Second hand car repair nightmare!

blausmartie

Hi… I'm wondering if anyone can give me guidance, as im absolutely lost at what I can do. At the beginning of January, I purchased a car from a used car dealer. I paid £1,500 for it. After a few weeks, I noticed the clutch was making a noise, and a small clunk could be heard from the rear. I contacted the garage as they had given me a 30 day warranty, they told me to just bring it in. At same time, this was the first time I'd given the a good run. After about the 30 plus minutes of driving, the rear wheels began to squeal. I also had an intermittent fault where the battery light would come on. I also mentioned this.

The garage had the car for 2 days, when I got it back, I was told they'd fixed. They had found a diesel leak, and said they'd repaired it, and dried and cleaned up all the belts. The next morning the battery light was on, the cluch was squeaking and and the car was clunking. It went back. Eventually they changed the alternator. This remedied the battery fault. However, I was now very concerned about the clutch. 30 days had gone, and trying to get any paperwork for what they were doing, or had done was impossible. They simply wouldn't give me any.

The car had been back around 3 times, before eventually it wouldn't start. I sent the car, at my expense to a garage I trust and have used for years. I desperately need a car for my work, and to have no vehicle, just isn't an option. At my garage, my fears were confirmed. The flywheel had gone. I paid for this repair, it cost £800. Tye mechanic who repaired me also told me I had a snapped spring, and leaking oil sump.

Furious I took it back to the original garage. They said they would repair the spring and sump, and fix the squealing. It took several days. The car seemed to run fine for a week, then the clunking returned, and the squealing was back soon as the car had ran for 30 plus minutes. I took it back, once more, for the 8th time last week. They had it two days. When I got it back, they said, in the mechanics very own words "The spring we put on was !!!!, n that's making the wheels squeal too."

Anyways, just had it out for my weekly 30 minute trip to get my daughter, and the wheels are still sqealing lile mad. What can I do. I can't sink anymore money into this car, I've already paid, in effect, twice its value. What are my options? Do I have to stay in this pointless, stressfull time loop, of false repairs, until they can say get lost, you have had it six month? Do I have any scope to recuperate the cost of these repairs?

Any advice, help, or support I am massively grateful for. This car has me financially crippled , and nervously ill. I don't even feel like I can cope with speaking to the salesmen, anymore.

Thank you

AdrianC

£1,500 from a trader?

Reasonable expectations for goods of that age, price and apparent condition...

blausmartie

AdrianC wrote: »

£1,500 from a trader?

Reasonable expectations for goods of that age, price and apparent condition...

Yes a used car dealer. Are you saying that because the car was £1500, that its resonable to have these problems, and face a repair bill of £800 within weeks of purchase, and after reporting the faults, that were meant to be repaired? Surely the car should be fit for purpose, it clearly isn't?

AdrianC

With that caveat, yes.

Basically, is it reasonable for a car of that age, mileage, apparent condition to have these issues? They weren't obvious when you bought it, so have become apparent since then.

What car are we talking about here? Age, mileage?

blausmartie

Its an 05 diesel, with 95k on it.

AdrianC

12 years old...

blausmartie

Well, yes its clearly 12yrs old… I was hoping for advice, but that last message I can't even see the point to, I am fully aware of its age. I did take this car back with the said faults within the first fortnight. I'm also fairly certian I must have some sort of rights. The gist of your messages seem to be, that because the car was £1500 and is 12yr old, its acceptable. Surely, a car being sold as in good working condition, has to be just that. This hasn't been, since I bought it.

macman

Make and model would help, why so evasive?
Did you buy it with a new MOT? If so, any advisories on that?

forgotmyname

You bought a used car with 95k on the clock and its showing wear and tear that matches its age and mileage.

So what did your trusted garage say about the noisy brakes? Cheap pads or seized calipers?

The DMF had not gone, you were still driving it. It was worn as per the age and miles. Unless it was clanging like 2 saucepan lids hitting each other you could probably have nursed it until it caused the starter to fail.

You have already had your own repairs done, so the selling garage could simply blame the work they did.

You bought the wrong car. Get the issues sorted yourself or sell it and buy something else.
£1500 though you need to buy wisely and inspect everything.

macman

blausmartie wrote: »

Well, yes its clearly 12yrs old… I was hoping for advice, but that last message I can't even see the point to, I am fully aware of its age. I did take this car back with the said faults within the first fortnight. I'm also fairly certian I must have some sort of rights. The gist of your messages seem to be, that because the car was £1500 and is 12yr old, its acceptable. Surely, a car being sold as in good working condition, has to be just that. This hasn't been, since I bought it.

But on what basis do you say that? Did the dealer describe it that way, was it advertised as such? What questions did you ask, or inspections did you make, to establish the condition of the vehicle?

blausmartie

The car was was advertised as being in good working condition. It wasn't sold as seen. I was given 1 month major parts warranty, when I bought it. It came with 12mth mot, there was no advisories on it. After the first week, I had the clutch noise, however I couldn't go back till the second week, as it was the new year, n the garage was closed. The car was returned for repair, regarding the clutch noise, battery light, starting priblems, clunking and sqeaking. All these faults were blamed on the fuel leak, eventually. As a total layman, I done what every person who isn't a mechanic or knowledgeable of cars, done… I test drove it, looked under the bonnet, checked the fluids/oils etc… the trusted garage said the squealing is perhaps the caliper, they couldn't tell without closer inspection, but I was taking it back to the garage it was purchased from, by then, as they had agreed to repair it. It has been back once more since the spring, caliper? And sump repair, and that was last week. The garage was fully aware of the clutch sound, when it was under warranty. I have been in an impossible situation since I reported the faults to them, which eventually led me to my only option of paying for the repair myself.