second hand car purchased less than a week has died...

colino

Get the car back to them (don't waste your breath phoning) for their repair, replacement or refund. It isn't reasonable for the car to chuck it so soon and that is a retail price for an old gooner, and the trader knows it.

Richard53

You are aware that a car bought for £1000 will not be without defects, but you are entitled to expect that it is in working order and without serious faults. (With serious faults affecting roadworthiness or safety it should have been sold as 'spares or repairs'.) A major oil leak is a serious fault in anyone's book - it's not in the same category as a few rust spots or a non-functioning radio.


It looks to me as though the car has had a serious oil leak, which you have noticed and has been cleaned up. The trader has bodged it for sale, the bodge has lasted a week, and now the leak has returned. The trader CANNOT say that the Sale Of Goods Act doesn't apply, because it does. He must be given the chance to repair, and if that is not possible he must replace or refund. All this is bearing in mind that it was a fairly cheap car, so the buyer must not expect miracles. At that price, the buyer is entitled to expect the car to work reliably without spewing its guts over the road, however.


Given the trader's attitude so far, I suspect this will end up in the small claims process.


Incidentally, I love the way some people on this forum leap in with criticism of previous decisions (such as the choice of car) which show their own vast knowledge of the motor trade but are absolutely no help whatsoever to the poster's question.

pendragon_arther

shoryuken wrote: »

There are 2 things wrong here. Number 1, French cars are generally crap. Number 2, you know a major repair was done on the car so you should have just avoided the risk all together and looked for another car.

£1000 for a 13 year old French car that has apparently had quite a big engine repair is a lot of money. You would have been better off investing that £1000 on a Japanese banger. Would have actually held its value and been more reliable than a French/Vauxhall/Ford crap

If you've nothing constructive to add why not go away Newbie and play with your Corgis.

OP, your rights are that the car should work properly for a 'reasonable' time. This is clearly not the case. Post 10.

mcpitman

Richard53 wrote: »

Incidentally, I love the way some people on this forum leap in with criticism of previous decisions (such as the choice of car) which show their own vast knowledge of the motor trade but are absolutely no help whatsoever to the poster's question.

Couldn't agree more

mcpitman

pendragon_arther wrote: »

If you've nothing constructive to add why not go away Newbie and play with your Corgis.

OP, your rights are that the car should work properly for a 'reasonable' time. This is clearly not the case. Post 10.

Absolutely, OP SOGA does apply as you bought it from a trader.

Do you have receipts and paperwork etc.

As previously said, go to the dealership, tell him what the law is. Don't debate it with him, instruct the trader what the law is and what choices he has.

Again, appreciate thi sis an old car, but seems (and it is an assumption) he probably bodged or cleaned up the oil leak and that has now failed.

Doesn't matter where the car is from (France or otherwise).

Spicy_McHaggis

Worst case for OP maybe a repair, odds on it will be another bodge that will fail again. Are the enough grounds to reject give the OP knew the history of an oil leak?

arcon5

So oil leak and destroyed alternator.. Any engine damage?
it's simply not possible to say what rights you may or may not have on an old used car without knowing what's actually happened

bartelbe

There are obviously alot of trades people here outraged that their customers have legal rights and they can't sell any old rubbish.

The OP has every right to expect the car to be fixed. The car had a major oil leak, which the dealer said was fixed. Then a week later it suddenly loses all oil?

It could be co-incidence, but more likely the repair was badly done.

If car dealers want to flog dodgy old bangers, then list them as dodgy old bangers with major faults. That way no-one will have any legal comeback.

forgotmyname

Could be something simple. Mate bought a Pajero once. Pulled into the petrol station down the road. I spot oil dripping. The oil filter was loose.

Tightened it up and no more issues from that.

AdrianC

forgotmyname wrote: »

Could be something simple. Mate bought a Pajero once. Pulled into the petrol station down the road. I spot oil dripping. The oil filter was loose.

Tightened it up and no more issues from that.

Oil filters don't just come loose after 10,000 miles.