Aston Martin Bristol

If you are looking to purchase a 2017 Aston Martin Vantage from Aston Martin Bristol registration number WD67 SZC, then please read this. On 17th April 2023, Josh Marks salesman working for Aston Martin Bristol, sold me a V8 Vantage, registration number WD67 SZC. On the day I collected it, I started the vehicle up in the showroom and was making an obvious tapping noise. Josh Marks blatantly lied to me and said the noise would clear by the time I got home! Well, it didn’t clear, it actually got worse. I emailed Josh Marks as soon as I arrived home to say the noise has got worse! However, after sending numerous emails and still being fobbed off I returned the vehicle. Aston Martin Bristol didn’t even offer to have it picked up. Aston Martin Bristol had my vehicle for 1 month when they sent me a video. The video showed my engine running next to another vehicle with its engine running. They advised it was to demonstrate my engine running next to another, as they said, “a good known vehicle”. The vehicle they had actually paired my engine with had a report stating that it has a loud tapping noise coming from the engine! They still refused to acknowledge my engine was faulty. After insisting the noise was, “a characteristic of the engine”, they eventually admitted that there was an indentation in one of the exhaust tappet shims and repaired it. They returned my vehicle to me on the 22nd of May 2023. On the 19th of August (3 months later and 1,300 miles driven) the noise returned. This time I emailed Alex knight the after sales manager on the 25th of August to say the noise has returned. Alex Knights response was “it’s now a separate issue and not our concern, you will have to take it to another dealer as you will have to claim under your 12-month timeless warranty”. The vehicle was delivered to Aston Martin Leeds, where the master mechanic listened to the noise. He said, “that doesn’t sound good, but we will investigate the noise”. I explained that the noise was there when I purchased it. Aston Martin Leeds arranged for the warranty company to assess the noise, whereby the assessor stated there is a problem with the engine. However, due to the noise being present when the vehicle was purchased, the warranty company rejected the claim. With this news, on 11th October 2023, I emailed Mike Kenefick Head of Business at Aston Martin Bristol to advise him if the situation and my predicament. Mike Kenefick refused to acknowledge there was a fault. With this in mind, I had no alternative but to arrange to have the vehicle transported back to Aston Martin Bristol. I rejected the vehicle and asked for a refund. Mike Kenefick refused to give me a refund even after seeing the warranty assessor's conclusion and rejection of the claim. On the 8th of November 2023, I sent Mike Kenefick an email stating I believe “for him not to accept the decision of the warranty company, makes a mockery of the warranty provided by Aston Martin”. Furthermore, should he continue not to accept the vehicle has a fault I will take Dick Lovett sports cars to court. Neither Mike Kenefick or any of his sales staff have ever emailed me since! On the 21st of November 2023, I instructed my solicitor to start court proceedings against Dick Lovett Sports cars T/ A Aston Martin Bristol. They were served with a letter of intent. Mike Kenefick still refuses to refund me or to accept there is a fault with the engine. He disputes the warranty companies' outcome and subsequent decision to reject the claim. On the 18th of December 2023, there is suddenly a turn around and Mike Kenefick emailed my solicitor and stated, “the noise is outside of the normal operating conditions”. He then offers a refund. On the 30th of January 2024, after a total of 65 emails, I finally received my refund! So, if you are considering making a substantial purchase of an Aston Martin Vantage, registration number WD67 SZC, make sure you are made aware of the trouble I’ve experienced with the engine and the poor after-sales experience.