Vehicle's water pump and thermostat seize at 55,000km ?!

On the 25th Oct 2017 I drove to work like any other day. I noticed steam coming out of the engine and stopped at the nearest garage. The garage attendant informed me that the water bottle was empty, and re-filled it with water. This was strange; since I always have the water and oil checked with every weekly petrol fill up. When I left work that afternoon around 4pm, I was driving on the M2 when I heard a hard banging noise in the engine (as if someone was throwing stones to and fro on the engine). I saw steam come out of the engine, and stopped at the nearest garage. By the time I had stopped, I noticed that, for the first time the electronic warning signals on the dashboard had come on, warning that “engine is overheating; engine oil needs to be replaced; check temperature”. The garage attendant informed me the water bottle was empty and vehicle was overheating.

I contacted Opel’s road side assistance since the vehicle is still under warrantee, and the call centre confirmed that they will dispatch a tow truck. Simon from the AA Tow truck company collected my vehicle and delivered it to Tommy Motors dealership in Roodepoort (corner of CR Swart drive & Ontdekkers drive) on Thursday morning, 26 October 2017. Since no one called me to inform me they have received my vehicle at Tommy Motors dealership in Roodepoort, I called them early Thursday morning to check if my vehicle had arrived, and to ask if they need the service history book, and require any other information from me (the owner of the vehicle).

Andun from Services informed me no service book is required, the vehicle has been received at the workshop, and inspection will proceed. He committed to contact me back by 16:00 on 26/10/17 to provide me with an update of the problems experienced with my vehicle. Andun never contacted me back. I called him on Friday morning 27/10/17, his reason for not calling me was the fact that he was not given an update by Services what was wrong with the vehicle. Andun also informed me (after I enquired) that they do not provide any hired vehicle assistance, hence I was forced to make a plan to obtain a vehicle myself. I went to the Services department later that morning, spoke to the Service manager John Leith. What an arrogant and unprofessional man. I presented him with the email confirmation of what I have had to pay to arrange a hired vehicle, and asked if Tommy Motors (now taken over by Williams Hunt) would compensate me and refund me for this additional expense, since their dealership was unable to provide me with a loan vehicle. In summary, John informed me that it is their own discretion who they allocate loan vehicles to, there’s a 3 day policy depending on the nature of the repairs required on the vehicle, and there is currently no loan vehicle available.

John further informed me that since I had already arranged for a hired car and ‘jumped the gun’ as he said, it is not the dealership’s prerogative to refund clients, and besides there are no loan vehicles available, and re-confirmed it’s the dealership’s decision who they allocate loan vehicles to. I’ve never met such a rude, arrogant person who claims to be a Service Manager. I asked if he could personally call me when the vehicle is ready to collect, since Andun advised it should be ready by COB 27/10/2017. I was further informed that the problem with the vehicle was due to the thermostat that had seized and the water pump that had seized. When I asked HOW that could happen since the vehicle is only 2 years old with 55,000km on the clock, I was told by the Service Manager “I don’t know”, like I am some stupid, uneducated woman!

The vehicle was ready close to 13:00 that same afternoon, I picked it up. Andun did not have the decency to great me, speak to me, zip, nothing – he just nudged with his head that I should follow him to the workshop where my car was parked next to all the other vehicles. He only said “there is your car”. How rude! So I said to him ‘the least you can do is move my car out of the parking area, and bring it here to me’.

NO “THANK YOU MRS BALT” – WHAT A RUDE AND ABRUPT PERSON you are Andun !!!!

And please take note:

• NO PAPERWORK WAS ISSUED TO MYSELF BY THE DEALERSHIP • NO JOB CARD SIGNED BY MYSELF • NO PROOF OF WORK THAT WAS DONE ON MY VEHICLE WAS ISSUED TO ME • THE VEHICLE’S MAINTENANCE HISTORY BOOK WAS NOT UPDATED, NOT STAMPED • No explanation was ever given as to WHY the Opel Mokka had such a breakdown at 55,000km

It is due to this type of unprofessional, terrible service I received at this dealership, that I will soon be selling my Opel Mokka and rest assure all my friends and family are fully aware of the sudden unexplainable breakdown of the vehicle, plus the pathetic service I received at that dealership.

I am utterly disgusted at the manner in which I was treated (in fact ill-treated) and the disrespect Andun and John Leith had towards me.