Buyers rights if your car breaks within 3months of purchase?

[Redshoes]

We bought a car from a dealer at the end of March which cost a little off £2,000. We had to take it back for works doing a month ago as it was losing water and generally not sounding great. The warranty covered the £170'ish pounds the works cost, but they also changed the timing belt as they said, 'it was due soon', but we never asked for that job to be done.. anyway, we refused to pay the £40 for that job, and now the car has started leaking water, and so isn't safe to drive, and after phoning the dealer they refused to look at it due to this £40. So we said we'd take it to Trading Standards as we will not pay for work we didn't ask for, didn't need doing yet anyway, and we weren't even asked first if we wanted it doing!

So now we have no car and have to give them 14days to do the work, even though we know they're not going to, before we can do anything legally other than write to them which we are in response to Trading Standards recommendations. If anyone has any advice or suggestions as to how to help us along with this it would be greatly appreciated, its just not a good time to not have a car, especially when we could be moving house anytime soon too

 

[kellie80]

Maybe you could try asking citizens advice where you stand over this matter. We have had problems with a car we bought from car craft last year but I'm not sure how that relates to your problem. They fixed any problems they could find on the car on a couple of occasions with no charge at all but it never fixed the problem and we ended up getting our money back after a lot of messing about. That doesn't sound right though about the £40 at all. They shouldn't of expected you to pay for work that you never agreed to.
You do have quite a lot of rights when buying a car but they don't make it easy for you.

 

[NickyB]

You should be covered, even if people sell you something 'sold as seen' it must be by lasw 'fit for purpose' - chances are they bodged the water issue first time round. I would also expect them to right off the £40 for the timing belt, it is an important thing to make sure you have done but they shouldn't have done it without checking and then tried to charge you.

If you're lucky, their responsibility of selling you the car, or over the first set of repairs should outweigh the fact you haven't paid £40 from the dispute.

 

[SKINNYLAD77]

First of all garages like that make me REALLY mad

£40 for a cam belt change is very cheap does not sound right

have you got anybody who could look at the car to see if it has been changed ????

also did they say what they had done to fix the water leak that cost them the £170??????


Citizens advice would be the best place to start they will tell you where you stand and you rights

 

[Babylicious]

On our old escort the cam belt cost £270 for parts and labour and it was a full days job as they have to strip it right down!

I'd be tempted to get the work done myself and send them the bill (small claims court)

 

[Quill]

This site might help: http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/after_ ... ghts/cars/