Water in fuel at 500km: Can I refuse the car or get a refund?
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QUESTION
Hi John,
We got a good deal on a Carnival SLI diesel which arrived last week after about a six month wait.
The Carnival was sourced from Cole Crawford at Brookvale who provided with a full tank of diesel and I picked it up on Thursday the 1st of September and drove it home to Collector, NSW (between Goulburn and Canberra).
Anyway came home without issue, it sat in the shed until Monday morning when I took it to Canberra. Just as I was driving past Dantroon, the fuel filter warning light came on. I took it to John McGuire and Philip another dealer down there and he kindly gave it the once over.
I thought it was probably the sensor or the wiring and we booked it in for Thursday for a proper check I drove it back to collector and I returned to John McGraw yesterday. It has turned out there was water in the fuel and McGrath’s are going to go through the process of repairing and replacing the affected parts.
They had flagged that it's 80 percent likely that the repairs won't be covered under warranty until I informed them that I hadn't refuelled it and they can sort that out between themselves Carl Crawford and Kia basically McGraw's are liaising with Kia about whether the normal fix for water in diesel is appropriate or if additional work is required for such a new car. It has less than 500 K's on it; I'm inclined to refuse to take it back.
My issue is I wish to have the vehicle replaced on the basis that it's been delivered in a potentially unserviceable state. I believe the water in the fuel tank has the potential to have caused lasting damage that might not be obvious for many years and I don't want to be constantly wondering if I'm driving a hand grenade that might let go unexpectedly when full of kids and grandparents.
Am I being unreasonable in buying a new car and expecting that it'll be delivered in a functional state? If not, where do I go from here Cole Crawford for the remedy or director Kia Australia?
Thanks for your help, John.
James.
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If you have lots of kids, including twins or even triplets on the way, the Kia Carnival is the best possible family vehicle for you. It’s a smart, luxurious and highly practical workhorse that also offers excellent value.