Car safety recall

TomG1989

My wife spent around £6000 on a used car for my 30th birthday as a surprise from a national dealership. Once we had the car in our possession I decided to put the registration in on the .gov website. This brought up an outstanding safety recall on the car. The information said it had been a safety recall since ‘at least’ the date I checked.

Upon contacting the dealership they claimed this was a new recall and one they couldn’t foresee. Skoda (the manufacturer) confirmed this was a recall from 2017. The dealer then blamed another branch for this error (we had the car moved to a more local branch).

When we mentioned this could potentially be illegal they said they were speaking to the legal department. The dealership manager said they didn’t ‘think’ this was the case. After much messing around and the manager leaving the company we have been offered £150 and a free service. Is this adequate or do you think we should take it further? Or are we making a fuss about nothing? The quality of the customer service throughout and the buying experience has left a lot to be desired so this doesn’t help their case!

Car_54

Have you suffered any financial loss?

If not, £150 plus a service (another £150?) seems generous for a bit of chasing around.

TomG1989

Apart from having to take the car to a Skoda dealership for the recall to be rectified, no. But that’s not really the point. What else have they missed? Why has the potential illegality of the sale not been taken seriously? Citizens Advice suggested the small claims court but, as suggested, we’ve not really lost out (yet) in monetary terms.

AdrianC

It isn't illegal.

The recall is free. £150 and a free service is more than adequate compensation for the minor inconvenience of taking the car in for the recall - always assuming you don't simply wait until that service to get it carried out.

TomG1989

AdrianC said:

It isn't illegal.

The recall is free. £150 and a free service is more than adequate compensation for the minor inconvenience of taking the car in for the recall - always assuming you don't simply wait until that service to get it carried out.

“ Motor traders that sell cars with outstanding safety recalls are breaking the law the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) warns today, as it launches a new service designed to help people buying cars – and dealers themselves – check if cars are safe. 

The regulations1 say that dealers need to get cars with outstanding recalls fixed before selling a car on to a consumer.  If they don’t, they can be prosecuted by Trading Standards.”

Taken from the Trading Standards website.

AdrianC

And which law is that?

The text you quote comes from...
https://www.tradingstandards.uk/news-policy/news-room/2018/get-safety-recalls-fixed-or-risk-prosecution-dvsa-warns-car-dealers

...which references...
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/1803/regulation/15/made

...which isn't anything vehicle-specific, and just talks in general terms about "dangerous products".

What recall is it?
https://www.check-vehicle-recalls.service.gov.uk/recall-type/vehicle/make/SKODA/model

ElephantBoy57

TomG1989 said:

 Is this adequate or do you think we should take it further? Or are we making a fuss about nothing? The quality of the customer service throughout and the buying experience has left a lot to be desired so this doesn’t help their case!

Just a recall, I owned a 10 year old car that had a recall, still not done, I sold the car last year.

peter_the_piper

Just a silly question but why would you not get a free recall done?

TomG1989

Seems the previous owner couldn’t be bothered or wasn’t informed/changed their address. More to the point, why wouldn’t a car retailer check this before selling to a customer?

TomG1989

facade

peter_the_piper said:

Just a silly question but why would you not get a free recall done?

Trouble.

You have to contact the dealer, and arrange a time to take it all the way there, at your expense, and wasting your time, then either sit and wait an eternity for them to do it, or leave the car and go home and back again.

When the car is running fine without it you don't bother.

Mine still has an outstanding recall, the invitation to contact the dealer is in a drawer somewhere.