‘We have been left in limbo’
Veronica has been left without a car for 10 weeks
An East Lothian family-of-five say they have been left without their only car for 10 weeks due to a repair to the vehicle – which resulted in it being recalled – not being carried out.
Veronica and Kevin Hunter from Prestonpans received a recall letter in December 2025 stating their Peugeot 3008 may be affected by premature wearing of the camshaft drive chain. Mum Veronica, 48, says she tried to make an appointment at their local dealership at Seafield but was supposedly told there was no availability until April.
However the situation took an unexpected turn on January 30 when the car completely cut out while she was driving. She later found out it was due to the same issue it had been recalled for and immediately tried to make an appointment for it to be resolved sooner, but had no luck.
After weeks of back and forth communication with Peugeot customer care and the vehicle being out of action, an appointment was finally made at a Sighthill branch where the car has remained since March 5.
The family say they have faced “stress and uncertainty” due to Peugeot being unable to carry out the work as they didn’t have access to their invoice from a year ago. As a result, Veronica and Kevin have been forced to hire cars to transport their children to sport clubs and events.
After being contacted by Edinburgh Live on Thursday, Peugeot customer care contacted Veronica and communicated how the repair can be claimed under special coverage. They also confirmed a repair date will be arranged ‘as soon as possible’ and the couple will be provided alternative transport in the meantime.
Kevin and Veronica
Speaking about the hectic ordeal, Veronica said: “When we got the recall letter, I was told we had to wait four months before we could get an appointment so I thought the issue with the car couldn’t be that bad.
“After my car cut out, I was still told nothing could be done until April. The car broke down due to the recall issue but I had no clue how bad the problem was.
“After weeks of talking with Peugeot customer care we finally got an appointment at Sighthill and we had to pay £100 to get our car to the garage. It had been sitting on the pavement outside my house for weeks.
“It’s been at the same garage since March 5. Peugeot kept saying they couldn’t carry out the repairs because we didn’t have last years invoice. This meant we could be liable for the cost of the repair even though it’s a recall issue.”
After her car broke down at the end of January, Veronica was grateful her kids weren’t in the vehicle at the time.
She added: “The car could have cut out on the motorway or anywhere with my three kids in the car. Peugeot aren’t taking liability for the actual issue.
“It took weeks to get an appointment at Sighthill and I still have to pay the finance on the car even though I don’t have it – they won’t freeze it.
“It has caused such a financial worry for us, it’s been awful. We don’t know if it’s going to be written off. We are a family of five and have been forced to hire cars to get the kids places because our Peugeot is our main mode of transport.
“There has been no communication and it’s been so stressful. We have been left in limbo with the financial stress.”
A Peugeot Spokesperson said: “With regards to this recall, Peugeot offer to cover the repairs of timing chain failure on the 1.5 DV5 engine up to a mileage of 150k and vehicle age of 10 years.
“However, lack of servicing and use of incorrect oil grade / quality can have a significant impact on modern engines. It is important when customers purchase a second hand vehicle, that they seek one with a documented history of maintenance in line with manufacturers guidelines.
“In cases where there is not the service history, it means the customer is ineligible for full coverage of the repairs. We will also try to help the customer find evidence of prior servicing within the Network or with the previous seller.”
