 |
| Above: A Year of the Dragon version of the Rolls-Royce Phantom limo for the China market. Inset: Tycoon James Koh Wee Meng, seen in a 2005 ST file photo. |
SINGAPORE - A tycoon is suing the Rolls-Royce agent here, Trans Eurokars, over an alleged flaw in a Phantom limousine he bought four years ago, The Straits Times reported today.
Mr James Koh Wee Meng, the owner of the Fragrance hotel chain, had bought the limousine for $1.4 million then. However right after collection on or around Dec 23, he discovered that the car was making loud noises when moving out of a three-point turn.
He also claimed that the steering wheel gave off "significant vibration".
The alleged defects, however, didn't trigger the suit.
According to the report, Mr Koh is seeking damages because Trans Eurokars had repeatedly failed to rectify these problems.
However, with the exception of costs and interest charges of 5.23 per cent per annum, Mr Koh did not specify the amount of damages he was seeking.
In Eurokars' defence, it said it did not detect the noise and vibrations as claimed by Mr Koh.
Checks conducted between Dec 28 and Dec 29 also revealed that any noise and vibration detected fell within the normal range and thus, was not considered a defect.
It was also revealed that the issue lapsed until April 2009, when Mr Koh brought it up again.
The alleged defect could not be found when Eurokars went for a test drive with Mr Koh.
For the next five months, the agent also carried out free repairs and part-replacements. It also offered to send the car to Rolls-Royce in Britain for further inspection at no cost but Mr Koh rejected the offer.
Eurokars had also offered to buy back the car from Mr Koh and sell him a new one but that offer too was rejected. Instead Mr Koh wanted a "one-for-one exchange", the report revealed.
Mr Koh has since bought a $1.1 million Bentley Mulsanne.
