Rejecting a car after it developed a bad odour?

HoagieKat

Hi,

I purchased a used Focus (58 plate) from a main dealer at the end of October 2011, and recently it's started smelling of smoke, neither me or my partner smoke or anyone we know smokes, and we don't let anyone in the car who smokes, so it must have been the previous owner, and the dealership tried to cover it up with some odour eliminator or something. If I'd smelt it when I went to buy it, I would have instantly rejected the car!

The bumper's paint has started peeling, and I just found out it's had a respray on the bonnet and the front bumper.

Is this good grounds for rejecting the car? You just can't get rid of smoke odour from vehicles, and now it's getting sunny it's terrible.

Thanks

harveybobbles

It'd be your word against theres as for the smoke smell. As you'd have to proove that no one has been in your car smoking.

As for the peeling paint. When you collected the car you would have signed to say that you are accepting the car in its current condition.

It may have had a minor repair at some point. As have many cars out there.

HETTY

take it to a good valet-er, they will be able to steam clean the fabric and get the smell out. :-)

HoagieKat

harveybobbles wrote: »

It'd be your word against theres as for the smoke smell. As you'd have to proove that no one has been in your car smoking.

Hard to prove, but the car is only ever used by my wife and myself, neither of us smoke, or know anyone that does.

As for the peeling paint. When you collected the car you would have signed to say that you are accepting the car in its current condition.

It may have had a minor repair at some point. As have many cars out there.

The paint wasn't peeling when I bought it, or had any signs of a bad repair.

HoagieKat

HETTY wrote: »

take it to a good valet-er, they will be able to steam clean the fabric and get the smell out. :-)

It's already been valeted, twice, and I've used autoglym odour eliminator, and it just keeps coming back.

vax2002

Buy a tin of anti-bacterial spray such as detol air freshness, start the engine put the heater blower on full and spray down the inlet, its usually near the wipers.

s_b

Is this good grounds for rejecting the car?

......no......

HoagieKat

vax2002 wrote: »

Buy a tin of anti-bacterial spray such as detol air freshness, start the engine put the heater blower on full and spray down the inlet, its usually near the wipers.

I wondered about using one of those anti-bac aircon cleaner cans?

Strider590

HETTY wrote: »

take it to a good valet-er, they will be able to steam clean the fabric and get the smell out. :-)

It'll be inside the air-con system too, not a lot can be done short of removing and replacing everything. I've known dealers do this and the cost can reach several thousand £.

This is one of the reasons why I get slightly annoyed with people smoking in their cars, it's entirely their own business, but I just know some poor sap will get conned into buying that car one day!!

It will eventually subside to a greater extent, but it could take years :mad:

HoagieKat

Strider590 wrote: »

It'll be inside the air-con system too, not a lot can be done short of removing and replacing everything. I've known dealers do this and the cost can reach several thousand £.

This is one of the reasons why I get slightly annoyed with people smoking in their cars, it's entirely their own business, but I just know some poor sap will get conned into buying that car one day!!

It will eventually subside to a greater extent, but it could take years :mad:

This is the reason I would like to reject it, it's just trying to prove we don't smoke!

pendulum

You bought a second hand car at a second hand price.
The advantage to doing this is the lower price.
The disadvantage is that the car is second hand.

Light repairs to minor damage and a "previous owner smell" are both typical second hand car issues to be expected when buying a used car.

If you want that new car smell and a perfect vehicle, you'll need to buy new.
You can't reject a second hand car for a cigarette smell caused by a previous owner and especially not after this many months have passed.