First Breakdown

[TDS]

HI everyone,

I wanted to let people know about my first "breakdown" and to warn others of recall notices done while at the garage.  I will have owned the car 3 weeks on Friday and having done only just over 200 miles (most of which was to Newcastle airport and back home). We came back home to airport after week away in Austria to find car wouldn't let me in? Thought maybe key fob was flat, so took skeleton key and opened drivers door manually. Once inside vehicle I still couldn't open remaining doors or boot. Tried to start car but no sign of life. Battery looked dead to me. Vehicle comes with RAC cover for first year, so called number and (without boring people with details of automated systems) the RAC Agreed to send technician to help with starting vehicle.

The RAC technician checked systems over, put boost on battery and we were able to open remaining doors and start the engine. With the engine running carried out several checks before deciding that the battery needed to be replaced as not holding any charge. I contacted the dealer who said they would re-imburse cost of replacement battery if I needed one fitting. As it turned out the RAC technician didn't have a battery, or was able to obtain one on a Saturday afternoon. Luckily he was able just to put some charge in vehicle and advise us to drive straight home without stopping (as money would have been wasted and not re-imbursed) if he had fitted a new battery. The car made it home later on Saturday afternoon and back to garage first thing on Monday morning.

Due to number of service bookings and other jobs, I spent the morning at garage waiting for inspection and repairs. I had expected the battery just to be replaced but when technician checked condition, battery was found okay, just flat and needing a full charge. I was told that the car had been the subject of two recalls since purchase and that both (one more than other) would drain vehicle battery when car stood for a few days, like not being used over the weekend.

The two recalls were PG4CH -- Alarm and PG5C0 Combimeter - 12v Battery.  Both had faults in them that resulted in both systems not shutting down when car stopped, hence drain on battery while stood. The combimeter was seen as the one that drained the most battery power. Both were software issues that needed to be downloaded and updated in vehicle. Took over two hours more to carryout recall work and update the software but battery then retested and given a clean bill of health.

Something that has never happed to me in over 40 years of leaving cars at airports but always a first time. Time at the garage was more than expected but cannot expect to jump que over people who had own vehicles booked into garage.

Hopefully this will be the first and last breakdown we have with the vehicle. We love the car, how it drives and how comfortable to drive.

Regards,

Trevor