Rights when rejecting a used car?

ozzy-doodle

Hello everyone, first post here, so please go easy on me!

Last wednesday we purchased a used Renault from an independant garage. We drove it the 25 miles home, and did a few short journeys on Thursday and Friday - with no warning on Friday night, the car started missing badly and the engine management light came on.

I called the garage on Saturday to discuss what they were willing to do, and we agreed to try chaging the coil packs as these go commonly on Renaults - alas I did this and the problem didnt go, infact it got worse! When I took the coil pack out of cylinder no.1 I noticed a creamy white gunk at the bottom of the pot - I know from experience this is not good, and probably a head gasket problem!

I called the garage and told them exactly what I found, after a heated discussion I was told by the garage that my options were to either 1. get the car to them for their mechanics to look at 2. fix it at my cost.

I dont feel safe getting the car to them as it is 25 miles away, which either means travelling on the M6 & M5, or going through through some majorly built up urban areas!

I really want to reject the car and get my money back - does anyone have any experience of doing this, or any tips?

Any help will be greatly appreciated

deanos

If you bought something faulty from a shop you would have to take it back yourself, im sure the same principal applies ?

ozzy-doodle

Sorry, my thread was badly worded - I know I'll have to get it back to the garage, I guess my question was, has anyone around here ever rejected a car and got a refund?

I have litteraly just spoken to the garage, and he says to call back in the morning when his 'colleague' is available and they will decide if they are willing to give me a refund!

forgotmyname

You canget a refund, But you have not given them the chance to fix it yet.

Puzzled as to how you took the coil pack out of the cylinder? Do you mean sparkplug?

Did you change the sparkplug or the coil pack?


Be calm and polite when you talk to them, Going in with your mouth working before your brain
is likely to get you nowhere.

deanos

What's the odds on them saying you have messed with the car and damaged it ?

Good luck OP, but don't touch the car again

Lubo27

I have been successful in returning a car & getting my money back.

I bought a clio a couple of years ago from a Renault dealer & the day after I bought it a warning light came on & the car started to judder. I took it back & they said nothing wrong with car & reset light. A couple of days later the car lost power on motorway & said light came on.

At that point I asked for my money back & I was told no. I had researched the problem so had printed off information about this warning light & also I quoted some Consumer Act (can't quite remember).

I was told that I could replace with another model & i stood my ground & refused all cars that dealer offered. They finally said that I could have my money back. All in all it was a month before I got my money back.

Look at which.co.uk second hand car buying guide as that has useful advice.

ozzy-doodle

Thanks all for your words of encouragment, on a technical note, I only attempted to fix it after speaking to the garage first.

On an even deeper technical note, on the Megane Scenic engine, each individual spark plug has a coil pack attached directly to it, and no HT leads, so when I say I took the coil pack out of the cylinder, I mean I extricated the coil pack from the hole which the spark plug goes down! This is new to me, I've spent my life around Fords!

I am attempting round three with the garage tomorrow, fingers crossed!