Bought a car with no cat!

holsbrown

My husband and I bought a second hand car just before Christmas, and we just found out today (through a failed MOT) that the car has no catalytic converter.

As far as I can tell it's not illegal to have no cat, but the car won't pass an MOT without it so it is necessary.

It doesn't seem that its illegal to sell a car with no cat, but is it illegal to fail to mention to us that it had no cat? It would have affected our decision to buy the car which is what makes me think it is at the very least immoral for the garage to omit from telling us it was without the cat.

I'm also concerned that it means our insurance is invalid.

Of course the garage may not have been aware the car was without the cat, but is it their responsibility to check these kind of things before selling the car?

Any advice greatly appreciated!
Thank you

Horizon81

What year is the car? Is it what someone could call a 'boy racer' car?

They're the only sort of people I know who'd remove the cat from a car, for performance gains. They then take it to a mate in the know who can be sure it passes the emissions test.

No idea on the legalities but I doubt you'd get anywhere if you tried to pursue it in court. Nevertheless have you contacted the garage you bought it from? They may be willing to help.

Rodney_Trotter

Why did you buy a car from a garage with only a months mot left?

pogg000

How do you know it has no cat?

has someone removed it to check?

Or has it just failed the MOT?

What readings did it fail on

Foxy-Stoat_3

Needs to be fit for purpose...take it back to the garage to sort out or reject it.

It was probably a part ex, they should of at least checked it out or put it through an MOT.

What car is it, year, maybe it doesn't need a cat and it has other problems.

holsbrown

The car is a VW golf R32, 58 plate.

The car is at VW at the moment having just failed it's MOT, they are the ones that have advised the cat is missing, I'm waiting a phone call now to tell me how much it'll be to replace - I'm guessing lots :-(

I don't know what the readings are yet (I'll find out later on when I go back to the garage) but on the phone they told me the emissions were sky high.

Kicking myself now for not asking the garage to MOT it before we took it. Rookie mistake!

pogg000

more important to know the numbers, as this will tell you whats wrong!

Bantex_2

Sounds like a boy racer jobby. Last owner probably just bolted a cat on for the MOT each year.

Has it got a non standard air filter as well?

Moto2

If it comes to having to pay for the parts yourself, letting a VW dealer do it will probably make it even more expensive.

Go elsewhere for the work

Horizon81

Yep, my boy racer assumption was correct. If a genuine cat from VW costs as much as a Toyota one does, you're looking at 4 figures.

Have you spoken to the garage who sold you the car?

photome

Horizon81 wrote: »

Yep, my boy racer assumption was correct. If a genuine cat from VW costs as much as a Toyota one does, you're looking at 4 figures.

Have you spoken to the garage who sold you the car?

^^^^^^^^^this