Help - Tyre issues with used car - private purchase

abd08

Is it worth getting your knickers in a twist over a tyre that you chose to drive on knowing it had a screw in and needed replacing anyway?

The car with the screw in the central part of the tread of the tyre IS still roadworthy as it uses run-flats, which can be repaired as long as the damage is in the central 3/4 of the tread (which it is). However, the existing 2 illegal repairs make the tyre useless.

The seller is not expected to be an expert in tyre repair. (unless that is his business). So how is he to know whether a previous repair is legal or not?

Completely agree - unfortunately, the way the law works is that I would pursue the seller, who in turn would pursue the garage that sold him "new" tyres.

In this case the seller did point out that the tyre was unroadworthy, but not the full extent of the damage, but also was obviously happy for the OP to drive away regardless.

So they, as well as the OP, did commit an offence (respectively, selling knowing it would be driven / driving it) but possibly not one that could invalidate the sale seeing as enough of the fault was mentioned for the OP to know there was a problem with that tyre.

Please see the first point above.

You would need to prove the owner knew the repairs were substandard.

Now that is a key question. I doubt very much this is the case, as it would be like purchasing a fake watch, where the owner didn't know it was fake.

This still leaves me with a car with 3 other potentially dodgy "new" tyres which need to be checked out, and potentially replaced depending on if/how they've been repaired (if at all).

Again, to be clear, am happy with LEGAL repaired tyres, and accept that as part of buying a used car.

Apples2

Leave the seller alone, he told you it needed repairing, no doubt you used that as a bargaining tool to knock a few quid off.

Next time go to a Main Dealer, you will have a "comprehensive warranty" but surprise surprise, you will pay dearly for it on the car purchase.

Sounds like you bought a car as cheap as possible, but now look toward a complete aftersales & warranty service.

It's only a tyre, get a new one.

neilmcl

OP, even if the previous repairs had been good you would still be advised to replace the tyre. I wouldn't recommend a single repair on a runflat but potentially 3 is a no-no. Get the tyre replaced.

neilmcl

abd08 wrote: »

This still leaves me with a car with 3 other potentially dodgy "new" tyres which need to be checked out, and potentially replaced depending on if/how they've been repaired (if at all).

That was question you needed to ask before you bought the car. Also, what "specialist" garages are required? Most tyre places these days deal with runflats.

motorguy

abd08 wrote: »

the way the law works is that I would pursue the seller, who in turn would pursue the garage that sold him "new" tyres.

Again, to be clear, am happy with LEGAL repaired tyres, and accept that as part of buying a used car.

You didnt take this car to KwikFit did you? Sounds like somebody is keen to get as much money as possible out of you.

Look, to be safe, i'd fit a new tyre to the car. If you really want to be anal and take all the tyres off to have a look then thats your pigeon. While your at it, why not get a full engine strip down done just to check the inside of the engine out.

If the tyres are all the same brand OR the same brand across each axle, then its extremely likely that they were bought new as the odds of any tyre dealer having 2 or 4 'as new' (badly) repaired tyres of exactly the same brand in that they would be willing to risk their reputation on by passing off as new would be very slim.

Also, you will exert much more than the price of a tyre both in stress levels and in financial outlay chasing a private seller to court for him to say he told you the tyre was risky anyway.

If you bought the car privately, then chances are you bought it significantly cheaper than off a main dealer forecourt, AND chances are you negotiated on the price with the seller anyway, which i'm sure would cover the price of the tyre.

If you want a perfect car with components that are guaranteed perfect and that someone will warrant their condition for you, then i suggest you buy new. Failing that, either stick a new tyre on the car and enjoy your new car OR wrap yourself in cotton wool and stay in a dark room.

Ultrasonic

Did you test drive the car with the screw in the tyre??? I'm impressed anyone managed to sell a car with a tyre in that state...

cootuk

When I buy a used car, I budget for replacing the tyres asap as you can't tell how abused they are.
You knew that tyre really needed replacing so should have got that price knocked off.
As for the others, caveat emptor.

If you don't have funds to replace four tyres, then do you have money to run a car, or is it bangernomics of buy it, run it for a year with no repairs, then dump it?

Apples2

If it is run flats, there is a good chance it is a BMW.
There are lots of reasons people get rid of BMWs quickly.

Joe_Horner

abd08 wrote: »

The car with the screw in the central part of the tread of the tyre IS still roadworthy as it uses run-flats, which can be repaired as long as the damage is in the central 3/4 of the tread (which it is). However, the existing 2 illegal repairs make the tyre useless.

No, at the point you drove it away the tyre was not roadworthy in a strict sense as a result of the screw. Regulation 27(h) of the Rad Vehicle (Construction and Use) Regulations makes it unlawful to drive on the road with a tyre that

[...] has a defect which might in any way cause damage to the surface of the road or damage to persons on or in the vehicle or to other persons using the road.

A screw in a tyre gives a high risk of sudden deflation which might cause any of the things in that paragraph. Because it was a run-flat, had you removed the screw and allowed it to deflate, then driven in accordance with the makers instructions regarding speed and distance then it would have been roadworthy, but it wasn't when you collected it and drove away.

Without the other repairs it may well have been possible to make it roadworthy again, but it wasn't at that time.


Incidentally, the law doesn't reallycare whether you're an expert on tyres or not, it's the driver's responsibility to ensure the car is legal every time they drive it. The fact that they've trusted "an expert" may mitigate things somewhat if there's a problem but it doesn't absolve them of that legal responsibility.

abd08

Thanks for all the replies (sarcastic ones included! ) - some specifics below:

Leave the seller alone, he told you it needed repairing, no doubt you used that as a bargaining tool to knock a few quid off.

A price was agreed subject to the car passing a health check at a local official dealer. At this point, the screw was pointed out by the dealer, and I did NOT renegotiate on the price. That's perhaps my mistake, but need to make it clear I'm not a greedy sod here. Maybe an ignorant one. Then again, this is moneysavingexpert, so your assumption is perhaps understandable.

It's only a tyre, get a new one.

For the single tyre, agreed. Not worth the hassle. My concern is the other tyres, which I need to get checked out. The seller says he had a new set put on 6 months ago. The fronts and backs are different brands. I'll get it checked out though and go from there.

OP, even if the previous repairs had been good you would still be advised to replace the tyre. I wouldn't recommend a single repair on a runflat but potentially 3 is a no-no. Get the tyre replaced.

Now this makes things super clear in my mind. You're 100% right - even if there were 2 "good" repairs, I'd never add a 3rd on, so in that sense, no harm no foul. This is something I could have asked the seller.

Look, to be safe, i'd fit a new tyre to the car. If you really want to be anal and take all the tyres off to have a look then thats your pigeon. While your at it, why not get a full engine strip down done just to check the inside of the engine out.

I'm sure you had your thinking hat on when you wrote that mate. Imagine your wife and baby/kid experiencing a run-flat tyre failure due to an illegal repair at speed. I'd be an idi*t to not take the other tyres off and check them now given what I know. The seller texted me he had a new set of tyres put on 6 months ago (I texted him from the tyre shop asking if he'd had any repairs done after the sale).

Of course, if any of the other 3 tyres have illegal repairs on them too, then I think the original point of being not roadworthy applies, and I would take this up. Legal repairs, no problem. I'd want to help the seller get the !!!!!!s who sold him the "new" set of tyres as well.