My daughter unknowingly bought a very faulty car online - what can she do? | Ask Honest John

My daughter unknowingly bought a very faulty car online - what can she do?

My daughter bought a car on Gumtree, which has turned out to have lots of dangerous faults. She and her daughter drove it 300 miles home without knowing. The seller is being hostile and claims no responsibility. The MoT looks dodgy but it checks out on the official website. The DVSA is not being helpful. What can we do?

Asked on 7 June 2018 by Maggie

Answered by Honest John

If this was from a dealer then the law is on your side. Get in touch with Trading Standards for the area where you bought the car. See: www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/consumer-rights

If the vendor was private, you may still have a case for Breach of Contract. If the car is in a dangerous condition you can also take action. If you think the car has dangerous faults, then put it through another MoT, but realise that if you do and it fails you won't be able to drive it.

Tags: consumer rights faulty used car private sellers breached contract

Similar questions

How can I check the warranty of a car being sold privately?

I'm buying a secondhand Dacia (two year old) from a private seller. He says that it has five years warranty left from an original seven. How can I check that this is true?

Could you offer some tips on buying a vehicle from a private seller?

I'm viewing a vehicle on Sunday and have read bits and pieces online regarding areas of concern. I've also done a background check via the gov.uk website and the AA website. Please would you be able to...

Is it a crazy to buy a 2005 Honda Accord with 206,000 miles on the clock?

I'm looking at a 2005 petrol Honda Accord 2.0 i-VTEC Executive with 206,000 miles on the clock. It's had two owners, the first was a major football club and it appears to be mostly motorway miles. It appears...