How to Claim Compensation from a 4S Store for New Car Quality Issues?
2 Answers
If there are quality issues with a new car, you can request the 4S store to replace or refund the vehicle. According to the automobile three-guarantee policy, if a household automobile product meets the replacement conditions and the seller does not have the same brand and model of household automobile product, nor a household automobile product with a configuration not lower than the original one to replace for the consumer, the consumer may choose to return the product, and the seller shall be responsible for the return. Within 60 days from the date the seller issues the purchase invoice for the household automobile product or within 3,000 kilometers of driving distance (whichever comes first), if the household automobile product experiences steering system failure, brake system failure, body cracking, or fuel leakage, and the consumer chooses to replace the household automobile product or return it, the seller shall be responsible for free replacement or return. During the three-guarantee validity period, if two repairs have been accumulated due to serious safety performance failures, and the serious safety performance failures have not been eliminated or new serious safety performance failures occur; if the engine or transmission has been replaced twice, or the same major component of the engine or transmission has been replaced twice due to quality issues and still cannot be used normally (the replacement counts for the engine, transmission, and their major components are not duplicated); if the same major component of the steering system, brake system, suspension system, front/rear axle, or body has been replaced twice due to quality issues and still cannot be used normally, and the consumer chooses to replace or return the product, the seller shall be responsible for replacement or return.
My brand-new car developed abnormal noises within two months of purchase, so I drove straight to the 4S店 to confront the after-sales manager. Remember to bring the purchase invoice and the three-guarantees manual. They'll first arrange for a technician to diagnose the fault. Once confirmed as a quality issue, they'll fill out a repair form to initiate the claim process. All parts and labor are free during the warranty period. If major components like the engine or transmission have issues, you can even demand a replacement. Last time I had repairs, I didn't even need to rent a courtesy car—the dealership provided one proactively. Don't let them fool you by calling it normal wear and tear. The three-year or 100,000-kilometer warranty on new cars is there to protect our rights. After repairs, remember to test-drive to confirm the issue is resolved, and keep all repair documents in case the problem recurs for future维权.
