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The Sale of Goods Act has been replaced by the Consumer Rights Act, but it still applies that the goods have to be fit for purpose and of satisfactory quality.

I would phone Vauxhall Customer Services and see if they will offer any goodwill. It may be worth checking on a Vauxhall forum (shudder) whether this is a common issue.

If the dealer and Vauxhall won't play ball, then you may be able to pay for it under protest on a credit card and state that you will be taking them to the small claims court for a judge to decide whether it is of satisfactory quality or not. You need to put any such threats into writing prior.

Did they still have the lifetime warranty at the time you bought?

That’s totally out of order and whilst I understand the warranty not including lighting I’d have thought that was to stop a bunch of chancers coming in every time they need a bulb replaced! This looks like it’s becoming a common problem so it’s not right that Mokka owners should be being charged the thick end of a grand for something that is clearly a design fault.

Have you considered grumbling to Auto Express magazine? It sounds like the sort of issue they cover although you might have to have your photo taken with your best Daily Mail annoyed face on show.

rory.harvey@vauxhall.co.uk

That looks fine, but I would mark it “Without Prejudice” as they could offer a paltry goodwill gesture and hold you to it in court. To that end I would add satisfactory before goodwill too. Goodwill is one word BTW.

Just put it in before the Hello or in the subject line of the email.

Yes, the Sale of Goods Act applies in this instance, I think.

Can you source a replacement off e-bay or from a scrapyard/breakers, or wouldn't you contemplate that?

If you are going to buy new, what re-assurances can Vauxhall give you that they have solved the "falling apart" issue, otherwise you could go through all this again in another 3 to 4 years (and what about the other side)?

I would expect considerable goodwill in a scenario like this - particularly if the car has been purchased from and serviced by a Vauxhall dealer (daft I know as the lights aren't a service item but that's the way goodwill works, loyalty is generally rewarded).

A less honest person than myself might suggest "accidentally" driving into some sort of protruding object (gatepost?) which will damage the light fitting beyond repair and result in a claim under insurance.

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Result though. I bet they don’t let you know about unless you threaten them properly.

I suspect the warranty was written to exclude lifting to stop owners coming in for free bulb replacements but has been misinterpreted to include all aspects of lighting related warranty claims. I see no good reason why the failure you’ve suffered should be excluded. Just shows it pays to be persistent.

I wouldn’t say that this means that Vauxhall aren’t reliable though, I suspect that whoever manufactures the headlamps for the Mokka also supplies countless other brands so a supposedly more reliable car is no less likely to have unreliable headlights. Does she still want a crossover? If so how about a locally built Honda HRV? It’s sort of Japanese.

If you (or rather, your wife) are buying a car based on the ease of changing headlamp bulbs, I can recommend the Captur

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