English Headlights

[minnie]

This story is farcical...but how do we deal with it?

In 2006 we moved to France with our Citroen C5. We duly had the headlights changed, paid about 500 euros at the main dealers and went for the Controle Technique. They station passed it. Again it passed in 2008 and 2010. This year it failed on the basis that we had English headlights and sure enough oh saw that they were dipping the wrong way. The guy from the Controle station came across to the dealers nearby with us and they confirmed to him that we had changed them so that he left us sort this out with the dealers and didn't fail the car for that.

What I reckon happened was that the dealership used the chassis number to order the parts and that being English the headlights were English. Effectively our lights were replaced with exactly the same ones. Now Citroen are saying that we've had the lights for 6 years and they'll not pay for replacement with French ones even though it was their error (and I still have the receipt for the replacement). I would add that we rarely go out after dark and so didn't notice this.

Any thoughts on where I stand on this issue as we've paid circa 500 euros for nothing?

[Hereford]

In a similar situation the garage who had changed lights initially paid for a new replacement.  Slight difference was that originally the lights were changed correctly to French. Then: broken headlight replaced but changed to an English one ...  Failed CT.    I had a real "go" at garage (it was my Dad's car not mine) - their excuse was that the lad had checked the computer and the number that came up was (obviously) for a UK light.  Doh.   Boss accepted responsibility and paid for a new light and re-done CT.

Lesson we learned: check what they do on a UK car.

Suggestion: speak to the boss of the garage not the manager or technician and be firm!

We are now always treated well by the garage.

[nomoss]

Check whether your car or house insurance includes Protection Juridique. If so, use that to persue yourclaim against the Citroen dealer.

If not, and they didn't fail the car, you have another two years before you need to worry about it again [:)]

BTW, does the Citroen dealer happen to have any connection with the nearby CT station?

[Chancer]

I have heard of  this several times, in each case a RHd car being fitted with identical new and horrendously expensive UK dipping headlights because either the UK registration number or the chassis number was used.

You have my sympathy, if you are faced with paying yet another €500 (with of course the same uncertainty as competence does not seem to come with experience) and the headlights have P45 halogen bulbs I can advise you by PM how to easily modify them to dip to the right, it will be 95% as good as new LHD lights and 100% better than what you have been driving with all these years.

If it makes you feel any better the same thing can and does happen in the UK, a replacement Cibie lamp for my Caterham turned out to dip to the right and my UK Ford Galaxy had come out of the factory with LHD headlights, albeit the common factory in Porugal Automotive Europa used by Ford, VAG  and Seat.

[AnOther]

Naughty but I've heard it said that if you report them broken to your insurance company they will pay for replacements at no loss to you.

[Alan Zoff]

An insurance company that accepts that stones took out both headlights simultaneously?And with no loss of NCB?

[AnOther]

Check it out for yourself

http://services.completefrance.com/forums/mobilecompletefrance/cs/forums/1/2285593/ShowPost.aspx#2285593

[minnie]

A result! The Citroen garage have finally agreed to put the correct lights on free of charge. It has taken quite a bit of complaining but we've got there. Thanks to all contributors, your ideas have been great.