I’m furious after Vauxhall had my car in the garage for FIVE MONTHS – it’s left me a prisoner in my own home
A WOMAN was left furious after Vauxhall kept her car in a garage for five months and says she was a “prisoner in my own home”.
Pauline Palmer, 78, started noticing her motor was juddering and making worrying noises so she took it into the WJ King garage in Kent for a check-up.
The widow believed that her motor had issues with the steering column and this was confirmed by mechanics.
And Pauline was then told it would need to be replaced and would cost £1,477.42.
Needing her car to get around, Pauline agreed thinking it would only take a couple of weeks – but the wait soon turned into five months.
Pauline said: “I took it in and they said to me to make a date to bring it back in but I told them I did not feel safe driving it as it was.
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“It was not roadworthy so I left it in there and they agreed to take a look at it.”
The mum-of-two bought the white Vauxhall Viva in 2015 and has now had to have the steering column repaired three times.
A letter Pauline sent to Vauxhall’s customer care team read: “I do not think three steering column replacements is acceptable.
“I will have to pay for the repair as I am not very mobile and cannot do without my car. I do think there is something very wrong that this part has to be replaced so often.”
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After a few weeks, the former receptionist rung the garage for an update on her vehicle and was told they had ordered the part but it had not arrived – this continued until the end of August.
An exasperated Pauline said: “It is not the garage’s fault but Vauxhall. I just despair with it.
“I am not a boy racer, I am a pensioner. I have to rely on people to run me around.
“I do not go out. I cannot walk as I have had both of my knees replaced. It is a struggle to walk to the end of the road and back.
“I am stuck in here. I feel isolated, this has been my life since April. It is like being a prisoner in your own home. I do not know what else to do.”
Grandmother-of-five Pauline underwent operations in 2018 and 2019 on her knees meaning she finds it difficult to walk for long periods of time.
It’s also difficult for her to get on public transport which does not drop her off directly at her house.
If she does, Pauline said she is left in pain and recovering for the next week, saying “that would finish me off”.
It has affected everything. My late husband Michael thought getting me this car would sort me out but it has caused so much despair.”
Pauline Palmer, 78
Pauline has also been waiting to visit her daughter in Australia but needs a medical check which she cannot get to without her car.
She says that she doesn’t want to rely on her family to take her everywhere and that the situation has become “ridiculous”.
The grandmother adds: “It has affected everything. It is just ridiculous. My late husband Michael thought getting me this car would sort me out but it has caused so much despair.
“How long can it take to get it repaired?”
To make matters worse, as the Viva was out of the three-year warranty window the firm could not offer her a hire car.
But the car manufacturer has now been forced into an apology after Pauline’s experience and have offered to pay for all the repairs.
A Vauxhall spokesman said: “We sympathise with the length of time that Ms Palmer has been without her vehicle due to a specific part being on backorder and we apologise for the inconvenience that this has caused her.
“The vehicle was first registered in 2015 and is therefore outside of our normal three-year warranty period.
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“In recognition of the inconvenience that Ms Palmer has experienced we have offered to cover the entire cost of the repair (£1,477.42) and we are pleased to say that Ms Palmer has agreed to accept this proposal.
“We understand that our retailer should have the vehicle back to Ms Palmer next week.”