Second hand car caught fire.

LittleMissKitty

After some advice pretty please. Basically we were idiots and bought a second-hand car blind.

Our trusty Vectra failed it's MOT on Monday after 4 different people (garages!) tried to get the airbag warning light to go off, we've been backwards and forward trying to get it sorted for weeks and this was the last ditch attempt. We NEEDED a car for yesterday as hubby was moving to Omagh from the South of England for a new job. So we did a REALLY stupid thing and bought a used car blind from a local dealer.

Long story short the car caught fire doing 65 on the M56 less than 400 miles after buying it. The MOT is clearly dodgy (it took about 5 minutes to get the thing started and there wasn't a single advisory on the MOT, also, the 'previous MOT's' are all from a different car!!!)

Bloke has now been awake for almost 49 hours, has spent about 7 hours sat in the freezing cold with various RAC people and still has an onward journey of 7 hours to go. Do we have a leg to stand on re the car? Or do we suck it up and learn our lesson?

DUTR

Suck up and learn a lesson, I can't see the point of noticing all these things after the event? It may have worked out more cost effective to have a one way hire on a car.

ilikewatch

LittleMissKitty wrote: »

Long story short the car caught fire doing 65 on the M56 less than 400 miles after buying it. The MOT is clearly dodgy (it took about 5 minutes to get the thing started and there wasn't a single advisory on the MOT, also, the 'previous MOT's' are all from a different car!!!)

Not quite sure why the MOT is "clearly dodgy" the MOT wouldn't record whether the car was a pain to start from cold, and wouldn't neccesarily spot a fault which might result in a future fire (especially if the fault wssn't present at the time of the test!)

I bought a brand new Vauxhall Combo van which was a pain to start and caught fire (and burned out) with 16 miles on the clock - that didn't even need an MOT for another 3 years!

marlot

As you bought it from a dealer, you may be able to return it as not fit for purpose.

What did you pay?

Joe_Horner

If you actually mean catching fire rather than smoke from the engine then it's pretty likely to come under unfit for purpose / pre-existing fault at any price range. Fuel leaks and / or electrical faults serious enough to to that don't happen suddenly. In theory maybe they could, but in practice they just don't!

The problem you may have is whether the dealer will play ball, and you won't know that until you speak to him. From what you say about the MOTs, he sounds like he may be on the dodgy side but don't go in all guns blazing at the start.

Call him and tell him that the car he just sold you caught fire in less than a day / 100 miles and that you're sure he can understand that you've lost confidence in it as a result so would like to reject it. Then see what he suggests from there.

If he's on the level then he should be offering refund or replacement without prompting just as a matter of customer service. He probably won't by the sound of it, but he might just surprise you and there's no point in putting his back up before you know!

AdrianC

marlot wrote: »

As you bought it from a dealer, you may be able to return it as not fit for purpose.

That might be difficult.

OP. One word... Insurance.

harveybobbles

How is the MOT fake/doggy?

Testing the titty lip should be part of the MOT these days..

EcoR1

Why not just take the airbag light out?

bigjl

Because if the car is fitted with Airbags then the light has to function.

AdrianC

bigjl wrote: »

Because if the car is fitted with Airbags then the light has to function.

Nope. It just has to not indicate a fault.
http://www.motinfo.gov.uk/htdocs/m4s05000401.htm

bigjl

And if the airbag light doesn't function then there is no way to tell if there is a fault or not.

But you can certainly assume a fault is more likely than not.