Your legal rights
Dealer
You are covered by the Sale of Goods Act 1979. A car must be:
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of satisfactory quality, bearing in mind its age, what it cost and how it was
described to you. It should be free from defects, other than those made aware
to you.
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as described. If the dealer says the vehicle is a 2.5 litre, and it's actually
a 1.8 litre, you can reject the vehicle.
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fit for any reasonable purpose. The vehicle should do all that you reasonably
expect of it, including any specifics you state to the dealer.
If you however pay for a vehicle inspection the dealer is not responsible for
any faults that the inspection should have found.
If your car is faulty, you have 6 months from the date you purchased the vehicle
in which you can reject it. Under new legislation, you can demand repair or a
replacement unless it would cause significant inconvenience to the dealer.
Do remember though as of March 31st 2003, the onus is on the dealer to prove
that the vehicle was of satisfactory quality when it was sold. This means that
the buyer no longer needs to seek an independent inspection.
If you think your vehicle has a problem or fault and want to take it further
with the dealer you must stop using the car immediately. You then must follow
up your complaint in writing providing evidence of any problems.
Private
You have far less legal comeback when purchasing a vehicle privately. The only
obligation for sellers is to describe the vehicle truthfully. Even if they
don’t getting compensation can be difficult, time consuming and costly. You can
still expect the car to be:
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