car with issues but no refund

laura678

Hi, I asked for some advice a few weeks ago from all of you on here, I bought a car from a trader at the beginning of June this year, and the day after encountered problems with the automatic gearbox. its an old automatic ford fiesta which I paid £800 for. Well after several phone calls to the trader he is being difficult and wont allow me to return the car for a refund and its not worth taking him to court for something I know isn't worth that amount of money. my partner is now saying the car is okay for me to drive.? The issues are mainly with starting, it makes a funny noise and then the engine stalls. So I went out in it yesterday and it stalled 4 times from starting. It also feels (the only way I can describe it) that the car sometimes runs away with you at junctions, so makes you feel like you are not in full control, my partner now says that I should a select an alternative gear? it also felt like at one point at slowing down at a junction that it was going to stall again, but didn't. The horn also doesn't work. My partner says, that although it obviously has issues the car is okay to drive for a while. Can anyone give me your opinions, is it safe to drive or not? Thanks

marlot

No horn makes it unroadworthy. would also fail an mot.

But ... quite possibly just seized inside. new sounders are cheap and easy to fix.

EdGasket

It' not for anyone here to say you should or shouldn't drive it but if you are not comfortable and don't feel in control, better not drive it or else have a practice somewhere quiet to get used to it's foibles.

DUTR

laura678 wrote: »

Hi, I asked for some advice a few weeks ago from all of you on here, I bought a car from a trader at the beginning of June this year, and the day after encountered problems with the automatic gearbox. its an old automatic ford fiesta which I paid £800 for. Well after several phone calls to the trader he is being difficult and wont allow me to return the car for a refund and its not worth taking him to court for something I know isn't worth that amount of money. my partner is now saying the car is okay for me to drive.? The issues are mainly with starting, it makes a funny noise and then the engine stalls. So I went out in it yesterday and it stalled 4 times from starting. It also feels (the only way I can describe it) that the car sometimes runs away with you at junctions, so makes you feel like you are not in full control, my partner now says that I should a select an alternative gear? it also felt like at one point at slowing down at a junction that it was going to stall again, but didn't. The horn also doesn't work. My partner says, that although it obviously has issues the car is okay to drive for a while. Can anyone give me your opinions, is it safe to drive or not? Thanks

Can you not upload a video of this strange sound and the stalling that you are experiencing? It's hard for anyone to say without actually seeing the car, however as your chap has already looked at it, things may not be as bad as described.

EdGasket

Old automatics can stall if you try and move off too quickly after starting the engine. The fast idle probably needs adjusting or else the OP needs to let the engine warm up a little before moving off.

laura678

I don't know I maybe able to upload a video, the car starts ok, you then put it into drive and it makes a juddering noise and stalls, this can happen up to 4 times. The juddering noise (is that even a word?!) sometimes happens at a junction when slowing down feels like it will stall again but doesn't. The point is my partner wasn't willing to drive it back to the place it came from, and suddenly its okay for me to drive now, doesn't make sense to me and knowing nothing about mechanics I'm not sure I trust his judgement anymore.

forgotmyname

Get it serviced, A proper service at a proper garage not a Halfords/Kwikfit type service.

arcon5

A service isn't a magic cure

Strider590

Horn is MOT testable, if it came with a new MOT from the garage, then they've falsified the MOT.

Take it somewhere for a "mock MOT", if it comes up with lots of old faults that would fail, then you've got something to use as leverage, as the dealer could get into a lot of trouble.

laura678

Thank you, I think I will take it for another MOT because it was only just done when I got the car.

colino

Why are you going to waste 5% or more of the cost of the car getting it re-MOT'd? It is a banger that needs a thorough service and someone to find out if the fuse for the horn has blown, or the contact strip needs cleaned. If you want to complain, focus on a complaint, not something that is neither relevant or provable.