Dealer to pay for repairs

Press, 28 December 1988, Page 2

Dealer to pay for repairs

PA Wellington A motor-vehicle dealer has been ordered to pay $lOOO so that major repair work can be done on a car bought from him. The Christchurch Motor Vehicle Disputes Tribunal said a Holden Commodore was bought on March 22 with 114,022 km on the clock. The same day the buyer noticed a rattling noise coming from the motor and fuming from the oil filter. Compression tests showed the compression on one of the cylin-

ders was less than half that or the others. A number of tests were done and all but one produced the same result. The one test which showed all compressions to be about the same was when the dealer took the car to the Automobile Association. Within one day of that, and after only 11km had been travelled in the car, it was retested by the A.A. The compressions were found to be unsatisfactory. The dealer had offered to repair the vehicle, but the buyer was reluctant to involve him because

of suspicions about the first a.a. test which the dealer had arranged. A mechanic estimated it would cost between $lOOO and $l5OO to repair the car. This would also give it a greater life expectancy. It was only fair, therefore, that the buyer should pay part of the cost. “Having assessed all the factors, we believe the dealer should pay compensation to the purchaser in the sum of $1000,” the tribunal said.