The steering rack on my new car was defective - can I claim against the dealer?

We have had a fairly acrimonious dispute with our local dealer and also VWUK about having to replace track rod ends and the steering rack on a Volkswagen Golf VII barely 6 months out of warranty. My point of view was I wanted a technically competent person to explain to me why the part had failed. All we got was a small discount off the new rack and a complete refusal to assist with a technical assessment. I firmly believe that there must be a way of getting an opinion as to why these parts failed on a car so young. I believe they must have been defective, so the warranty is irrelevant. My 32 year old sports car has only had one new rack in all those years. Am I wasting my time or should I continue to fight? I have the replaced parts still.

Asked on 6 January 2017 by Mike Watson Smith

Answered by Honest John
You could have the failed parts professionally inspected and a report written by Scotia Vehicle Inspections or similar and you could then take the matter to Small Claims (against the dealer who originally sold you the car). But that's going to cost you £300 - £400 with no guarantee of a successful outcome. Law here: www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/consumer-rights/
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