Car buying from a private seller

Stephb1986_2

Hi All,

I hope someone can give me some advice as I'm unsure on what to do and what we can do. It was a private sale not a garage

My husband and I bought a new car last weekend, we went to see it on Thursday night took it for a test drive came away and thought about it and made the guy an offer on the Friday afternoon, we picked the car up on Sunday and brought it home.

On Monday my husband noticed the rear suspension dropping (it's got a raising and lowering suspension system) when it shouldn't be dropping anyway we didn't think much of it, my husband also has a diagnostic tool that you plug into the car and it will tell you fault codes, it came up with quite a few but after a bit of research it looks like the MAF Sensor has packed in costing around£100 to replace.

This morning my husband tries the suspension as the car looked really low on the rear end and nothing happened, he took me to drop my car for it's MOT. He left for work (I'm inbetween jobs atm) ten minutes later he comes back as the car is making a racket and say's it wouldn't be safe to drive to work and takes his dads car to work instead.

Now we know the suspension is £200 each corner to replace plus this maf sensor at £100, would we be entitled to that money back? as we've had the car less than a week. What can we do?

Many Thanks

Steph

19lottie82

Generally, no. But if you can be bothered, you can take the seller to the small claims IF you have a good case. However, you may lose and have to pay additional costs.

What kind of car is it? How old is it? What did you pay for it? How was it listed in the advert? Was it described as perfect, or similar?

Stephb1986_2

It's an Audi Allroad, it's a 2001 and we paid £2600, we asked if the suspension had been done recently as we knew this was a common fault he told us that it had all be done in the last year he said that he had had no problems with the car and that it was in perfect condition apart from a few scratches. But mechanically it was sound.

bris

Caveat emptor applies, you took it for a test drive but failed to spot the problems and accepted it for what it is. You have no case. Sorry.

ukpete79

I really dont belive there is much you can do, you bought the car after inspecting it, very much buyer beware.

I recently bought a RR and I too have a code reader, knowing these cars as well as I do, I took my code reader with me, asked the seller if he minded me code reading the car so I knew what I was getting into...any reason why your husband didn't do this? any seller with nothing to hide wouldn't mind this, and any one who objected may have something to hide.

Regarding the MAF sensor... just because the code reader found a 'fault', doesn't mean the MAF isn't working, it could just be an errant or historical fault, .... or have you experienced issues while driving?

Stephb1986_2

bris wrote: »

Caveat emptor applies, you took it for a test drive but failed to spot the problems and accepted it for what it is. You have no case. Sorry.

You would only notice the suspension lowering after a few hours not straight away you wouldn't stand and look at a car for hours on end when you take it for a test drive. As for the maf sensor we didn't know about any problems until we plugged it into a diagnostics computer.

ukpete79

Do you have receipts in the service history for the suspension being 'done'?

Stephb1986_2

ukpete79 wrote: »

I really dont belive there is much you can do, you bought the car after inspecting it, very much buyer beware.

I recently bought a RR and I too have a code reader, knowing these cars as well as I do, I took my code reader with me, asked the seller if he minded me code reading the car so I knew what I was getting into...any reason why your husband didn't do this? any seller with nothing to hide wouldn't mind this, and any one who objected may have something to hide.

Regarding the MAF sensor... just because the code reader found a 'fault', doesn't mean the MAF isn't working, it could just be an errant or historical fault, .... or have you experienced issues while driving?

We forgot the code reader when we went to test drive only remembered when we was half way there and it was over 100 mile trip to see it.

Some of the codes say that one bank of the engine is running too lean then another code says that the car is running badly on the same bank, we have a friend who is a mechanic and told him about the codes and he suggested that it was the MAF too

ukpete79

has your mechanic driven the car? id recommend getting him/her to drive/listen to the car before buying a new MAF. the codes are just indicators of a fault, with no timeline attached to them, it could be that the fault was a year ago and just wasnt cleared down...

Have you actually noticed anything different in how the car drives? sluggish, no acceleration?

Stephb1986_2

Found the advert here is the description:

Audi A6 Allroad 2.7 Auto LPG Professional Conversion giving the equivalent of 40 mpg. 260 bhp Quattro. Will also run on unleaded. Recent exhaust, fresh MOT, 4 good matching tyres, privacy tints, heated leather seats, Bose surround sound system, climate control. Cam belt and water pump changed. Regularly serviced at the same garage for years (Swift Autocentre Swallownest Sheffield)., GREEN, Next MOT due 09/08/2015, Tax expires 31/10/2014, Part service history, Electric windows, CD player, Leather trim, Height adjustable driver's seat, Height adjustable passenger seat, Folding rear seats, Metallic paint, Alloy wheels, Power steering, Steering wheel rake adjustment, Steering wheel reach adjustment, Cruise control, Traction control, Roof rails, Central locking, Alarm, Immobiliser, Driver's airbags, Side airbags, Passenger airbags. £2,950

Stephb1986_2

ukpete79 wrote: »

has your mechanic driven the car? id recommend getting him/her to drive/listen to the car before buying a new MAF. the codes are just indicators of a fault, with no timeline attached to them, it could be that the fault was a year ago and just wasnt cleared down...

Have you actually noticed anything different in how the car drives? sluggish, no acceleration?

No we've not seen him we were/are going to see him tomorrow.

I've not actually drove the car to be honest as it's mainly my husbands car as I've got my own. But the mood he came back in this morning after this with the suspension I knew it wasn't good. The car is supposed to raise to make it almost 4x4 ish the car won't raise at all and says that the suspension has failed.