CA Auto Finance - Vehicle Rejection

senseionthemoon

Hi all,

I’d really appreciate some advice on what my next best step should be in an ongoing used car / motor finance dispute, particularly around rejection vs repair and how to deal with the fact the vehicle’s MOT is about to expire while the complaint is still unresolved.

Background

In August 2025 I bought a 2021 Ford Focus ST-Line X 1.0 EcoBoost manual on finance from a dealership. The car was purchased as a long-term family car because my wife was pregnant with twins and we wanted something practical, newer and reliable.

The car was bought at around 62,700 miles and is now on around 66,700 miles.

Faults and timeline

• 19 November 2025 – I noticed an issue with the rear LED tail lamp. At the time I assumed this was just one of those things and planned to deal with it myself, so I didn’t raise it formally.
• 19 February 2026 – while driving home on the motorway in heavy traffic, the car developed a serious gearbox fault. When moving off and selecting 2nd gear, it began popping out of gear and grinding badly.
• 20 February 2026 – I contacted Ford and arranged for the car to be inspected.
• 3 March 2026 – Ford road tested the vehicle and confirmed a gearbox issue. I then contacted the supplying dealership the same day.
• The dealership more or less dismissed the matter and only referred me to their expired 3-month in-house warranty, without properly engaging with my consumer rights position.
• 5 March 2026 – I formally raised a complaint with CA Auto Finance, as the finance provider.
• Ford later quoted roughly £2,600 to repair / replace the gearbox.

Independent inspections

Because the finance company said that, as the fault had arisen outside the first 6 months, they wanted an independent inspection report, I arranged one myself through Scotia Vehicle Inspection.

Scotia inspected the car and the report came back supportive of my case, stating in essence that the gearbox fault was likely present or developing at the point of sale, and there was no evidence of misuse.

The dealership then disputed Scotia’s report and tried to suggest that I had somehow caused the fault by shifting from 6th gear directly into 2nd gear on the motorway, which is completely untrue. I have never said that and it would obviously make no sense. I have consistently maintained that the fault occurred in heavy traffic while moving off and selecting 2nd gear normally.

Scotia reviewed the dealership’s comments and stood by their original opinion.

CA Auto Finance then arranged a second inspection through DEKRA, and that report also came back in my favour.

So, as things stand, I now have two independent inspection reports supporting the view that the gearbox fault was likely present or developing at the point of sale, rather than being caused by misuse on my part.

Other relevant points

During the inspection process it also came to light that the vehicle had previously had a replacement clutch before I bought it. This was not something that was made obvious to me when I bought the car. I appreciate buyers should do their own homework, but a replacement clutch on a roughly 4-year-old car did concern me, especially once combined with the gearbox failure.

My position throughout has been that I want to reject the vehicle, not simply have it repaired and keep it. The reason is that I have lost confidence in it as a reliable family car. A gearbox failure within just over 6 months of ownership, combined with the prior clutch replacement, makes me very uneasy about keeping it long term.

Current position with the finance company

This is where I’m struggling.

I formally raised my complaint with CA Auto Finance on 5 March 2026. Their own case handler indicated they would aim to resolve the complaint within 8 weeks.

We are now in July 2026, and despite all of the above:

• I still do not have a final response
• I have had no formal offer of rejection
• I have had no formal settlement proposal
• I have had no confirmed repair arrangement

So the complaint has effectively drifted on for months while the vehicle has remained unusable.

I have also opened a complaint with the Financial Ombudsman Service, but that has not yet been allocated to an investigator.

The immediate problem – MOT / tax / storage

The car has now been parked up and unused for a long time because of the gearbox fault and the ongoing dispute.

The MOT expires on 20 July 2026.

I do not have a driveway, garage or any private off-road parking. The vehicle is currently parked on the public road outside my house.

My concern is that once the MOT expires, I won’t be able to keep the car taxed in the normal way, and if I SORN it, I obviously cannot legally leave it on the road. So I may now be forced to pay to have the vehicle recovered and stored off-road somewhere purely because the finance complaint has dragged on for so long without resolution.

My questions

1. Given that I now have two independent reports in my favour, should I still be pushing firmly for rejection, or should I expect the finance company to insist on a repair attempt first?
2. If they do offer a repair, do I have much room to refuse that and continue to pursue rejection given the circumstances and the loss of confidence in the vehicle?
3. In light of the MOT expiring and the fact I have no off-road parking, should I now be demanding that CA Auto Finance arrange collection/storage or reimburse storage costs while the complaint remains unresolved?
4. If I end up paying to move/store the vehicle to avoid DVLA/tax/SORN issues, would you expect those costs to be recoverable as part of the complaint?
5. Is there anything else I should now be doing procedurally, beyond continuing with the Financial Ombudsman complaint and pressing CA Auto Finance for a final response?

I appreciate this is a long post, but I wanted to include the key dates and detail because the situation has become quite messy. My main concern now is making the right decision strategically, while also dealing with the practical problem of having a car that may soon not be legal to keep where it is parked.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Ectophile

Your right to reject ran out after 30 days. After that, they can repair, replace or refund. You can ask for one of those, but ultimately if your choice is too expensive for them, then they can refuse.

The replacement clutch doesn't really say much. Some people can wear out a clutch in one year. One clutch in over 60000 miles doesn't indicate any problem.

So the right thing at this point is to push for the car to be taken in and repaired, with the cost being paid by either the car dealer or the finance company (they are jointly and severally liable).

Alderbank

'…My position throughout has been that I want to reject the vehicle, not simply have it repaired…The reason is that I have lost confidence in it…[I am] very uneasy about keeping it long term…'

Unfortunately you never have the right to reject for those reasons. You have just wasted time by demanding that.

As @Ectophile says your only right at this stage is to ask for a repair or replacement. However once you have requested a repair, the trader must then do so within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience to the consumer (you). If the trader doesn't do that then you would once again have the right to reject. Also, if the repair fails again you would acquire the right to reject.

How did the car come to be parked on the highway? Were both the inspections carried out at the roadside? Is the car driveable?

It is solely the duty of the registered keeper (I assume that's you or your wife), and no-one else, to ensure that the vehicle is legal at all times. Only the RK is permitted to SORN it.

You now have a couple of weeks left on your MOT. I think if I was in your position I would ask the trader for a repair, stress the significant inconvenience due to your new-born twins and hope they will recover it to their workshop in the next few days. They should not bill you for the recovery - the CRA says they must bear any necessary costs incurred in the repair.

You say you bought a 4 year old Ford Focus because you wanted a reliable car?

What Car? says a 4-year-old Ford Focus (the Mk4 generation, produced from 2018 onwards) offers below-average reliability. While praised for its excellent driving dynamics and practicality, it is hampered by known engine and gearbox issues, and generally ranks lower than segment leaders.

In January they said 'The Ford Focus 2018-2026 is not a reliable car, according to our most recent What Car? Reliability Survey, where it finished in 26th place out of 30'

Once it's been fixed, sell it and buy a Kia or a Toyota!

PTP123

As said above, the choice is theirs, not yours. If they would rather take any option but refund then that is their decision