Car Lease issues

mbrem

My car lease was due to expire on Friday 1st July 2022.  On Wed 29 June I took on a new car with a new lease.  My old car is still in my name at the moment due to personal number plate removal but at the garage as a trade in on the new lease.  However, I took the car last night and have found that the drive is very bad and you can feel every bump in the road as if I am driving a 20 year old car not a brand new car, which has affected my back (I have a bad back and arthritis in my hips).  I went back to the garage this morning and they said that I can't swap back to my old car and pay the finance that was left as they have paid the finance and I now have finance on the new car and that is registered to me, I need to keep it.  After pushing I they have said they will check with their legal department.  
Before taking on the new car I was not allowed to test drive it and I was told I had 7-14 days after taking the car to change my mind.
What can I do and what are my rights.  Can anyone help please?  Thank you.

Grumpy_chap

Are the cars lease or PCP?

Is the new car brand new?  If so, and it is that different from whatever you did test-drive, then that is a warranty issue.
Some cars do have very jarring rides - is the new car a particularly sporty model?

What resolution would you like to see?

mbrem said:

My car lease was due to expire on Friday 1st July 2022.  On Wed 29 June I took on a new car with a new lease.  My old car is still in my name at the moment due to personal number plate removal but at the garage as a trade in on the new lease.  However, I took the car last night and have found that the drive is very bad and you can feel every bump in the road as if I am driving a 20 year old car not a brand new car, which has affected my back (I have a bad back and arthritis in my hips).  I went back to the garage this morning and they said that I can't swap back to my old car and pay the finance that was left as they have paid the finance and I now have finance on the new car and that is registered to me, I need to keep it.  After pushing I they have said they will check with their legal department.  
Before taking on the new car I was not allowed to test drive it and I was told I had 7-14 days after taking the car to change my mind.
What can I do and what are my rights.  Can anyone help please?  Thank you.

mbrem

Hi, the car is brand new and just registered (it was actually ordered by someone else and they cancelled the order so they had it in the showroom so I did not have to order on and this is why it was only a few days to turn the order around).
the car is a Ford Fiesta ST Line so not a sporty car.  I had a fiesta sport before and it was a very smooth drive.  The garage has reduced the tyre pressure and said to try that but it has not helped or changed the bumpy drive.
I would like to go back to my old car and pay the remaining finance on that and give them the new car back without having to pay anything on that idealy.

mbrem

I asked for a test drive when i first saw the car and was told i could not.

mbrem

The cars are both PCP

shiraz99

mbrem said:

The cars are both PCP

So not a lease then. You do have 14 days to cancel the finance on your new car but that just gets you out of the finance, that doesn't cancel the purchase of the new car and as you purchased it in person, you have no legal right to cancel it. You're basically have to rely on goodwill from the car dealer.

The_Fat_Controller

Reducing tyre pressure to below their recommended values is bonkers and will reduce safety and increase wear.

You'll just have to read the PCP contract and not guess what you may or may not be entitled to do.

MX5huggy

Why do you think the ST Line “is not a sporty car” ? It’s the step down from the full ST but still has sports suspension and low profile tyres. 

molerat

mbrem said:

the car is a Ford Fiesta ST Line so not a sporty car.  I had a fiesta sport before and it was a very smooth drive. 

What did you think big wheels, low profile tyres and sports suspension would do to the ride ?  IMO the ride is "firm" rather than "harsh".

The old "sport" models were nothing of the sort, not much different to a standard model but with an extra pin stripe.

I have an ST Line Kuga and the ride is noticeably different to the non "sporty" versions.  Ford tend to branch off in 2 directions above the base model, luxury (soggy) and sporty (firm).

Grumpy_chap

I'd agree that the Fiesta ST-Line is not really a "sporty" car to the extent that it would be harsh ride and feel every bump in the road.  In that context, I was thinking more of an "M" type car, or even a full-fledged "ST".

The Ford ST-Line is a bit more firm than a regular trim, nut not exceptionally so.

The tyre pressure on a new car should be whatever it says in the manual - that the Dealer tried that as a solution is very odd.

Is the OP the first registered keeper?  So, a genuine cancelled order?  Or, did the previous purchaser have the car and return it very swiftly?

If this was a brand new unregistered car, it is reasonable that the Dealer would not allow a test drive in that exact vehicle, but should have been able to facilitate a test drive in a different Fiesta ST-Line with same engine.  If that did not happen, can the OP arrange a test-drive as a prospective purchaser for a Fiesta ST-Line at another Dealer?  It might all be a bit of inconvenience, and will need to park away from the showroom, but would allow the OP to assess whether the car they have is typical for the model, engine, suspension set up or is, in fact, out-of-character.

Herzlos

Did you test drive an ST line before buying it? Because I'd assume it'd have pretty firm suspension or there'd be no reason to buy it over a regular Fiesta.

You'd only get 14 days to return it if you bought it completely remotely but it sounds like you bought it in person from a dealership.

So really your only options are to live with it or sell the car back to them and take the financial hit. If your old car is still there, you should be able to buy it back from them.

A 3rd mid-point option would be to swap out the ST suspension and wheels back to the normal spec. You might even find someone willing to upgrade.