Car purchase 9 months ago.. any rights?

tressls

Hello all

Now I nkow... it's been a long time.. I don't hold out much (if any) hope but I wanted to ask...

We traded in a 2005 (55) plate 1.6 petrol Zafira, alloys, excellent condition mechanically and cosmetically... for a 52 plate 2l diesel vectra last July. The reason was that the Zafira was underpowered and eating fuel, and the OH wanted a diesel.

Now.. the car was worth I would guess a minimum of £2500 at trade-in price, but we found what looked to be a good car (the vectra) at £2000.

Now... my OH took his friend along and they took the car for a test drive. All seemed ok, as far as a 5 min test drive can tell you.

They (stupidly) didn't check everything, like heating, as it was a hot day. And a dry day, so washers not checked.

We were going to leave it as the dealer ( a small independant dealer from Mansfield), wouldn't put 6m tax on. Unsurprisingly, he came running after us and agreed to the tax.

Ok.. we signed papers and drove home. Later that day , we reaslied the washers wern't working. We called him, to inform him, but as some mean of a fluke, the washers suddenly squirted as we called him! So we told him.. it was intermittent, but to be honest at a 25mile drive, we thought we would get it checked out in case it was a loose connection. They have barely ever worked since, once in a blue moon they will.

Ok.. a few weeks later (guessing 1-2 wks), we noticed heating doeesn't work. Great! We were in the process of getting married and left it, with a view to checkin it out properly after our minimoon to Cornwall (from Sheffield). Again, it was warm weather, it didn';t matter a great deal at the time.

On the way to Cornwall approx 6wks later, the entire display failed. The car was running but we had no display- no speedo, no fuel guage. We stopped at a services, started again, and seemed ok.

All seemed ok for the duration of the week, and then this happened again as we set off on our 300m journey home. This was about 7 wks after purchase. I called the dealer infuriated (and a little wound up I will admit), as I felt it an unsafe car, no heating, no washers, now intermittently no display. He basically said I'd left it 7 weeks to tell him (I had called on the day we bought it re: the washers).. I explained that he knew about the washers, and that he must have known about the heating had it checked it over (as they claim). He said not. He did agree to have an auto-elec look at it with us paying half the cost, and getting the car to him. We decided against it at the time as we had no money and think he was planning to use a 'pal'.. the tone of his voice on the phone was offputting. So over the following weeks and months since then, the locks failed (it locked, then the locks came straight back up), and other odd electrical things. Then, after a week or two of not firing up first time, it died. We had many a mechanic look at it and it wasn't anything simple. We finally had to pay £100s of pounds for the mechanic to send the ECU on the fuel pump off for reprogamming. Seemed ok after that (still havinn all the other problems), but finally died again 2 weeks ago (right before another holiday to cornwall).. it is not the ECU on the pump this time and the mechanic is trying to figure out what it is.

He said we had 'had our pants pulled down' when the guy sold us it, and boy don't we know it! Of course I know things happen, but this car was never fully right from day 1 and I believe he knew this.

Also, when signing the papers, he put a lower value-don't remember how, whether he put a lower value for the car he sold or higher PX value, or lower PX value.. I really don't remember why, but I am sure it was so it benefitted him somehow as I remember him sniggering and it was if we had done him a favour.

Now.. I know the answer to this I guess but... last year we had a stable family car (and are still paying for it as we had a loan against it).. this year we have nothing. The car is worth scrap value.

Anything we can do?

bengalknights

Only thing you can do is scrap as after 9 months there isnt really any comeback against it.

Had you returned it in the first month you could have had a full refund etc.

motorguy

bengalknights wrote: »

Only thing you can do is scrap as after 9 months there isnt really any comeback against it.

Had you returned it in the first month you could have had a full refund etc.

You would struggle to get a full refund much after the first week, as up until then it is deemed under SOGA that you havent 'accepted' the car.

motorguy

tressls wrote: »

Hello all

Now I nkow... it's been a long time.. I don't hold out much (if any) hope but I wanted to ask...

We traded in a 2005 (55) plate 1.6 petrol Zafira, alloys, excellent condition mechanically and cosmetically... for a 52 plate 2l diesel vectra last July. The reason was that the Zafira was underpowered and eating fuel, and the OH wanted a diesel.

Now.. the car was worth I would guess a minimum of £2500 at trade-in price, but we found what looked to be a good car (the vectra) at £2000.

Now... my OH took his friend along and they took the car for a test drive. All seemed ok, as far as a 5 min test drive can tell you.

They (stupidly) didn't check everything, like heating, as it was a hot day. And a dry day, so washers not checked.

We were going to leave it as the dealer ( a small independant dealer from Mansfield), wouldn't put 6m tax on. Unsurprisingly, he came running after us and agreed to the tax.

Ok.. we signed papers and drove home. Later that day , we reaslied the washers wern't working. We called him, to inform him, but as some mean of a fluke, the washers suddenly squirted as we called him! So we told him.. it was intermittent, but to be honest at a 25mile drive, we thought we would get it checked out in case it was a loose connection. They have barely ever worked since, once in a blue moon they will.

Ok.. a few weeks later (guessing 1-2 wks), we noticed heating doeesn't work. Great! We were in the process of getting married and left it, with a view to checkin it out properly after our minimoon to Cornwall (from Sheffield). Again, it was warm weather, it didn';t matter a great deal at the time.

On the way to Cornwall approx 6wks later, the entire display failed. The car was running but we had no display- no speedo, no fuel guage. We stopped at a services, started again, and seemed ok.

All seemed ok for the duration of the week, and then this happened again as we set off on our 300m journey home. This was about 7 wks after purchase. I called the dealer infuriated (and a little wound up I will admit), as I felt it an unsafe car, no heating, no washers, now intermittently no display. He basically said I'd left it 7 weeks to tell him (I had called on the day we bought it re: the washers).. I explained that he knew about the washers, and that he must have known about the heating had it checked it over (as they claim). He said not. He did agree to have an auto-elec look at it with us paying half the cost, and getting the car to him. We decided against it at the time as we had no money and think he was planning to use a 'pal'.. the tone of his voice on the phone was offputting.

So the dealer offered to help but you declined?

tressls wrote: »

So over the following weeks and months since then, the locks failed (it locked, then the locks came straight back up), and other odd electrical things. Then, after a week or two of not firing up first time, it died. We had many a mechanic look at it and it wasn't anything simple. We finally had to pay £100s of pounds for the mechanic to send the ECU on the fuel pump off for reprogamming. Seemed ok after that (still havinn all the other problems), but finally died again 2 weeks ago (right before another holiday to cornwall).. it is not the ECU on the pump this time and the mechanic is trying to figure out what it is.

Fuel pump problems are relatively common on vauxhalls of this age. I've an 02 Zafira 2.0DTI thats been off the road for over a month now trying to get it running right.

Unfortunately these things do happen with older diesel cars.

tressls wrote: »

He said we had 'had our pants pulled down' when the guy sold us it, and boy don't we know it! Of course I know things happen, but this car was never fully right from day 1 and I believe he knew this.

Mechanics just love winding situations up and i dont think telling you you 'had your pants pulled down' is helping anyone. Vectras of this era are particularly bad for electrical problems and suspension clunks. And as i've said they're known for pump problems too.

tressls wrote: »

Also, when signing the papers, he put a lower value-don't remember how, whether he put a lower value for the car he sold or higher PX value, or lower PX value.. I really don't remember why, but I am sure it was so it benefitted him somehow as I remember him sniggering and it was if we had done him a favour.

By lowering the invoice price he is showing less profit, and therefore will pay less VAT as he pays VAT on his profit. A neat little side effect of that is that if he ever had to give you your money back, the invoice figure is the one he would have to give you. Its quite common among dealers to do this, though i dont think the vat man would be terribly impressed.

tressls wrote: »

Now.. I know the answer to this I guess but... last year we had a stable family car (and are still paying for it as we had a loan against it).. this year we have nothing. The car is worth scrap value.

Anything we can do?

Ultimately you should have pushed harder when problems arose to get the dealer to resolve them. Also, when he did offer to help, you declined. This wouldnt have helped your case had you tried to enforce your rights under the SOGA.

After 9 months you'd have a massive uphill struggle to get the car repaired by the dealer or your money back. Theoretically its possible but very very unlikely.

Diesel Vectras of this year (and 03) are bad cars. Hateful things.

All i can say is perservere with getting it repaired then get rid of it.

missile

I would agree, a dreadful car, get rid soon as you can

tressls

Hey guys thanks for all of that- as I thought really.

Yes he offered help and we declined, but the tone and terms in which he offered it.. well... I guess you had to be on the other end of that phone


Gutted to say the least... but hey!

Although I do agree with the mechanic (who is a friend.. well he is now, he never sees the back of us as my car timing belt went on the M1 Friday as now as useless as the Vectra!)..

Biggest mistake ever... well, aside from getting rid of his diesel corsa for the zafira in the first place! That was a great car

Thanks guys.

custardy

tressls wrote: »

Hey guys thanks for all of that- as I thought really.

Yes he offered help and we declined, but the tone and terms in which he offered it.. well... I guess you had to be on the other end of that phone


Gutted to say the least... but hey!

Although I do agree with the mechanic (who is a friend.. well he is now, he never sees the back of us as my car timing belt went on the M1 Friday as now as useless as the Vectra!)..

Biggest mistake ever... well, aside from getting rid of his diesel corsa for the zafira in the first place! That was a great car

Thanks guys.

bear in mind this is a 10 year old car.
an old diesal of that era(they replaced them with better CDTI engines) is a cert for pump/injector issues
all the other stuff can be faults expected on older cars
Its not a trade I would have made TBH

forgotmyname

£2000 for a 2002 car 9 months ago? I paid just over £2000 for a 2004 mondeo diesel estate with the 6 speed box in 2009....

Sounds like you have a lemon and should chop it in for something else.

These things happen, But if you find faults with a car from a dealer to have to give them the chance to repair it.

So best to buy locally.