Hi all, just thought I would briefly outline my recent experience and get some feedback. I part exchanged my old truck for a newer version. I had told salesman that I was not interested in a resprayed truck, but he was insistent that the one he was offering me was of good quality, and that a professional job had been done. Against my better judgement after being blinded by wax and tyre black, I agreed to buy.
On delivery I was told that truck had developed a wheel wobble, and I should get them balanced and send the bill to dealer. Fair enough I thought. Motorway tyres told me that the reason for wheel wobble was because of the no name front tyres, and that replacement was the only realistic option. So, a month after part exchanging a vehicle with decent tyres I found myself paying nearly a grand for two new front tyres. When the fitter took the wheels off, he found that the inside tyre wall of one was split around a third of its circumference. A lucky escape for me, and possibly others. On closer inspection, it was obvious that whoever resprayed vehicle had put lift axle wheels on mid-lift and front on mid-lift, and those mid-lift tyres were in a dangerous condition.
Fast forward a year to its first MOT, and the low looking drive axle tyres that I had chosen to overlook when I bought, now need replacing. I left vehicle at local dealer for MOT prep and Motorway/HI-Q said they would replace tyres on site. Receive call from tyre depot who tell me their fitter cannot replace tyres on two of rims because they are in a dangerous condition. With MOT being next morning, and this is early evening I agreed to replacement rims along with tyres. A fifteen hundred pound bill on top of MOT fees was not what I had planned.
Inspection of rims found elongated holes for wheel studs, excessive rust to the point where it was falling off in chunks, and non compatible rims, with the rusty inside ones being non safety rims from a previous era truck. Tyre depot manager said that if the flaking rims had not caused the wheel nuts to come loose, then the elongated stud holes should of, and it was a miracle I had not lost either set of twin wheels. Just blind luck, and regular checks and servicing saved me and others from a possibly fatal accident.
My questions to the forum are, have you experienced such cynical behaviour from your Scania dealer, and what further action should one take? Chat to VOSA?, see area manager of dealer, or just accept, and chalk it down to experience and a bit naivety on my part…which is hard to accept as an owner driver of over twenty years!
Bit late now for a claim against the dealer, Shocking though mate.
I may have been tempted to make a nice display of the damaged rims and split tyre on their forecourt.
next time you buy have a good look round, most o/d’s will know how much tyres cost so i would think that’s a fair place to start when looking to buy
having said that I don’t know anyone who runs trucks that would sell one with good tyres as you never get the true value, by that I mean a s/hand truck will have a value and the condition of the tyres when selling makes little difference! but when buying its another story
if I have this right, you say you run the truck for a month with a cracked wall on a front steer tyre and nearly a year with worn back wheels?
if this is the case I would say you have blind luck as regular checks and servicing have been in short supply!
ringing vosa is the last thing you need!
I was hoping for some constructive comment from fellow owner drivers not a half-wit like you moose.
For your information, the vehicle was MOT’d a week before I got it, presumably with the same tyres on it, so if VOSA could miss it with a pit inspection, it would be very difficult for me to see split on inside circumference of tyre during my daily walk round checks. Vehicle is signed off with nil defects every morning, or it goes into dealer. I have been trading for nearly twenty five years and have never had a roadside prohibition, and have always had late model trucks and trailers serviced by the dealer or a recommended garage, so to be told by you that my maintenance is lacking is just insulting.
As is your statement about running a truck until the tyres are worn out before you replace it. If the vehicle is properly maintained the tyres will always be serviceable. Thus leaves the option of replacing decent tyres with ‘runners’. Which is the whole point of my first post. This is obviously something you and Scania agents do, but it is not something I would do.The vehicle is sold as seen, and in my case there has always been a queue of buyers. In the case of the one I bought, my safety and that of other road used has been compromised by the underhand and cynical fitting of dangerous tyres and wheels. The elongated stud holes and rust on inside rims on d/axle are impossible to see unless removed, which is not viable during a walk round check. Also, for your information, ‘worn’ means low tread, not worn out. Tyres had 2mm on, and would of passed anyway. As a driver of many years, I knew they would hinder me during the winter, and that cutting them is just asking for trouble, so I had them all replaced, in doing so, I became aware of rims.
As I said earlier, I was looking for comment about cynical dealings by dealers on o/drivers and how they resolved them, not the mutterings of a fool.
I think if someone enrols on a forum and starts ■■■■■■■■ about a certain manufacturer in their opening posts then I see no credibility to anything that is posted. If your genuine and do not disappear into trucknet oblivion after this thread then I will give you this bit of advice.
If you do not open your eyes you will open your wallet.
Hi Janos I’m not an o/d but we purchased 2 scanias end off
Last year they were 18 months old one was mine and we chose not to put them on the road till January. The trucks were up together I would off said well looked after by there previous owners but once we had them painted in our own colours and I gave mine a proper valet not a dealer valet something just spoilt them, the rusty bloody rims.
In the end my boss bought a set off rims that came off a demo I took them over to the tyre fitters one Saturday morning to get them swapped when
We discovered the tims that were on it were totally shagged. I don’t think there was even a pair that once were put on together. I had one rim that never even had holes in it like the type they use for tippers to stop the crap getting in, the inside off the rims were rusted to pieces not what you’d expect off an 18 month old truck. The company who owned them previous were bought out and the new owners never wanted them so they were sent back to scania now I can’t see why the original owners would want to faff about with swapping rims and tyres if they were wrapping up any way but who knows its a mystery as to why such poor quality, in matched odd rims were on an 18 month old truck with 45k only on the clock.
On a more positive note and I’d thought I better add we cannot fault the service we’ve received from our local dealer thus far and it’s the nicest motor I’ve had I’m pleased with it(even if I never payed for it).
I will give a bit more advice- if sold as seen, then let the buyer beware, you said yourself you were taken in by the tyre black and wax polish- spending a few quid getting a fitter to give you a report on the truck (that is binding and gives you some come back) could have saved you £1000’s - but you didn’t choose that sensible route and are now unhappy that someone may have offloaded a pup on you?
At last. Thanks Karl. Somebody who lives in the real world. Like you I am happy with the service I receive from my local dealer (Widnes Scania) but was less than impressed with the wheel swapping and underhand tricks from one further north.
I am obviously missing something with the other posters. Let me get this straight. I buy a vehicle that is dealer maintained, just MOT’d and with assurance of total peace of mind regarding quality. I have to then get on my hands and knees and check the inside tyre walls and inner rims of d/axle? Is that what you would check? The point of my post is the integrity of the dealership selling a vehicle and blatantly and cynically assuring me it was fine, when it patently wasn’t. Is there not something lacking in this world when you cannot take at least some people at their word? How any of you come to the conclusion that I am at fault here is beyond me.
At least I got one constructive comment. Regarding comment about it being my first post, I have long been a guest on here and read through the various threads, and had no incentive to join in. It just does not seem relevant to the business I run. I have been doing this nearly twenty five years and have made decent money, the doom merchants on here are a disgrace to the industry.
Janos:
At last. Thanks Karl. Somebody who lives in the real world. Like you I am happy with the service I receive from my local dealer (Widnes Scania) but was less than impressed with the wheel swapping and underhand tricks from one further north.
I am obviously missing something with the other posters. Let me get this straight. I buy a vehicle that is dealer maintained, just MOT’d and with assurance of total peace of mind regarding quality. I have to then get on my hands and knees and check the inside tyre walls and inner rims of d/axle? Is that what you would check? The point of my post is the integrity of the dealership selling a vehicle and blatantly and cynically assuring me it was fine, when it patently wasn’t. Is there not something lacking in this world when you cannot take at least some people at their word? How any of you come to the conclusion that I am at fault here is beyond me.
At least I got one constructive comment. Regarding comment about it being my first post, I have long been a guest on here and read through the various threads, and had no incentive to join in. It just does not seem relevant to the business I run. I have been doing this nearly twenty five years and have made decent money, the doom merchants on here are a disgrace to the industry.
Janos
With this statement you have confirmed my thoughts.
That’s is shocking from a Scania dealer. I would complain to Scania head office, bad enough about the poor rubber but the dodgy wheels? The Griffin is hanging its head in shame with a tear in its eye.
One trick is anyone selling will put a truck through an MOT with good tyres then swap them for poor tyres with the damage on the inside/inner wheel position. You have a cursory look to make sure there’s nothing obvious safe in the knowledge you are buying from a reputable company, this assumption is your down fall. When you are handing over money assume everyone is trying to ■■■■ you as they usually are. Tyres are the biggest FU when buying a truck.
If the damaged wheel stud holes are on the inners of a twin wheel set, and the outers are OK, how is anyone going to see that there is a problem until the wheels are removed, unless there is some other indication ? Some designs of front wheel trim could also potentially obscure tell tale signs of stud hole damage.
Hi Silversurfer, I have nothing but praise for my local dealer, a great bunch of lads in workshop, but have been side swiped by northern dealer from same chain of company. I think a written complaint to head office seems the most logical action. Am still a bit bemused by it all and after reading about Karls experience with the swapping of rims and tyres before vehicle collection or delivery, feel this must go on a lot.
Janos:
I was hoping for some constructive comment from fellow owner drivers not a half-wit like you moose.
I think what you wanted anos was some yes man to tell you how hard done to you are!
I am an o/d with 2 trucks, 3 trailers one of which is a mobile welding plant, I do all my own monthly checks, servicing and testing, mechanical repairs including welding and fabrication, and blasting for other haulage firms as well, oh and tyre changing!!
at this time I have loads of work in the above areas, which can’t be bad for a half wit that gets most of his work through recommendations and word of mouth!
after being in the job 25 years I would have thought you would know that the difference between a worn but legal tyre and a new tyre is in the region of £300+ each, which should not be to much of a problem to spot when looking round the truck with a view to buy the thing, if you are willing to hand over thousands of pounds on the strength of a sales mans say so rather than check for yourself it’s a wonder it’s the first time.
I don’t think there is any need for talk about fools and half wits as some people that post on here are knowledgeable and know the subject of running trucks very well!
Scania dealer sold you the lorry you bought, unless they rung the tyres and rims over then the problems you found were there to be found prior to you buying the lorry, that you chose to overlook these items was your choice.
I find that someone with your perfect self admitted maintenance record would choose not to give the lorry a good going over before you put pen to paper on the deal.
That maintenance record must also have been gained through luck rather than judgement as you say it was 51weeks later that you discovered the elongated holes/rust etc. The statement that it had a handling issue due to tyres on delivery, yet it took a month to put new rubber on it also rings alarm bells to me.
My constructive advice, don’t leave yourself wide open to being made to look silly by people quoting your own words. HTH
Looking silly? Are you for real? It is odd how nearly every poster has chosen to forget problems were missed by MOT prep fitter, by VOSA and by tyre fitter until the wheel was actually taken off. Not one of you has told me how you take the drive axle wheels off prior to purchase. Obviously because you don’t. Yet you will still sneer. It is pathetic smug nonsense. The real issue of deceit has been missed by nearly everybody except by a few switched on decent people.
Wheel wobble was obviously only slight and gave no concern for condition of wheels or tyres and seemed like a balance issue. Can any of the smug posters above tell me how they would ascertain the condition of inner rim on drive axle wheels?
Yep, I or my mechanic would be underneath inspecting brake drums/discs, both of which can crack, both of which are good indicators of how maintenance has been carried out, whilst under there problems with the rim would possibly become apparent.
Failing that the handling problems that you identified would have seen the rear wheels removed to check for an out of round tyre or a balance problem.
You’ve learned a valuable lesson and your story can teach other people. It is called due diligence.
You invest a lot of money in a lorry, so it makes sense to get an independent opinion. You want to buy it, the salesman wants to sell it, so you need someone impartial in the middle.
You may frown at the extra cost, but after your experience, I bet an independent inspection would’ve been the cheaper option
I’ve never bought a second hand truck yet and put it to work with the tyres I saw/bought it on, truck dealers never go to heaven you know .
Tyres have always been swapped at the dealer between the trucks I’m trading (with me watching) or the truck I’m chopping in has gone in with the best of the worst spare wheels/tyres I’ve got stashed at the back of the shed, its not just me either, its the industry norm I would think.
Janos surely you did Latin at school, CAVEAT EMPTOR,…buyer beware…next time you buy a rig take a mechanic of repute with you. Been there,the excitement of buying a rig,missing
faults,handing over the money and as you drive down the road the sound of the dealers laughter ringing in your ears.As for the MOT and Vosa I doubt the rig you bought was what was
presented to a testing station,few money saving changes once the pass certificate was issued.As previously stated every body does it. CAVEAT EMPTOR.Get over it.
