EXCLUSIVE My courtesy car almost killed me: Motorist accuses hire firm of playing Russian roulette with his life after he was given SUV with dodgy brakes and failing safety systems
A motorist has accused a car hire firm of playing Russian roulette with his life after it gave him a courtesy car with brakes that almost failed on the motorway - before swapping it with a replacement that already had been crashed.
A motorist has accused a car hire firm of playing Russian roulette with his life after it gave him a courtesy car with brakes that almost failed on the motorway - before swapping it with a replacement that already had been crashed.
Public relations manager Paul Smith was given a sleek Cupra Formentor sports SUV by corporate fleet firm Auxillis while he waited for his Audi Q2 to be fixed following a crash last month.
But when he found problem with the brakes, Auxillis allegedly stonewalled his complaints until he parked over their entrance in protest - and even replaced it with another Formentor that had been involved in a collision and was yet to be fixed.
The bitter war of words led to the firm ending the rental altogether, leaving him without a motor.
An RAC mechanic who assessed the replacement car concluded in a written report that it had been fitted with cheap brakes.
Mr Smith has accused the firm of not maintaining its vehicles properly in between rentals, having been given vehicles that were dirty upon arrival.
He told MailOnline: Theyre playing Russian roulette with peoples lives.
The 31-year-old, from Falkirk, was given a courtesy car by Auxillis after being involved in a crash on March 10.
He was required to use the firm under his policy with insurer Elephant - or pay a £500 excess to go elsewhere.
Auxillis said a car would be dropped at his work in Broxburn, near Edinburgh, the next day.
Motorist Paul Smith says he was given an unsafe courtesy car with bad brakes that almost caused him to crash in torrential rain
He was given a Cupra Formentor sports SUV as a courtesy car after being involved in a crash - but claimed its brakes almost caused him to come off the road (file image)
After being told Auxillis wouldnt replace the car, Mr Smith resorted to blocking the entrance to its forecourt (pictured) until it would help
Problems began when the firm allegedly left a voicemail about the rental on the wrong phone number - and by the time the error was spotted it was too late to arrange a car in time, forcing him to shell out £100 for taxis to get to and from his job.
He was then given a Volkswagen T-Cross mini-crossover - a lesser class of car than his policy entitled him to - before being upgraded to the Formentor, a sporty high-spec low-slung SUV, a week later.
It was a really nice car, and I was happy with that, and it was a nice drive, Mr Smith told MailOnline.
But it was only days later than the car began flashing up issues with its parking assistance feature and Front Assist - Cupras name for its front-facing sensors that can detect objects and apply the brakes in order to prevent a crash.
They would go off and then back on, and the brakes - there was a sort of grinding and crunching noise coming from them, he said.
I got straight onto the phone to tell them: "Im getting this noise from the car, its not pleasant, its not comfortable, and Im quite concerned".
Auxillis said he needed to have the issue verified by an RAC mechanic - the rental firms roadside partner - before it would consider a replacement, something he considered unacceptable given the hazard it posed.
I said I wanted someone to come and get the car and give me one thats not making noises like that and not flashing warning lights on the dashboard, he said.
Matters came to a head when, in the midst of torrential rain, the brakes almost failed him as he was coming off of the M90 motorway behind another car on March 27.
I could hardly see two feet in front of me and thought Id slow down early because of the conditions, he recalled.
But he was handed a replacement that Auxillis admitted had already been crashed - with signs the trim was damaged evident (pictured)
The second Formentor car also had a dropped bonnet that sunk into the bodywork, suggesting things werent as they should be
It flashed up a warning with its parking sensors on the dashboard (pictured)
I put my foot on the brake and it felt like the wheels were still turning (without slowing down). I had to hammer down properly on the brake for the car to stop.
Had I not left enough distance or time to brake I wouldve gone straight into the back of the person in front. It could have been so much worse and I got a bit of a fright.
I went to my mum and dads for dinner that night and they asked me how I was. I said: "Lucky to be alive - that car is a death trap."
Incensed, Mr Smith called Auxillis to demand that the car was replaced - but they refused to take the vehicle back until it had been assessed by a mechanic.
He then took the fight to the firm - parking across the entrance to their Broxburn rental centre.
I got angry, he admitted. I had a raised voice, I was shaking. But I said to them: "You need to get someone to come and speak to me right now, because this car is not safe to be on the road."
He claims someone from the company did eventually come to speak to him and, after a discussion, brought out another Formentor.
He said, "Look, its the same car, but its been in a bit of an accident - the bumpers damaged and the bonnet sunk in", Mr Smith recalled. I just laughed. I was gobsmacked. I was running late for work so I had to take it.
The second car had damage at the front, with some of its trim out of joint and the bonnet sunk into the bodywork. It, too, had issues with its brakes and its parking assist systems.
Mr Smith then relented and called out the RAC, who inspected the car and concluded that it had been fitted with cheap brakes that were up to 70 per cent worn.
An RAC assessment of the replacement car noted that parts of the front of the car were broken or scratched
The report by the roadside mechanic concluded the car probably had cheap brakes fitted
Mr Smith has now been left without a car after Auxillis voided the rental agreement and took the car back
It even circled the front of the car in blue - marking it as being broken.
The RAC mechanic couldnt believe the fact they had given me this car, he said.
After receiving a report from the RAC, Auxillis phoned Mr Smith on Monday. But rather than offering to replace the car again, it told him it would be voiding the rental deal and taking the car back, leaving him without a vehicle.
He has filed a complaint with the company and informed his insurer, which said his only option would be to shell out the £500 excess to pick his own courtesy car.
His own car wont be repaired for at least another fortnight, forcing him to either do that or shell out on taxis.
He added: I told them I didnt feel as if the car was roadworthy, but they just shot me down. The manager that phoned me just said I wasnt going to be "satisfied with the rest of their fleet". I dont know what she meant by that.
I ended up stranded at work. Its been an absolute shambles from start to finish.
A spokesperson for Elephant said: Please be assured we are currently looking into this for Mr Smith.
We never like to hear that a customer is unhappy with the service they’ve received and we’re investigating the matter, as a priority.
We are liaising with Auxillis to find out what’s happening in Mr Smith’s particular case.
Auxillis declined to comment.