Edinburgh woman 'unable to care for dad' due to three-month car repair wait

An Edinburgh woman who is the primary carer for her veteran father is pleading with Macklin Motors to fix and return her new car after months of it being off the road.

Kayleigh Gordon, from Clermiston, broke down in her Hyundai Kona on September 7, just over a month after she purchased the vehicle on August 2.

After having issues with the clutch and getting the car back into gear, the 22-year-old called a mechanic who was able to tow the Hyundai back to her home.

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But Kayleigh claimed she has been frustratingly passed from pillar to post since reporting the issue to Macklin Motors Edinburgh West.

A ‘manufacturing defect’ with the clutch was initially blamed for the issue once the car was inspected but around three months later, Kayleigh was informed there was now also a problem with her gear box.

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Despite being grateful for being supplied with a replacement car, she said the vehicle is too large for her veteran father, who served 24 years with the Royal Scots and suffers from mobility issues, to access.

Macklin has apologised for the delay and has said they are in contact with Kayleigh to resolve the issue.

“I tried contacting Macklin Motors Edinburgh West to get the car to them right after it broke down,” Kayleigh said. “After initially struggling to contact them, I was assured it would be checked right away.

“After numerous calls back and forth over the course of a week, I was finally told it was a ‘manufacturing defect’ with the clutch. They said they would order the replacement parts and be in touch.

“I waited for a response but I had to chase them only to be told the parts had still not been delivered. I was then told two weeks later that the part had arrived but my car had still not been seen too due to other prioritised customers.

“It is incredibly frustrating the fact it has been three months. I got a call last week to say my car is further delayed as they have found another problem with the gear box."

Kayleigh said she was extremely grateful for a hire car from Thrifty but cited a number of issues relating to the vehicle she was provided with.

Not only have her own existing back issues been impacted by the ‘sport bucket’ style seats but her father has been unable to get in the car for the past three months due its height. This has been problematic as Kayleigh is her dad’s carer.

“The full process from start to now has been incredibly frustrating for a magnitude of reasons,” she said. “Although I’m grateful for having a hire car, it does not meet my family’s needs and I was never given the option to choose a smaller car which would have also been more fuel efficient.

“On a mental health level this experience has been so demoralising and has been going on for months. I feel completely let down. Overall the uncertainty around the situation has been weighing me down every day. On a physical level it has been even worse.

“The courtesy car, which I am grateful for, is causing me so much discomfort, the sports car bucket style seats are not good for my back issues which are lifelong diagnosed medical conditions.

“My father, who I care for, cannot and has not been able to get into my car for three months due to the height of it. He's been unable to go socialise, I’ve had to make alternative arrangements for his Covid and flu jags to a date where someone else can help due to the car being inaccessible to him.

“I can genuinely say with confidence the stress this full disaster has had had a detrimental impact on both my mental and physical health over the last few months and I dream of the day it is resolved. I’ve paid thousands for a car I don’t even have.”

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Kayleigh has pleaded for her car to be fixed and returned to her as well as for Macklin to look into compensation for her ordeal.

A spokesperson for the dealership said: “We regret that there has been a delay in returning the customer’s car but on further inspection the vehicle’s gearbox did not pass our quality checks and required additional work to ensure it is safe to drive.

“We will continue to keep her updated on the progress of the repair. A hire car was provided to ensure she was still on the road.”