Car purchased at auction, almost set alight!

citroen17

Looking for some advice from you fabulous people. I will try and keep it short.

I bought a car at auction about a month ago. It was sold as seen, which was fine and I had a mechanic look at it for me before I bought it. All seemed fine. On the way home we started to notice a buring smell. Took the car into the garage and it has a major oil leek and they have been trying to get the bottom of it for over a fortnight now.

Anyway, the short version is that I was driving it along the motorway when smoke started pouring out of it, so much so that other drivers were beeping their horns. Pulled over onto the hard shoulder, grabbed my sleeping kids out of the back. The AA said that we were about 30 seconds from combusting!
I am absolutely traumatised by the whole experience, but need to know what my rights are. I know it was sold as seen, but does this extend to death traps?
I wouldn't even want to resell it, for fear of it happening to someone else.

What rights do I have?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Rolandtheroadie

None that I can see I'm afraid. You bought the car.
A mechanic never noticed it was a "death trap", a garage couldnt find/sort the oil leak and you continued to drive the car regardless. I assume it was oil dripping onto the exhaust?
You've obviously had a shock and are looking for someone to blame, but IMHO you need to chalk it up to experience.

andygb

citroen17 wrote: »

Looking for some advice from you fabulous people. I will try and keep it short.

I bought a car at auction about a month ago. It was sold as seen, which was fine and I had a mechanic look at it for me before I bought it. All seemed fine. On the way home we started to notice a buring smell. Took the car into the garage and it has a major oil leek and they have been trying to get the bottom of it for over a fortnight now.

Anyway, the short version is that I was driving it along the motorway when smoke started pouring out of it, so much so that other drivers were beeping their horns. Pulled over onto the hard shoulder, grabbed my sleeping kids out of the back. The AA said that we were about 30 seconds from combusting!
I am absolutely traumatised by the whole experience, but need to know what my rights are. I know it was sold as seen, but does this extend to death traps?
I wouldn't even want to resell it, for fear of it happening to someone else.

What rights do I have?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

If a car has a major oil leak, then any half competent mechanic should be able to find it.
All you need to do, is to spray the underside of the vehicle with some heavy duty degreaser, wait for ten minutes, then jet wash thoroughly. The majority of the grime oil should be washed away. You can then raise the car, start the engine, and if there is a bad leak, then you will be able to see where the oil is coming from.
The fact that you drove the car knowing that it had a bad oil leak was not very responsible, particularly as you took children in the car.

citroen17

scotsman4th wrote: »

None that I can see I'm afraid. You bought the car.
A mechanic never noticed it was a "death trap", a garage couldnt find/sort the oil leak and you continued to drive the car regardless. I assume it was oil dripping onto the exhaust?
You've obviously had a shock and are looking for someone to blame, but IMHO you need to chalk it up to experience.

Oil was spraying up under the bonnet and onto the electrics.

Had I been aware that this situation could potentially happen I never would have driven it. It seems that the auctioneers were fully aware, but chose not to disclose it.

To be honest a fright is an understatement. Thank God for the AA! I am just trying to determine if there is any liability here with regard to safety etc.

davetrousers

citroen17 wrote: »

I am just trying to determine if there is any liability here with regard to safety etc.

Surely the liability would be with you the driver.

hartcjhart

sold as seen at an auction means exactly that no warranty given or implied,read the auctions T&Cs,

so sorry no chance of any re-compense

benham3160

hartcjhart wrote: »

sold as seen at an auction means exactly that no warranty given or implied,read the auctions T&Cs,

so sorry no chance of any re-compense

Auction sales, it's assumed a) No warrenty is implied or infered with the car b) You should have a fair amount of car knowledge, c) The car could be in "any" state, it that is assured it can be driven into, and out of the auction room.

Some of the old "crap" I've thrown in to auctions, bent up cars, cars with massive faults etc, I'd never buy from one lol

Regards,
Andy

neilmcl

citroen17 wrote: »

It seems that the auctioneers were fully aware, but chose not to disclose it.

And you have proof of this do you?

benham3160

neilmcl wrote: »

And you have proof of this do you?

They're not expected to. They claim it "starts and runs" which it did, end of really.

That's why you look around the cars before the start of the auction! Let me guess, not many were bidding on the car you bought?

Regards,
Andy

hartcjhart

benham3160 wrote: »

Auction sales, it's assumed a) No warrenty is implied or infered with the car b) You should have a fair amount of car knowledge, c) The car could be in "any" state, it that is assured it can be driven into, and out of the auction room.

Some of the old "crap" I've thrown in to auctions, bent up cars, cars with massive faults etc, I'd never buy from one lol

Regards,
Andy

spot on,whenever you take a pig as part ex the best way is the auction,pay the ring driver a fiver not to rev it too high etc:rotfl::rotfl:

OP how much did you pay for the car

benham3160

hartcjhart wrote: »

spot on,whenever you take a pig as part ex the best way is the auction,pay the ring driver a fiver not to rev it too high etc:rotfl::rotfl:

OP how much did you pay for the car

I've dumped many an knackered old Escort into auction, including one that'd been used for flying lessons by the looks of things...... NS of the sat about 2" lower than the OS.

Depends who you're buying from, but if you go on a "Part-ex disposal day" assume everything is "broken" until proven otherwise. Remember if the car was that nice the dealer would have kept it.

Regards,
Andy