Paying for a car I can’t use – finance company refusing responsibility

KentishMan2025 · 21 August at 9:56PM

Hi all,

I’m looking for some advice because I feel completely stuck and powerless with a situation involving my car finance agreement.

I bought a Ford Mustang Mach-E (71 plate) from a large dealer in October 2024, with a PCP agreement through one of the main finance companies. It’s done around 48,500 miles, but I am not sure what the car is worth given the faults showing.

Since April 2025, the car has developed multiple faults – electronic failures, collision warning activating for no reason, shutting down in traffic, seatbelt alarms going off randomly, and more. On 12 May it completely shut down in stop-start traffic, with both screens going off, no indicators or lights, and multiple error warnings flashing up. It has done this more than once, making it unsafe to drive.

The car went into a Ford garage on 16 June 2025 and has been there ever since. They’ve confirmed the car is not safe to release, that the faults cannot have been caused by me, and that it must be a pre-existing problem. However, they haven’t been able to formally identify the exact cause with their diagnostic equipment. They have also had Ford Technical in, who have corroborated what they are saying.

Because of this, the dealer’s warranty company and now finance company are both refusing to take responsibility. Their position is basically: “as no fault has been identified, the car is fine, so take it back and drive it until something else happens.” I think that’s outrageous when the Ford garage themselves say it’s unsafe to release.

In the meantime:

I’m still paying the monthly finance on a car I cannot use.
I’ve had to borrow a family member’s car.
I’ve been relying on trains for some journeys.
I feel like I’m the only one upholding my side of the finance agreement, while the finance company refuses to support me.

The finance company has even suggested I could sell the car and settle the finance – but how can I sell an unsafe, unroadworthy car? That would also leave me thousands out of pocket.

I’ve raised this with the Financial Ombudsman, as I just don’t see how it’s fair for the finance company to wash their hands of me, but I know that is going to take me several more months down the line before they make a determination.

Part of the problem is that I’m now outside the 6-month window under the Consumer Rights Act, which means the burden of proof falls on me to show the fault was there at the time of purchase. But what else can I do? I bought this car in good faith, and these are deep internal faults that not even the manufacturer’s own technical team can get their head around. Surely I can’t be expected to prove more than Ford themselves can?

At this point I just feel completely lost and wronged – like I’m stuck in a grey area where no one will help, yet I’m still paying for a car I don’t have and can’t use.

Has anyone else had this kind of situation, or know what else I should be doing? Should I try going back to the dealer, even though initially they firmly left it with their warranty company (who didn’t want to know either)? Should I be settling the finance now as best I can whilst it goes to the Ombudsman? Do you think I should be doing anything else?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

sheslookinhot · 22 August at 12:04AM

I would stop paying for it.

MeteredOut · 22 August at 8:41AM

sheslookinhot said:

I would stop paying for it.

Folk will be along soon to give advice, but it won't be this.

OP, you say a Ford garage has (my bolding) "confirmed the car is not safe to release, that the faults cannot have been caused by me, and that it must be a pre-existing problem."

Do you have this in writing?