Consumer Rights for engine failure on car

Rich_the_owl

Car bought January 2025

2H 2021 reg plate

Last week the engine failed. Taken to the garage and they confirmed the tip has dropped off the spark plug (Car has a wet belt) and it will need a new engine at a cost of £6,000. The garage tell me the spark plugs should have been changed every 4 years OR every 33,000 miles. When we bought the car it was just under 4 years old and it had done 31,000 miles

My question is, is there any breach here of the Consumer Rights act that the dealership did not disclose that the car had a wet belt OR that it was very close the the point (4 years/33,000 miles) where the spark plugs should be replaced? Whilst technically the car was under 4 years/33,000 miles are they legally mandated to disclose that replacement was almost due?

PTP123

To answer both your questions, no

Many vehicles have wet belts. It's not required to notify any buyer that they have one.

The vehicle should have had the spark plugs replaced under you ownership. You didn't maintain/service the vehicle so it is your fault.

(unless you can prove the seller said they had been done)

Keep_pedalling

Have you had the car serviced since you purchased it?

MattMattMattUK

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6653568/consumer-rights-for-engine-failure-on-car

I cannot see how there is any way the seller has any liability here. They sold you a vehicle, you then failed to follow the servicing schedule and more than a year later that caused damage to occur.

Rich_the_owl

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81868110#Comment_81868110

Thanks. They serviced the vehicle before they sold it to me. At 31,000 miles i think they should have replaced the spark plugs, but I guess they were under no legal obligation to do so given they were due at 33,000 miles

Rich_the_owl

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81868126#Comment_81868126

nope, it was booked in tomorrow for a full service ironically. Rung the garage back in December to book it in but this was the earliest date they had

eskbanker

The garage tell me the spark plugs should have been changed every 4 years OR every 33,000 miles.

What does the manufacturer say?

Rich_the_owl

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81868129#Comment_81868129

because it was right on the edge of when they were due to be changed, and therefore they should in my view have said they need replacing soon, rather than waiting for its next due service a year later.

Let’s say hypothetically the car didn’t break last week and the service was booked in tomorrow (which it was) I’m still following regular service checks by having a service annually, but I’ve gone way over the mileage of when the spark plugs should be changed as I’ve done 10,000+ in the car within the last year. How am I as a consumer meant to know at what point the spark plugs should be changed? I.e I'm following the service checks but the spark plug replacements might be still x miles overdue

Isthisforreal99

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81868142#Comment_81868142

Your view and what you think should have happened is, frankly, totally irrelevannt

As to how should you know, well the internet is a great source of information. You buy a car - onus on you to find these things out

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Assuming we are talking cam belt/driving chain/Welty belts, a lot of people avoid wet belts, the garage we got our last car from said they won’t touch them.

Price difference between similar cars with out without a wet belt was a couple of grand.

You could make an argument that failure to disclose is a misleading omission under the DMCC giving the right to redress.

I’d speak to CAB OP and see what they say.

In addition, I know what a spark plug is but don’t know how the tip can fall off, how that breaks the engine and what a welt belt has to do with the spark plugs.

born_again

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81868142#Comment_81868142

So what are manufacture service schedules?

Find this a lot that a selling dealer will service a car on sale, when it is far better to stick to manufacture schedule.

My guess is on a 5 year old car that the plugs should possibly have been done in a previous service, as many manufactures work on miles or months which ever is 1st.

So issues like this do not happen.

Given no idea what brand the car is from 2H 2021 reg plate