Lost car in Luton fire, new one failed it's MOT

Upsidedownyouturnme

We lost our car in the Luton Airport car park fire.  We had a courtesy car for a couple of weeks, until the insurance paid out.  

At the time my husband wanted to get a good replacement (our car was very reliable, low mileage for it's age and we spent a lot of money on keeping it in top condition.  Unfortunately the cars we looked at didn't compare.  My husband wasn't too concerned as he used a scooter to commute to work.

When it got to the second half of November, the scooter commute was no longer viable.  He works shifts - sometimes starting at 4.15am and finishing at 1am, the scooters aren't available at that time, plus it was getting colder.

He bought a car for £950, just as a run around to tide us over.  The car's MOT was due today, but the seller (a student but has a lot of cars for sale on Facebook and eBay), said it was fine mechanically.  My husband was desperate even though I was unsure.

Today it failed.  The garage has said the repairs will be £800 - £900 to fix.  We have access to another car we can borrow, but my husband is obviously unhappy.

I'm guessing that we have no comeback and it's best to just scrap it and cut our losses?

baser999

Student with a lot of cars being sold through eBay and Facebook? Wouldn’t be so sure, sounds more of a dealer. Not sure you’ve got any redress unless it was advised as being in good running order. Anything written as to the cars condition or all oral? 

eskbanker

What specifically has it failed its MOT on, i.e. anything that would counter the assurance that it was "fine mechanically"?

sevenhills

You are not giving much detail, I assume this is just to let off steam.

A private seller sold you a car and when the MOT is due you stand to pay out £800

Is £800 really OTT for an MOT?

It is a lot of money, but stating the car is fine mechanically is no guarantee when it comes to the MOT.

Take it somewhere else, it could be cheaper.

Kim_13

Insist that any future car you buy has a fresh MOT.

Upsidedownyouturnme

He says that they are all in good order, FSH, etc.  I just realised that although our car passed it's last MOT, it had failed before on similar issues.  It finally failed on the advisories from before (although they magically disappeared on the MOT we bought it with, which was the first time it had ever passed first time, and it had no advisories).

facade

He is acting as a trader.

But you won't get anything out of him refund wise, even if you take him to court.

You could try contacting him and see what he can do- like swap it for another clunker really cheap, but this time get one with a long MOT.

In future, at the rock bottom end of the market you are buying on length of MOT, never, never, never believe anything you are told about the current mechanical condition (check it yourself) likelihood of a future MOT, anything starting with "It only needs a..........." etc.

The reason it only had a short MOT when you bought it is it had no chance of passing, or he would have spent £25 on an MOT and put £500 on the price....

Upsidedownyouturnme

I can't post a screenshot of what it failed on, but it failed on:

• Nearside Rear Tyre has ply or cords exposed (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Repair immediately (major defects):

• Parking brake lever has excessive movement indicating incorrect adjustment (1.1.6 (c))
• Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps both (4.7.1 (b) (ii))
• Nearside Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect (4.1.2 (c))
• Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases centre exhaust (6.1.2 (a))
• Exhaust Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (8.2.1.2 (c))
• Exhaust emissions likely to be affected by an exhaust leak (8.2.1.1 (b))
• Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Monitor and repair if necessary (advisories):

• Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))
• Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge wearing on inner edge (5.2.3 (e))
• Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge wearing on inner edge (5.2.3 (e))
• Nearside Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened lightly corroded (1.1.14 (a) (ii))
• Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Ganga

Upsidedownyouturnme said:

He says that they are all in good order, FSH, etc.  I just realised that although our car passed it's last MOT, it had failed before on similar issues.  It finally failed on the advisories from before (although they magically disappeared on the MOT we bought it with, which was the first time it had ever passed first time, and it had no advisories).

Sounds like they took it too a mates /friends garage but proving it will be a hard, best thing might be to get it repaired and pass its MOT then you get a years motoring till you buy something better.

Tucosalamanca

You bought a car in November for £950 with two month's MOT remaining. It was obviously going to fail, otherwise the seller would have MOT'd it themselves and sold for much more.

Perhaps your expectations are too high?

Straight, low mileage cars that will pass an MOT and hopefully be reliable cost significantly more these days, certainly far more than you've spent.

£950 is likely a few months away from scrap, as you've unfortunately found out.

facade

Upsidedownyouturnme said:

I can't post a screenshot of what it failed on, but it failed on:

• Nearside Rear Tyre has ply or cords exposed (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Repair immediately (major defects):

• Parking brake lever has excessive movement indicating incorrect adjustment (1.1.6 (c))
• Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps both (4.7.1 (b) (ii))
• Nearside Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect (4.1.2 (c))
• Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases centre exhaust (6.1.2 (a))
• Exhaust Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (8.2.1.2 (c))
• Exhaust emissions likely to be affected by an exhaust leak (8.2.1.1 (b))
• Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

So it needs a cheap tyre, the exhaust fixing which will more than likely sort the emissions, the hand brake adjusting/servicing, a numberplate bulb and either a new headlight or the bulb fitting correctly.

Take it to a cheap garage for a quote and an MOT, you can get another year out of it easily for a few hundred pounds- the exhaust is the biggest expense.

I'd guess the seller knew the exhaust wanted replacing for MOT and that was why he didn't get one.

tbh, it isn't rotten, it is worth spending £500 on it, then it will need tyres and possibly that balljoint in the future.