Les Pickin - Yorkshire artist, faunologist, pen collector and general dogs body - Isuzu Rodeo Pickup Truck

Isuzu Rodeo Pickup Truck - Northcliffe Motor Company

NORTHCLIFFE MOTOR COMPANY - ISUZU RODEO DEALERS

Let me begin by saying that this is my personal experience with the Northcliffe Motor Company of Denaby Main, Doncaster.

Isuzu & SsangYong Daihatsu dealers

Let me also cut to the chase by saying

BUY A VEHICLE FROM THESE PEOPLE AT YOUR OWN RISK

AND HERE'S HOW I QUALIFY THAT STATEMENT

In January/February 2005 I had a need for a new vehicle to replace my existing one. After looking at the usual manufacturers offerings - Mitsubishi, Toyota and Ford, I decided that the Isuzu Rodeo pickup truck would suit my needs perfectly. The vehicle offered all the features I needed and so I went along to Northcliffe Motor Company of Doncaster to speak with the Sales Manager, Dave Guy

After a long 'interview' (over an hour) in which all the standard questions were asked - what do you do, what are you carrying etc etc I decided to purchase the vehicle along with the following accessories:

Truckman Classic C hard top (lid for rear) (almost £2000 with custom paint)
Custom paint work - hard top, mirrors etc to match colour of vehicle (I was told painting the lid would be expensive as it had to be sent to Isuzu in Thailand for colour matching)
Electric Windows
Load liner (plastic liner for rear of truck) (over £200)

Having paid the initial deposit I waited for the 1st of March 2005 with great eagerness as it was my first ever brand new vehicle and paid off the balance.

On collection I looked around the Isuzu Rodeo to make sure everything was in order. Immediately I made several observations whilst still on the forecourt including:

Scuffed custom paintwork
Gaps around the rear door
Rear door not secure
Electric windows stuck half way down (passenger side)

All of the faults were raised with Dave at the time and I was assured that they would all be fixed at the first 1000 mile service. The scuffed paintwork was blamed on the 'packing crate' that the top came over in from Thailand

During this waiting period I noticed that water (rain) would leak in to the rear of the vehicle through the gaps around the rear door of the Truckman top causing it to gather around the back end of the pickup.

This caused my products to get wet, not a problem if I sold bricks or potatoes... but I don't sell those items.

What I do sell is live arachnids (Tarantulas, Scorpions) plus other tropical insects, herpetological equipment including electronic thermostats, thermometers, heaters and lighting appliances etc. This makes it quite a big issue when turning up at the post office with wet boxes (many having to be taken back to be re boxed) or when coming back from my suppliers only to find water damaged goods in the back.

Also, the rear door was also not secure in any way, shape or form as it could be opened (even when locked) using a single finger.

Images shown are from January 2006 after all the adjustments Northcliffe made so you can imagine what is WAS like

After the service was done they had indeed ATTEMPTED to do some of the jobs but they were not right. The following was done

Scuffs to paintwork had been sprayed over but IN A DIFFERENT COLOUR and not just a bit off either
Rear door gaps were closed slightly but it was still not secure and it still rained in
Electric windows were fixed (passenger side) Actuallyt he 'fix' is spraying silicone on the rubber window seal!

I once again booked the car in for re work on the Truckman top but yet again the gaps were still evident and not at all acceptable, I was told that Truckman were going to call in and have a look at the badly fitting door as they considered it fine.

After 8 weeks the electric windows stopped working altogether and were blowing fuses every time they were used. The vehicle was once again booked in for fixing and the rear door attempted again. I was told that the electric switches were faulty and that's what caused the fuses to blow.

The windows immediately blew the fuse again and was booked in yet again, after some discussion it was admitted that they had actually not done the job at all but they had fitted a higher rated fuse as a' fix' . The actual cause of the fuse blowing turned out to be a live wire touching the metalwork inside the door.

I have asked 3 times for the paintwork to be fixed and all I have been getting back is 'I'll have to speak with Dave Guy on that' and I can get no further.

I've now been told by their staff that the expensive Isuzu paint work on the Truckman top was actually done locally and not sent to Isuzu at all.

In October I was at the end of my patience with this company and when I brought up the Truckman top again I was told I would have to take it down to Buckinghamshire (about 180 miles each way) myself as Truckman said it was perfectly good and they don't say it's lids are water tight and that they don't guarantee the security either. In other words... tuff

During the attempted fix to the back doors they cut off parts of the load liner to make to lid fit, they told me that was what Truckman had suggested, the problem with that is that when you remove the lid the load liner is full of holes and will allow water to get under it, they also cracked the lid in one corner, this can only get worse as time passes.

I have even bee told by Northcliffe's service manager that the Truckman top is not intended to come off and it's meant to stay on there permanently. This is a complete fabrication as the lid has only 6 removable nuts to facilitate the easy fitting and removal, that's the point of it.

I believe that I was mis-sold the lid as it was made perfectly clear what goods were going to be carried and no one said 'oh, by the way they leak' or anything similar. I feel that I've been well and truly ripped off by this company as I've been lied to, over charged, mis sold goods and had work delayed deliberately to get me beyond my legal 'right to refuse' period as the goods (Truckman top) were not suitable for their purpose.

Let me point out that this is not a problem with the actual truck, it's the exceptionally bad service from Northcliffe Motor Company.

I have been in contact with the importer of the Isuzu vehicles who is investigating and I've also been in contact with trading standards who are also investigating.

To date I still have the following faults:

Bad spray job on Truckman top
Leaking rear door
Load liner damaged (they cut of the tops to make the lid fit)
Hard top cracked in corner (by Northcliffe staff)
Drivers side door strapping coming loose (metal strip between door and body) reported but not done
Electric window (passenger side) started sticking again half way down (closes at an angle)

If you are looking for an Isuzu then I would suggest you go to Monty's of Sheffield as they offer excellent prices, customer care and AFTER SALES service - not 'take the money and cut 'em loose' like Northcliffe Motor Company

I will update this page as the situation develops

MID NOVEMBER 2005

Finally after being contacted by the main UK importer Northcliffe Motors rang me to say the rep from Truckman was coming up to look at the Truckman top. They collected the vehicle and kept it all day. According to Graham in customer services the rep suggested there was nothing wrong with the rear doors. He did say that the rubber seal around the door was a little short and Northcliffe sent someone to change, unfortunately it's made little difference as rain still gets in and wets whatever is near the back door.

I asked Northcliffe for this in writing together with the reasons why the paint has still not been fixed and what they were going to do about the crack they had made in the Truckman top. I was told they would do this and send on the report the Truckman rep was writing to me about the top itself.

I left it 10 days and rang to remind them I hadn't had my copy of the report, I was told it would be chased up. I rang again on 15th December to remind them yet again and again it's going to be chased up.

19 DECEMBER

Still no sign of any report over a month later

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