When the Car You've Just Bought Breaks Down

Originally written by Sarah Clark, updated by the editorial team on 29th August 2026

You have just driven away in a car you were pleased to buy. Then something goes wrong. It makes an alarming noise, a warning light appears, or it simply will not start one morning. Once you have checked the obvious things and accepted the car has a genuine fault, you need to know where you stand.

Your options depend mainly on who sold you the car and how long ago the purchase was. The law treats private sales and trader sales quite differently, so this is the first thing to establish.

Buying from a Private Seller

If you bought the car from a private individual who was not selling as part of a business, your legal rights are limited. The seller only has to ensure the car matches any description they gave you. This means the mileage should be accurate, and any specific claims they made about the vehicle should be true.

Beyond that, a private sale is largely a case of buyer beware. The vehicle is not subject to the satisfactory quality criterion that applies to trader sales. You cannot reject the vehicle simply because it has developed a fault, unless the seller misled you about its condition.

If you believe the seller made false statements that induced you into the contract, you may have grounds to take action for misrepresentation. This would need to be assessed on a case by case basis. Misrepresentation can include not only deliberate deceit but also negligent or innocent false statements. Keeping any advertisements, messages or receipts from the sale can help if you need to make a claim later.

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Buying from a Trader

When you buy from any trader selling cars in the course of business, whether a traditional dealership or another type of business seller, you have stronger protection under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. The car must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, and as described. Satisfactory quality takes into account the age, price and mileage of the vehicle, so expectations will differ between a new car and an older used one.

If a fault appears within 30 days of purchase that means the car is not as described, not of satisfactory quality, or not fit for purpose, you have the right to reject the car and request a full refund.

Between 30 days and six months, the trader must be given the opportunity to repair or replace the vehicle. If the repair is unsuccessful or the replacement is also faulty, you become entitled to reject the goods. A deduction may be made for the use you have had from the car.

After six months, you will need to prove the fault was present at the time of sale rather than caused by normal wear or something that happened later. You may need an independent inspection report to support your case.

If you bought the car remotely, such as online or by telephone, the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 may also apply. These regulations provide a 14 day cooling off period during which you can cancel the purchase and receive a refund.

Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.

What to Do Next

Start by contacting the seller in writing as soon as possible. Set out what has gone wrong and what you want them to do about it. Keep copies of everything, including emails, letters and any repair invoices.

If the trader refuses to help or you cannot reach an agreement, you have several options:

If you paid by credit card for a transaction between £100 and £30,000, you may be able to make a claim against your card provider under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act. This applies to the full transaction value even if only part was paid on the card.
If you used a debit card, you might be able to request a chargeback through your bank. This is a process banks offer to help recover funds when purchases go wrong, though it is not a legal right and depends on your bank's policies.
You can contact Citizens Advice for guidance on your next steps and to report the trader if you believe they have acted unfairly.
For disputes up to £10,000 in England and Wales, the small claims court may be an option if other approaches have failed.

If the trader belongs to a trade association such as the Motor Ombudsman, you can also raise a complaint through their dispute resolution service.

Building Your Evidence

Whatever route you take, evidence will strengthen your position. Take photographs of any visible faults and keep a record of when problems first appeared. If you have the car inspected independently, make sure the report is from a qualified mechanic or engineer.

The Next Step

Now that you have read through the advice above, you might want to put it into practice. Our Car Purchase Rights Checker lets you bought a faulty car? Find out exactly where you stand legally. Takes 1 minute. Try it now →

65 questions

Ask Consumer Rights Expert a Question

ConsumerRightsExpert Editor 24/05/2026 at 9:17 am

@Cheryl What happened to you sounds like odali sale fraud, and possibly title washing too if those airbags were cut out. Get straight onto the Indiana Attorney General's consumer protection division and file a complaint, and report it to the Indiana Secretary of State dealer services since he was clearly flipping cars through PROF Motors to dodge tax. Also speak to a consumer rights solicitor about rescinding the sale; the undisclosed total loss status is grounds. Keep the Carfax printout and the body shop's written assessment as evidence.

Cheryl 10/07/2023 at 3:53 pm

On June 16th I went to the bank and took out a car loan for $13.800, (in cash as the seller requested). I arrived at his house, which is where he had 2 cars for sale. I found this car on Market Place. I ask about safety, leaking ect. because the passenger door had a poorly repaired area and the door wasn’t 100% aligned. He took me through the car wash to show me that the window wouldn’t leak and then without my consent he took me to
PROF Motors
3241 Lafayette RD STE B.
INDPLS, IN 46222.
When we arrived he put me in a small room with windows and a bathroom across the hall. He brought another man in the room who only spoke a couple of sentences the entire time. He started counting the money while the other man started the paperwork. When he got to the money he showed me that he put $7,500.00 on the bill of sale paperwork, which is the amount I would pay taxes on at his dealership. Plus $100 in paperwork processing fees. “The rest I would be paying at the BMV,” he said.
He didn’t explain any of the paperwork. He simply told me where to sign. He handed me one key and pointed to the lobby. I stood there for a little bit and they said that, “I could leave.” I drove home and parked the car in the garage.
A week later I drove the car to a body shop to get an estimate on the car door repairs. He looked the car over and told me things that horrified me. The door was not aliened, the under frame is bent, ALL of the safety air bags had been “CUT OUT” of the car. He said the car had been in a bad accident. I was in shock. He told me to Google the VIN # on Carfax. The results were shocking to me. In the pictures the entire passenger side of the car was clearly destroyed. The final determination on that sight claimed that this vehicle is a “TOTAL LOSS VEHICLE.” I again had the feeling of fear and anxiety.
That was the only time that I have taken the car out of the garage. I can’t drive an unsafe car. No one should. I started doing research to see what just happened, what should I do, who do I call? I was able to find a few definitions of the law for this act of meaningless actions in the purchasing of this vehicle.
Please help. I am retired raising 3 grandchildren and my monthly earnings are $1,100 per month. It will take me 5 years to pay off the loan that I took. I don’t have repair money at all. Thank you for any advise you have for me.

Ujw 14/04/2023 at 11:59 am

I bought a 2017 Audi A4l for 13.5k from Peter Vardy with their extended warranty
They took out a brand new MOT on the day I bought the car in November 2022.
A couple of days after I got the car, I noticed droplets of some sort of a residue on my driveway. A tire pressure also came up despite the tires being inflated properly.
Took it back to PeterVardy and they said that the mechanic forgot to reset the tire pressure sensor, he gave me the car back and the warning light was gone. They said that there any oil leaks or anything.
Now it's April and there is a massive leak from under the car (Underside tray of car is also stained) and now they're saying that they can't repair it under warranty as this is not a mechanical problem and it will cost me out of my own pockets for whatever the reason is.
What are my rights?

Lescor 21/01/2023 at 2:12 pm

I bought a 2nd hand car from a dealer got it home and it now won’t start dealer says I have to arrange transport back to them ?

Stevie 22/03/2022 at 1:46 pm

My wife bought a brand new MG HS model we picked it up from the showroom on Friday the 18/3/22 we drove home which is not even 1/2 an hours journey gets home switch it of and it wouldn’t go again we had to get the AA to come and look at it on Saturday morning they couldn’t find what was wrong so we had it recovered back to dealer now they say it was a bad earth that caused the problem can I give them the car back for full refund or what rights do I have.

Bob 15/09/2021 at 2:43 pm

Bought a ford focus Zetec on 4year finance agreement, paid the final payment on the 9th Sept 2021 with the balance of £3600 to be paid on the 9th Oct 2021 but 3wks before the balance was due the car just died and after getting it checked out the mechanic said the cam belt was broken which would cost £850 to repair or just replace the engine but get this, the car is only 6years old and has only done 47000 miles, normally a new cam belt is due after 10years and 15000 miles, what are my rights?

Sara 27/01/2020 at 11:34 pm

Hello,
I bought a used car Audi A1 four months ago from a dealership. I have taken it on finance. The dealer has assured me that the car was in a perfect technical condition. I don’t know much about car mechanics so I didn’t think when he refilled the coolant to the proper level. I took a car and drove back to my town. Around a week or so later when I was going for a longer trip than usual the dashboard message showed up that I need to stop the engine, so I stoped on the nearest gas station to check the problem and then I found out that I possibly have a leak of the coolant fluid. I bought it and refilled it and on the next day I called the dealer as I assumed the car was on the one month warranty. He said that I can take the car to his mechanic to fix it (which is around 2h from my place) or take the car to the mechanic in my town. I left the car in the garage near to my place and the car was there for a week and a half until they found that one of the radiators is broken. I have contacted the dealership and he said that I have to claim my money back from the Handler Protect (the insurance company he suggested to sign the breakdown cover for extra £600 per 1.5 year). I though it was weird as to me he supposed to cover the car breakdown not the insurance company. I did what he said but the insurance company has rejected the claim as it was too soon from the day of transaction. I have also contacted my finance advisor about the whole situation, he contacted my dealer and he eventually agreed to cover the part cost but he said that I will have to pay the labour hours. I wasn’t happy but I thought I didn’t have a choice. I paid £150 for the labour hours and he paid £50 for the new radiator. I called the finance company again and they decided to credit me the £150 I paid. I got the car back and was driving only to work very close from my home for another two weeks and the situation happened again. My coolant fluid was below minimum so I called my mechanic and left the car to check the problem. I have also contacted the dealer and he said to do the same thing. I left the car for another week in the garage and they couldn’t find the leak. I took a car and left it by my home, it was already before Christmas so I have used it a few times and thought I will take it back to the garage after new year. After new year I was still on my holiday so I only started using it again around the second week of January. Couple days ago I had an incident with the car... when I stopped it after 10min driving I noticed weird noise from the mask so I opened it. There was a smoke because of the leak and high temperature of the engine. I called my mechanic and took the car to his garage, as it was after the situation they found the problem quite quickly. There was at least one more leak from the head gasket. The head gasket replacement plus labour hours will cost me at least £700-1000 which is a lot of money. It’s the same problem from the beginning. I think that the de

N 18/11/2019 at 4:46 pm

Hi, i Purchased a car from ebay only 2 days ago on the same day when i purchased car while driving on the way back car started shaking and making very loud engine and gearbox noise i contacted the guy who i bought the car from didn't get any response it was evening when i got back home and next day was sunday i sent the guy message on the phone on the ebay had no reply for him.
On Monday which is basically today i called him again no answer took car to garage they said engine and gearbox both have faults that's why its noisy. The guy didn't declared any faults in the Ebay listing also he said this car has not been used as a taxi , but the car has definitely been used in taxi as i found taxi Receipt book and some paperwork in the car boot when i was cleaning the car next day also found Transport of London sticker marker at the rear window.
Car which described as non fault drives like new had engine and gearbox fault and he sold it to me as a private car never been used in taxi is 100% confirmed driven as a Taxi. I paid him via online bank Transfer as he wanted cash or bank transfer i am sure now as he hid faults and use of taxi he must have Clocked the car too he said he is the owner of car not trader but on the logbook the trader slip was missing. Car is a 66 Reg car with the millage of 99k on it . I have sent him so many messages via ebay and texts that i will be taking it to Trading Standards and court unless he takea his car back and transfer me my money back.
Money i transferred him via online is £8205 which i used my overdraft facility to buy this car to use this car for my work. Now i am not able to drive this car and don't have any money to Repair my car can't get back to work without the car ao my earnings completely stopped what would you advise me please so i can get back to work quickly and what are my rights.
Thanks everyone for your kind Comments

Pati 09/08/2019 at 9:21 pm

I bought the car 37 days ago ( today is 09.08.2019) after that time while i was on the motorway traveling abroad the car had stopped saying gearbox need service. The next day after visited couple garages I've been told that car should be scrapped. The point is since i bought the car I've done 376 miles. Now car is dead. Mechanics said that the issue would happened before but if you delete the faults car could run that time but problem was still existing. I'm sure and mechanics as well that I was sold damaged car and haven't been told about that... do i have any rights? What can I do? Help please

StephH 26/07/2019 at 7:15 pm

Brought a van from our local mechanic for £2000. He said he put it through mot and had resolved the advisories.. we brought it home and noticed and oil leak. We notified him he said he noticed it but was nothing to worry about 8days later van blew up! Needs a new engine. He said he would fix it that was moths ago!
What rights do I have?

Jules 25/07/2019 at 8:13 am

I bought a car from a garage peugeot 308 convertible. £3,000 cash and £2,000 finance with Hitachi. This purchase was last November 2018. The warranty was 6 months. Over the last month the car has not been running properly, I took it to a local garage 4 times, and they put coolant in the car, the engine light went off, then came back on again a week later, I went back, I said it was not running properly, I had put coolant in and oil and I was told it needed diagonostic. I was told a cylinder was not firing. I booked it in for a day. When I picked it up, I was told it was only a spark plug.

4 days later, the engine sets on fire. RAC tow it to a RAC recommended garage and I am told, the car has never been serviced in 5 years. There has been catrosophic engine failure through lack of neglect. The mileage has been doctored 30,000. A coolant pipe from a Ford had been bolted on, which of course is not a standard repair and the list goes on.....It will cost £3,270 to put right - new reconditoned engine.

I have contacted Hitachi the finance company, who have been good so far, it is under investigation. Can you tell me what my rights are and what I can expect? Will the finance company pay for the repair?

Jules 25/07/2019 at 8:04 am

I bought a car, peugeot 308 from a garage last November 2018. I paid £3,000 cash and £2,000 finance with Hitachi. I have had problems with the car recently, engine light coming on, oil light. I took it to a local garage 4 times to report these problems ie putting in coolant and oil. Who did a diagnostic in the end and said that one of the cylinders was not firing properly and changed a spark plug. they had the car in the garage all day and told me that that the problem was a spark plug. 4 days later the engine sets on fire. It will cost £3,270.00 to put right. It has had catrosophic engine failure. I had to RAC tow me and take me to an RAC recommended garage. The car has NEVER been serviced. It is 5 years old, The clock has been doctored 30,000 miles. The oil has become contaminated to the point it is combustible, the oil filter never changed. A coolant pipe has been repaired with a Ford part and bolted together. the list goes on...... I have been let down by the garage that sold me the car and then again by the garage locally. I have been informed that the garage that changed the spark plug would have known that the condition of the engine was not good and it required servicing looking at. I just cannot understand the negligence of all of this. I have contacted Hitachi and they are helping me with an investigation into the car. What are my rights? what can I expect the finance company to help me with? Will they pay for the repair to the car? Any advice would be appreciated.
I am completely shocked.

Dominic 06/07/2019 at 8:06 pm

Just bought a car sold as seen. Signed unroadworthy condition but it can with an mot. I asked if the car drove garage said yes. Didnt even get 20miles car is dead. Garage refused refund or collection. Said see you in court. What do i do?

Kyarie 19/02/2019 at 5:24 pm

Hi
I bought a vehicle to export abroad had no warranty and vehicle broke on way from dealer to port. Was towed to port but cannot start and get its self into the vessel.
Do I have a right to claim my money back or repair from the dealer? What are my rights?

Tracy 14/12/2018 at 8:13 pm

I sold a old car privately who told me she was a car dealer ‘ the car is 2002 reg with current mot new tyres and clean condition ‘inside ‘out side had a few small scrapes and the bonnet paint was a bit flaky which was explained in the advert ‘ the car had been in my family for 5 years it had been well garage maintained ‘I sold the car to a lady for 250 cash ‘ she tried the car out and was happy with it she drove car home and tex me cars fine and they got home safely ‘ ‘ 2 days later she tex me and said the engine blew up she wanted a full refund and wanted me to collect the car !!

Smc 25/10/2018 at 9:42 pm

Hi.
Today my brother purchased his 1st car from a dealership. Cost him £3000 paid with a debit card. My dad collected/drove car home. It broke down on moterway after 5miles.
White smoke blowing out/lack of power.
I have found lots of bad reviews about issues with this garage/service/cars.
I don't think it'll be likely they refund him?
My brother has contacted his bank to cancel the payment. He will try to return the car tomorrow as garage was closing as this all happened.
Can anyone please tell me what they think the best thing to do is?
Do we have any rights to attempt to cancel payment?
Thank you

J 07/09/2018 at 10:34 pm

Hi, bought a Mini Cooper privately 6days ago and today the gear box has gone, can you tell me if I just have to get it fixed my self or I’m I in any Wright’s to get money back with it only been 6dayd? I’ve rang the man to tell him and he said no sold as seen, his son his a mechanic just has me thinking did they know already?

TB74 15/07/2018 at 5:45 pm

My son bought a car privately and paid £5000 by bank transfer, he drove it 10 miles and then it broke down. He is having to have it recovered 400 miles home as the buyer refused to take car back and became abusive. AA don’t know what is wrong with car but suggests the engine could be unfixable.

Shellyf 19/06/2018 at 4:27 pm

Hi I purchased a 2011 ds3 back in Dec 2017, 59,830 miles on it have had jiggly issues parking sensor not working, exhaust mounts all 4 needing welded, discs and pads badly worn and pitted in April the engine light Cameron has been in and out of garage with warranty covering cost and now has a turbo actuator arm problem the finance company are telling me if it was inherent at time of purchase I’m not entitled to repair through them and I will have to foot the bill. Is this correct and what has happened to my consumer right side if this is the case as it is still faulty within 6 months

lou 09/05/2018 at 6:27 pm

Hi I bought a vw golf tdi 2.0 diesel for 2000 with 106.000 on the clock I got it from a car dealership, i had it for about a day and the turbo had gone and loads of smoke coming out the exhaust i pulled over staight away and got greenflag to get me home all i want is it to be repaired as ive already had to put a new starter motor on it since ive bought it which isn't long..should the dealership be liable to pay for the repairs?

Russ 30/04/2018 at 7:02 pm

Hi looking for some advice, I purchased a van £2,000 cash and a four year finance deal on the 23rd March 2018, it broke down on the motorway 28 days later with engine failure, the van didn’t show any signs of this happening, I was doing 60 to 65mph the van is fitted with a 70 mph limiter, when it lost power and cut out I had smoke in the cab I pulled over when it was safe and thought it was on fire.
The dealer has been very helpful so far, I had to pay for the van to get back to them at £460.00, I’ve lost days at work I’ve had to hire a vehicle.
They have made a diagnosis and said the engine has no compression and it’s due to severe over heating, and it would of gave me signs of getting hot.
As I told them no oil light, engine management light came on and temp gauge was normal.
This is part of the reply I have had.

“It would have been easier for us to have a successful warranty claim had the engine not ended up destroyed as the report from the garage reads engine driven to destruction. This now leaves the burden on the person operating the vehicle at the time”

Where do I go from here??
Any help would be appreciated
Regards Russ

Shell Salton 22/04/2018 at 11:47 pm

Hi,
I just purchased a Land Rover for 6k, about 2 months ago, very suddenly the clutch dropped and is undrivable, I had it towed to the garage and dealership I bought it from as it came with a warranty, but now they are saying th warranty doesn’t cover wear and tear?! Repairs going to cost near £1000, where do I stand on this?

ConsumerRightsExpert Editor 11/04/2018 at 2:17 pm

If the dealer is refusing to refund you, you should report it to Trading Standards and consider taking legal action (the small claims court might be appropriate) against the dealer. Note that while you do have a right to reject a faulty vehicle within the first 30 days, you are, as a buyer expected to have carried out certain checks etc.

Ray25 10/04/2018 at 7:54 pm

Hello,

I bought a Vauxhall Astra from a dealership a few days ago for £6000. It's a 62 plate and has 26k miles on it. Upon driving it home I noticed that it was smoking from the engine and exhausts so decided to pull in and have a look. As the dealership was now shut I continued to drive it home and sort it the next day. I rang the dealership and explained the problem and told them I would like to take the car back for a refund and had a mechanic come out to findvthatthere were lots of problems. He said that it looks like it was in an accident as there is lots of repair and replacements. This was not advertised at all - otherwise I would never have bought it
He is now refusing to refund me what can I do?

Fab 08/04/2018 at 3:46 pm

Hello i bought a car from a dealer on the 14 o march and on the 6th of april the clutch went, i phoned the dealers and they said they will fix it up but i had to arrange for delivery of vehicle, they are located some 30 miles from me! As i am still on the 30 day period i said to them that it was their responsibility but they kept saying they would just fix it and thats it! As ive got finance on it i rang them and explained the situation and told them i was not prepared to pay near 200£ to deliver a car wich obviously was sold to me "not of satisfactory quality" and i also had just paid 300£ upfront sum 2 weeks ago for the car! All they said to me is that the dealer only has to agree to fix the car but its my responsability arrange delivery even thou im still on the 30 day period. I have now had to pay for the delivery and rented another car for a couple of days so i can get to work out of my own pocket!! Can i claim any of this money back or is anything thats been said to me correct? This was over the weekend so i couldnt ring anywhere to get any info. Any help would be very much appreciated please.

MrG 03/02/2018 at 11:50 am

I bought a 2nd hand Skoda Octavia Scout 8 year old with 105k on it. Had it for 2 months was making a terrible noise so took it to my garage (he's a friend of the father in law) who has informed me that the 'bottom end' of the engine has gone and it needs a new engine. It looks like its been bodged to sell. Can i get my garage to do it and charge the dealer or do i have to give them the chance to do it first. I obviously don't trust them to do it properly.

JH 22/11/2017 at 1:45 pm

We bought a second hand car from a dealership around 8 weeks ago. A few days ago it broke down, the ERG jammed open. The RAC man got it started but as he followed us home it happened again. As the dealership is around 20 miles from our home (and with the risk of it breaking down on the way) my husband took it to our local garage and we've paid for the repair out of our own pocket. Are we able to send a copy of the invoice to the dealership and ask that they refund us?

mr 22/11/2017 at 12:51 am

i have owned my l200 warrior for 3 weeks now , and today the engine has blown , i live 22 miles from work and work 12hr shifts , so,, 3 weeks in and only 700 miles at the wheel and now i have a 4 grand ornament !! car was taken under a finance deal from a separate company to the dealership . called the finance company today and they seemed to jump on it straight away , i really do not want to deal with this dealership now , i just want this truck gone and my money to date back , how long can this drag out ?? what are my rights on this ,

Allan11 26/10/2017 at 5:31 pm

Hi. I have just bought a brand new car from official Lexus and the engine broke down at 2,200km. The service said it was a factory deffect and not my fault at all. I was windering if I am getting a new car or a new engine? What is the prostocol for this?

ConsumerRightsExpert Editor 06/10/2017 at 2:26 pm

We can't really comment on this without more knowledge of the mileage, and the driving style of the driver etc. You could try getting an independent mechanic to take a look at the vehicle and give an opinion on whether it was substandard etc. It's worth seeking professional advice on the terms of the lease too as this is not standard procedure for a vehicle that suffers a fault unless the owner has not taken sufficient care of the vehicle (under the terms of the lease).

Charlie 04/10/2017 at 3:39 pm

Hi I'm trying to help a friend who has a lease car. Two weeks ago the turbo went on it and blew a hole in the engine.
The car is 4 years old 14 plate seat Ibiza
Seat are not willing to help
They have said that either my friend pays £2100 to finish the lease or they will be charged £7500 for a new engine and the courtesy car taken back
Surely paying £2100 is dead money I'm sure Seat could or should be doing more. It is after all only a 4 year old car

luke 28/09/2017 at 12:13 pm

hi .just bought a car from private ebay seler.on advert said no fault perfect conditions so i have a little test and decide to buy it.one hour later on way back home car overheat..next day i phone some garages and by descripton they estimate repair cost from 2k up to 3k.not sure if i have any rights to give a car back or what to do..please help

ConsumerRightsExpert Editor 04/09/2017 at 9:50 am

Yes go back to the garage and complain. It's worth getting a different mechanic to take a look so you have a second opinion.

MrsB 28/08/2017 at 10:00 am

Not exactly the same as the problems above, but any advice would be greatly appreciated.
2nd hand car purchased last year, everything fine. Until a few months ago a banging sound started when driving.
Took it to a garage. The problem was apparently sorted, but lo and behold the banging noise was still there. The garage also refused to do any work before they put 2 new tyres on!! They also did a full MOT check and service. This was 6 weeks ago. They charged over £400. (A friend was dealing with this as I was out of th country and full bill was paid)
Now 6 weeks on, car was being driven then nothing. Kaput. We've been told that we need a new gear box and clutch. And there was no engine oil when the car was dipped.
It has to be fixed, that's fine. But if the garage did a full check and service, surely they should have spotted issue with gear box (especially as now we know that's whst the banging sound was that they apparently fixed but it never went away) and an issue with the clutch?
Should we go back to garage and complain?
Any advice would be great.

Chatty 05/06/2017 at 12:23 pm

My daughter bought a car in February 2017 from a garage.
The car as been back to garage on 3 occasions for repair as juddering when idle at traffic lights or junctions.
A few things have been repaired on the Seat Ibiza diesel car but after the 3rd repair it as started juddering again, this car hasn't been right since she purchased it from the garage.
The Finance company have now have been very helpful and now the car as been booked into a main Seat garage for a Full Inspection Report ??
Our main concern is that this car Should have been perfect from purchase and
we don't want it breaking down whilst our daughter is driving about during her busy work schedule.
WHERE does her Consumer Rights Stand ??
Thankyou

Vakil 13/04/2017 at 10:25 pm

Hello I bought Vw golf mk6 2012 from a Honda Dealer on 6th of March 2017 and after 1 month and 6 days car got EGR fault. Which will cost £1350 for repair. I also bought 12 months warranty for the car which I was told that it was straight from Volkswagen but it was in fact from RAC. RAC offered only some of repairs cost which leaves me with over £700 out of pocket. Upon calling Honda dealer about warranty they said they won't never say that it's from Volkswagen and refuse accept car back just because it's 6 days over 1 months. Please help me with this. I would really appreciate it.

Trigger 18/01/2017 at 5:16 pm

I brought a brand new yaris in July 2016 with in six months it develop strating problums as it would not see the key code
IN garage for a week.

Its now back in due due to electic problums needs a new part thats got to come from Japan do will be again of the run for a month.Spoken to CR toyota no joy

What can do next

Liam 11/01/2017 at 6:04 pm

I bought a vauxhall vectra on Sunday night everything seemed fine with the car and it drove ok on the test drive however 15 miles later the car lost all power and wouldn't turn back on. I've taken it to two separate garages for diagnostics and they've both came back with the same results. There's no compression from cylinder four and the timing chains slipped. They've both also said it would be a lot cheaper to just replace the engine than it would be to strip the engine down. I've contacted the dealership explaining the problem and his said that im not entitled to any refund or repairs and the car was in working order when i purchased it. Do I have any rights to a refund or not as I've only drove the car 15 miles and the engine has gone?

Brooke 05/01/2017 at 5:58 pm

Hi, I brought an Audi A3 15 days ago. The gearbox has packed in.aparently it exploded? What can I do?

Bp 23/12/2016 at 11:58 pm

I bought a car from a dealer in June and after 2 and half months the power steering died. We contacted the garage and they said they would mend it if we got it to them (hours drive). So we hired a trailer and towed it over loads of hassle loads of cost. They mended it and we picked it up...more hassle more cost. 2 months later the same thing happened but they collected it and mended it and gave me a loan car. I had to pick it up repaired today. Now I have it at home on my drive and it's died again!!! It cost me £6000 and has 70k on the clock. I love driving it but right now I think I ought to ask for a refund and buy something else as it's gone badly wrong 3 times in 5 and a half months...where do I stand?

LW 29/11/2016 at 7:42 pm

I would like to enquire about gaining some advice in regards to a car
rejection. I purchased a Citreon C3 on the 12/7/2016 from a trade
dealer. Since then I have had a number of issues with the car.

Firstly, i had an issue with the breaks. They were squeaking within 2
weeks of purchasing the car - i returned it to the dealer who said
they would take a look. It was found that the break pads needed
replacing - they carried this out for me free of charge and deemed it
as an unfortunate issue.

After this, i had issues with my lights and a service fault flashing
on the screen saying "INFO GEARBOX FAULTY". I again took this back to
the dealer. They said it may be a one off issue and to leave it for
now. It carried on a few times on the odd occasion, and so returned to
the dealer. They plugged the car to one of their machines and
apparently cleared down the codes (as it is an automatic car) and that
this should resolve the issues. This has not happened.

In fact, the service fault has become much worse. Nearly every time i
now drive the car it will jolt (as if to stall like a manual) and then
the service light will flash on, the gearbox faulty note will flash
and the gear will not change. I then have to pull over, turn the car
off and start it again for it to work properly. This is now becoming
worrying, as it did it at a high speed on the motorway.

On top of these issues, there is an issue with the exhaust. My partner
noticed that the exhaust of the car had dropped out of place quite a
bit. I took the car to a local garage for them to take a quick look at
it. Once they had it up, they noticed that the bracket holding the
exhaust pipe in place is completely rotten and rusted away and falling
apart completely. Hence why the exhaust had dropped. On top of this
they informed me that the seal connecting the pipe to the exhaust back
box has been welded together in a "bodge job". Instead of being
clamped and sealed correctly someone has just welded it shut as best
they can. They told me that seeing as i had the car for only a short
period of time, it should not have been sold in this state.

With this information, I returned to the dealer the day after to let
them know what i had learnt. They firstly refused to take a look at it
and informed to ring the AA warranty, that i took out when i purchased
the car, and that i needed to consider the exhaust is a wear and tear
item.

Before returning to the garage i rang the AA and they have no record
of the vehicle inspection that was carried out on my car before
purchase. I rang a number of different departments at the AA and no
one could find my reference, I was informed then by the AA, that the
dealer hired someone who is trained by the AA to carry out these
inspections.

Therefore i took the car to the dealer once again, and informed them
of the information that the AA had given me. Soon enough they were
happy to look at the exhaust of the car. They agreed th

Al 03/11/2016 at 10:10 pm

The turbo went in my car, bought second hand from a dealer 2 months ago. He's accepted that he's liable to pay for the cost of repairs but is asking me to somehow get it to his garage an hour's drive away. It's currently at my local garage where I had RAC recover it to, and it's not driveable.

Does he have the right to specify the work must be at a garage of his choice. If so, who should be paying to get it to his garage?

It's a 4x4 so too heavy for a small vehicle transporter so transport costs are going to be substantial.

Cara 01/11/2016 at 2:09 pm

I bought a car three days a go from a private seller and this morning the engine went whilst I was driving to work. The seller went on and on about how great condition the car was before I bought it and even put a new MOT on it the day before I bought it. The MOT passed and had no advisories. The recovery mechanic told me today that the engine has been taken apart and put back together very recently. I've contacted the seller who is also a mechanic and is denying that he had any idea that there was a major problem with the engine. What are my rights? I've been told by the recovery mechanic for a new engine (2nd hand one) will cost £350 plus labour fees but the worth of the car right now is only £50 and I bought the car for £900

Imadani 17/09/2016 at 9:49 pm

Hi I have bought used car from individual ,I have paid cash and after 2 days car broke down and after diagnostic test from dealer turbo failure and need replace injectors and spare parts and new turbo cost total £ 1900,I have contacted previous owner ,refused to give money back or pay service from garage

Chelle 14/09/2016 at 9:49 am

I bought a second hand car from a large dealership, the car had been serviced and had a full years mot, 25 days later the car burst into flames whilst I was driving on the motorway, the car was completely burnt out and beyond repair. My insurance company found an electrical fault caused the fire. The garage has refused to speak with me they have ignored all phone calls and emails, is there anything I can do???

Florian 06/08/2016 at 1:45 pm

I bought a car few months 5 months ago from a car dealer , after few weeks I had to take it back because it had issues with the dpf/dps. And after few weeks later I had a trip to Europe planned and the car broke down everything had to be changed ( exhaust ,turbo , water pompe, radiator) because engine oil was infiltrating everywhere and damaged everything , which costs around 5000 euros . Now what can I do to get my money back

ConsumerRightsExpert Editor 11/07/2016 at 2:30 pm

If the information/description is incorrect...especially something specific like the number of owners, you can ask to return the car for a refund. You may have to do this via the courts, if the seller disagrees.

kowalski99 09/07/2016 at 2:18 pm

I bought a car last weekend from an individual. The car was an Ebay classified, described as excellent. I paid £3000 for the car and on the way home the engine blew up. The recovery costs and engine repair have totaled £1300.

Is there anything I can do? I paid a £300 cash payment through paypal (no fees). The advert states 'rebuilt by myself' and states 'car in fantastic condition'. The advert also states ' 2 owner car' but on return of the logbook I am the 4th owner.

Any suggestions?

ConsumerRightsExpert Editor 18/05/2016 at 12:25 pm

Assuming this is a used car and the car was sold as in excellent working order etc and as it is still within 30 days from purchase, you should be able to reject it and ask for a refund. Please see our guide to:Buying a Used Car: Your Rights If it's a new car, read this guide

Smee 16/05/2016 at 12:05 pm

purchased a Mini One 05/05/16. First day back from work - after half hour car would cut out everytime came to a stop. I contacted dealer who had a look next day - he couldn't find any faults etc ... Next day same again. Dropped it back and they have had it since Thursday now. At what point can I ask for a refund.? this problem is intermittent - he really doesnt know what it is and I can see this going on for a while - meantime I have no transport and am paying tax and insurance etc for a car I cannot use?

Wofs 21/02/2016 at 10:16 am

I bought a car for my daughter from a dealer. It broke down on the motorway on the way home and was undrivable. We paid £360 to be towed off the motorway and back to the dealer.( He had shut for the night )We have been given our money back for the car, but we are still out of pocket by the £360. Should he pay? Or is it our bad luck.

nohype 12/11/2015 at 1:06 pm

Hi
I bought a vauxhall zafira 1.9 4 months ago, last week it broke down, have had it in garage and been quoted over £2000 as cylinders have gone nearly as much as paid for car. Have contacted the dealer who is not interested. do I have any rights?

Thanks

ConsumerRightsExpert Editor 04/11/2015 at 12:19 pm

How many miles have you done since you purchased the vehicle? If you have not done more miles than the recommended service interval then you should go back to the dealer and ask them to verify when the oil and filter were changed and to tell you the make/model of filter used and the type of oil. You should then be able to assess whether they sold you the vehicle with false information. If you have done more miles since you bought it than the recommended service interval (12,500 miles) then it may be more difficult to take action.

Matt 03/11/2015 at 10:25 am

I bought an L200 10 months ago from a local dealer it had only had
Done 28k miles and the dealer confirmed that the engine had been fully services by themselves,
10 months on the engine has blown and an independent garage has confirmed that it was due to the engine oil not being changed for well over 20k miles causing the oil to go lumpy which starved the engine of oil, also they removed the original oil filter which was blocked solid. I am having to buy a new engine for a 4 year old car, do I have any rights to challenge the dealer to pay for the work to be carrid out. I only had a 3 month warranty.

duke90 15/08/2015 at 8:00 am

juat bought a car from a trader few days ago thats blowing lots of smoke out .been on to the trader who said thet will fix it .i told them to come for the car as it is not fit to drive with the amount of smoke it was blowing out they have told me it is my responsability to get it back to them not theres is this correct.

ConsumerRightsExpert Editor 29/07/2015 at 11:24 am

@Disgusted. You sound like your in the USA. We only cover UK regs really on this site. If you lived here, you would take it back to the dealer for a repair or partial refund.

Disgusted 27/07/2015 at 11:01 pm

Bought a brand new 2015 Chrysler 200 S 3 months ago. It stops running and just quits - happened on a road and on the interstate - yikes!!! I financed it thru the dealer and had a trade worth about $6000. It's been in the shop now twice in one week - thinking it was the transmission. I am afraid to drive it again and quite frankly I do not want it - don't trust it. What can I do??? What are my rights???

poykz 27/07/2015 at 5:09 pm

Hi I brought a focus on 09 plate with 75,000 miles 3 months ago on finance, while i was driving home after just 3 weeks of having it, it went into limp mode so I got it home and hoped that it would sort itself out by the morning. Morning come started it up and it was fine 9 weeks on and it has done the same thing but it seems more serious this time so I've put it in the garage they had to call a diagnostics person out they put it on a code reader and it came up with no codes where do I stand on taking it to dealer for the cost of the repair or trade for another car? Please help

TEX 13/07/2015 at 10:30 pm

Just bought a vehicle from a car lot a week ago and we are already having trouble with the vehicle. Can I take the vehicle back and get my down payment?

ConsumerRightsExpert Editor 24/06/2015 at 10:01 am

@Roysmith99. You could try and get an independent report from an alternative garage. Unfortunately the dealer will not give you a replacement or partial refund if they cannot establish that anything is wrong with the vehicle. If the problem recurs take it straight back into the dealer and ask them exactly what they've looked at.

roysmith99 19/06/2015 at 8:15 am

hi there, Our company bought a Toyota RAV4 using a PCP on 2nd March 15. It was a direct replacement for an identical model. From the start I knew the gearbox and or clutch were not feeling as smooth as the previous car, which was one year old and had 6500 miles when sold. The car came from a. Main dealer and financed via Toyota Finacial services arranged by the dealer.

In April I reported general clutch vibration throughout the driving range. The dealer took the car in, road tested it and said all was ok, maybe it was that I was not used to a diesel with this type of clutch - this was the identical model to the previous car.

On 5th June whilst travelling o the airport for a holiday, I was unable to change from third to second gear - the gear lever woud. Not move across to the left side of the gate. The car stalled and I lost power steering on a tight left hand bend. Had I not already started to turn I believe we would have at least left the road and at worst been involobe din a serious accident. After quickly restarting the car and getting power steering back I could get 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th. I continued to the airport which was only. A few more miles, riding the clutch in third gear, after about 10 miles I felt something snap or break and the gear leaver did move roughly across the gate into 2nd. When I got to the airport and turned the car off, all gear could be selected when the clutch was depressed. A local dealer tried to arrange Toyota's AA recovery for me. When the AA arrived they simply road tested the car and said it was ok and had no problems. So the car was not recovered and left in the airport car park - safely stored by the staff for me.

After my holiday we did drive the car carefully home and all the gears worked but felt very rough and notchy - two drivers drove the car, myself and my son-in-law. On arrival I took the ever to the dealer who kept the car, loaned me another vehicle but said there was nothing wrong with the car after investigating.

I feel the car is dangerous although being aware the potential issues I can drive it carefully for local journeys knowing what to expect if the problem recurs. Do I have any rights to return the car or ask for a replacement? If so how do I proceed please?

Many thanks.

ConsumerRightsExpert Editor 13/02/2015 at 11:24 am

@Bobby. You need to reject it within the first 6 months...was it within that period when you first attempted to reject it? Give the dealer the opportunity to carry out a repair - when the work has been carried out ask for written report detailing what the problem was and how it was remedied. You can then run this by an independent mechanic if you wish. If you're not happy - or the car breaks down again...go back to the dealer.

Bobby 10/02/2015 at 7:26 pm

Want to reject my daughters Mini Cooper bought new in june2014 had problem with car cutting out when moving off and on screen displaying train mode took to a local mini bmw garage to check they returned vehicle same day saying there was a problem but didn't no what it was till mini uk informed them as it was such a new model I asked if car was safe to drive they said yes or mini would have highlighted not safe 4 days pass with no information from garage.4 mornings later my daughter was driving to work when car broke down in middle off road as she was leaving the junction which was on a blind summit my wife was luckily behind her went on road to slow a car heading for her could have been a fatal incident wee took car straight to garage with my daughter quite shaken up and has now no confidence in that car I have told garage I want to reject car but they say they have got three attempts to fix it but my daughter says she doesn't want to drive that car again do I have a right to reject this vehicle or a replacement vehicle

ConsumerRightsExpert Editor 03/11/2014 at 12:48 pm

@Dpeo. Read the terms of the warranty. Have you had the problem assesed by a mechanic? Will any repair cost more than £1000? You need to find out what the problem is, how much the repair will cost etc.

dpeo 02/11/2014 at 10:18 am

Hi there,
My partner had bought a car 2 months ago. Its a 2009 bmw paid £9500.00
Thursday evening she was driving up to work and suddenly the car turned off and now it wont start and seems as though the engine has seized. The car has 40,000 miles and full service history. Where do we stand with company we bought it from? It does have 3 months warranty but it seems they only cover £1000.00 pound of the claim!
Thanks
dpeo

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