The Citizens Advice Consumer ServiceA car is one of the biggest purchases you are ever likely to make and so you need to do your homework beforehand.
Where can I go for advice before buying a car?
The Whatcar website gives some excellent advice if you are planning to purchase a car in the near future. You can also find useful information on the Citizens Advice website on checks you should make when buying a second hand car.
What are my rights when I buy a car?
Cars bought from private sellers can often be cheaper, but if the car turns out to have problems, you will have very little come back against the seller. On the other hand, if you buy from a trader, you have various rights under the Sale of Goods Act, so you may have a claim if the car is faulty. This is seperate from any rights you may have under a warranty.
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So what does the Sale of Goods Act say? The car must be
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as described,
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of satisfactory quality,
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fit for its purpose,
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safe and
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be reasonably durable.
When considering what is ‘satisfactory quality’ and whether the car is ‘reasonably durable’ the law takes into account the car’s
So if the problems are down to reasonable wear and tear you will generally not have a claim.
You can find further information on your rights on the The Citizens Advice website, or you can read about a traders obligations to you on the ERWIN website (use the 'business type' drop down to select whether you are buying from a 'new' or 'second hand' car dealer, and then view their obligations to you. These are listed in priority order, so click through priority 1, 2 and 3). You can also view a short video produced by the Office of Fair Trading to the right, accesible on You Tube which gives you some brief advice, but for specific advice about your particular issue contact The Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0845 4040506.
What if I bought the car on finance?
If you bought a car on finance or a hire purchase arrangement, your contract is with the provider of the finance and not the garage. Therefore you will need to speak to the Finance Company about any problems with the car. A different law applies and for advice on what your rights are in this case, we recommend that you contact The Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0845 4040506 or view their website.
What about my Warranty?
Any rights under a warranty are separate from the rights explained above. What you are entitled to under a warranty depends entirely on what is set out in your warranty. You can read more about warranties on the The Citizens Advice website.
How can I go about getting the problem resolved?
If you have already bought a car and think you may have a claim, see our Resolving a dispute with a trader page or contact The Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0845 4040506.