happy, and I wish I had not called them today, but it's too late if I didn't tell them and they told us after the fact that they will not pay the hospital/dental bills, so I know it is best to have been upfront about it.

3rd There are a lot of mechanics and things in Victoria that can do warranty work, without having to go back to the dealer, so check that out, for Qld

Slim

Thanks for that too. We have emailed the dealer to see if he will allow the warranty work to be done at the coast instead of us having to tow it back to the dealer's local mechanic in Brisbane. Fingers crossed it goes smoothly and the dealer cooperates and we don't have to go in fighting for our rights. We are waiting on his reply.

 

[craigb]

Try a freight train, or just keep looking for a cheap towie,

 

[battler]

Hi Wylie,

How did the young fella go with his car?

 

[wylie]

The saga continues. It is sitting (still) in the mechanic at the coast. The car dealer has agreed that one of the warranties will cover the cost, but my son wants him to cover the cost of the first mechanic, which it seems will be paid by the warranty company. Son's concerned that if he pays it himself, he will have to fight to get it back (three hundred and something dollars).

He asked dealer to fax him papers to sign and get the ball rolling on Thursday and nothing came Friday, so it sits there still.

He has to move it Monday to the specialist at the coast who the dealer has confirmed can do the main job. We will get it towed the few km from one mechanic to the other, but want the dealer to pay the initial diagnostic costs, like he said he will.

So we seem to be on the "paperwork merry-go-round".

He has used the car that belonged to my Mum all week (thank goodness we have it or he would have been in real trouble as a car is essential in his new job). Instead of being thankful, he came home yesterday and said to me "You should trade this car in for something more fuel efficient. I have filled it up every day." (He is rather prone to exaggerate, which I try to show him makes him look rather silly.) I questioned him and, of course, he has not filled it with petrol every day. He just thought it would make his point .

I suggested a better greeting on Friday afternoon after having had our car since last Friday would have been "Thanks Mum for helping me sort this problem out, and thank you for letting me have the car all week. I really appreciate it." He just stomped off, said he had thanked me, and sulked for a bit. Ungrateful so-and-so!!

Sometimes I want to hug him and other times I just want to slap him .

 

[battler]

Sometimes I want to hug him and other times I just want to slap him .

And you'd probably be right both times! good luck with the rest of it though.