Sold a car and now the head gasket has gone

Ivrytwr3

Ah i disagree. If i sold the car and a few days later the chap buying came back saying the HG has blown. I would feel bad, even though at the point of sale the car was ok.

I would discuss options to get it sorted.

If i was the buyer and this happened to me and the car went t!ts up a few days later, i would hope the seller would offer to help out.

I remember my dad selling a car once and something happened to the steering once sold. Guy brought it back and my dad spent the day chatting to this bloke while he had the car up on bricks repairing it.

Once repaired, Dad and guy disappeared to the pub and soon became best mates.

Like i say, no legal obligation. Just someone helping out someone else.

Sorry if i live in a rose tinted World, but if people took an interest in each other instead of trying to sue/claim/rip off/get one over/shirk responsibility, the World could be a different place!

(i should really stay off my meds when posting)

Errata

Ah i disagree. If i sold the car and a few days later the chap buying came back saying the HG has blown. I would feel bad, even though at the point of sale the car was ok.

If I sold my car tonight and the buyer didn't have it inspected or take it for a test drive and the head gasket blew as they were driving it home, that would be tough but not my fault as I know less about cars than I do about the offside rule.

Money_Grabber13579

MORPH3US wrote: »

Where do morals come into it... as far as the OP is concerned (if she is being honest which we must assume she is) then the car was fine when she sold it...

The fact that the new owner is now being told that there is a problem with the car is unfortunate but not the OP's fault.

Where do you draw the line "morally" can the buyer return the car a week down the line, a month down the line, 6 months, a year?

NO. The buyer had the right to fully inspect the car and walk away if they weren't happy. End of story... there is no moral argument.

From my point of view, it's not really about morals, but instead about how you feel if you were in the same suituation as the purchaser of the car. If I had purchased the car, and the head gasket was something I didn't ask about, and it went the next day, I wouldn't be impressed. It's impossible to think of everything when buying a car privately. Maybe private car sales should be banned? (Extreme, yes, but if there's no protection for the buyer, well, something needs to happen)

Ivrytwr3

But perhaps, the buyer has just divorced, partner/husband/dad/dog/cat had just died and she literally had no one to inspect the car. And she NEEDED a car. Her 2 children couldn't get to school, nor her to the supermarket as she lived rural.

So, the seller said, it's mot'd, it's taxed, it's a good runner.

The buyer takes this on trust and spends what little money she has on a lemon.

Yep the buyer got all she deserved. I should have seen that.

mollycat

Ivrytwr3 wrote: »

Ah i disagree. If i sold the car and a few days later the chap buying came back saying the HG has blown. I would feel bad, even though at the point of sale the car was ok.

I would discuss options to get it sorted.

If i was the buyer and this happened to me and the car went t!ts up a few days later, i would hope the seller would offer to help out.

I remember my dad selling a car once and something happened to the steering once sold. Guy brought it back and my dad spent the day chatting to this bloke while he had the car up on bricks repairing it.

Once repaired, Dad and guy disappeared to the pub and soon became best mates.

Like i say, no legal obligation. Just someone helping out someone else.

Sorry if i live in a rose tinted World, but if people took an interest in each other instead of trying to sue/claim/rip off/get one over/shirk responsibility, the World could be a different place!

(i should really stay off my meds when posting)

What you're trying to do here is wrap up you 100% WRONG OPINION in a "lets have a better world" banner.

Here's some news for you"mate"; we all want a better world, and that better world includes helping people by giving them CORRECT advice, GET IT??!!

Loved the story bout the car on bricks though!!:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Ivrytwr3

yep they became best mates and we all went on holidays together. It's just a shame he ran off with my mum and i now have to call the best mate "dad".

Ivrytwr3

(not really).

Oneday77

We have to remember this was a private sale, it had 100k on the clock and was a banger. Yes cars can rack up high mileages these days, they still go wrong.
If the seller had used the old tricks of changing the oil just before a visit, warmed the car up before viewing, put an egg white in the cooling system, a little sawdust in the gearbox oil and so on to cover up an issue then yes she should pay up for being evil, twisted and misleading.
Oh wait a second she didn't. She sold a car that she stated had a lot of work done, used water and said it was a good runner. A good runner means it starts, drives well with no large clunks and does a decent mileage. Using water can be many different things but water is next to free to top up, not like having an oil spill under the car every night or getting 10gallons to the mile.
Before IVRYTWR3 gives another double barrel response. It is an even playing field and only one person did any prep. The seller had it MOT'd prior to sale, giving the opportunity for road worthiness to be addressed. If you read the small print on an MOT it states that it cannot be used for the condition of a vehicle as it only assesses it on the day of inspection. However many people take it as a great sign. The buyer didn't do any research prior to purchase ie test drive, look for common things to look and ask for, take a friend/work mate/mechanic. In an ideal world all things would come with warranties and have come back. That is why shops/traders/businesses exist, to make profit. The OP is out of a job, needed cash and sold her car. No mention of profiting there, maybe just a case of trying to have some cash to eat over christmas and buy some pressies.

Rolandtheroadie

Ivrytwr3 wrote: »

But perhaps, the buyer has just divorced, partner/husband/dad/dog/cat had just died and she literally had no one to inspect the car. And she NEEDED a car. Her 2 children couldn't get to school, nor her to the supermarket as she lived rural.

So, the seller said, it's mot'd, it's taxed, it's a good runner.

The buyer takes this on trust and spends what little money she has on a lemon.

Yep the buyer got all she deserved. I should have seen that.

Ahhh, children, thats you lost. ANYONE who mention children on these forums have ran out of ideas.

Rural children get a bus to school, supermarkets deliver. Simples.

MOT and tax mean nothing. A car can run with the head gasket gone ( It had happened ages ago according to the mechanic).

If the buyer didnt know the head gasket had gone, is it not concieveable the seller didnt either?

Does the AA and RAC not inspect a car if you have suffered a berevement?

Ivrytwr3

scotsman4th wrote: »

Ahhh, children, thats you lost. ANYONE who mention children on these forums have ran out of ideas.

just one suggestion out of many possible scenarios.

Rural children get a bus to school, supermarkets deliver. Simples.

just one suggestion out of many possible scenarios.

MOT and tax mean nothing. A car can run with the head gasket gone ( It had happened ages ago according to the mechanic).

just one suggestion out of many possible scenarios.

If the buyer didnt know the head gasket had gone, is it not concieveable the seller didnt either?

Not disputing that - just suggested that perhaps people could be more helpful instead of shrugging it off - ie "not my problem".

Does the AA and RAC not inspect a car if you have suffered a berevement?

Wasn't aware of this, maybe buyer wasn't either.

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