I just bought a used car, which suffered power loss suddenly. Can I reject the car for a refund?

I've just purchased a 2018 Peugeot 3008 1.5 diesel EAT8 auto. After a short break during a journey, the car suffered power loss, limiting the speed to 20mph. No misfiring or warning messages were visible at the time. I'm now worried that this might happen again on a motorway without a hard shoulder. Restarting the engine cured the problem. Any ideas on what the cause could be? Can it be complicated and time-consuming to solve the problem? I would rather reject the car and have a refund if it's not a quick fix. Am I being unreasonable? Your advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Asked on 13 July 2021 by John Wright

Answered by Dan Powell

It reads like the car has gone into 'limp home mode'. There could be a number of causes for this. The car will need to be plugged into a diagnostics machine to identify the problem. If you have owned the car for fewer than 30 days then you will be entitled to reject the car for an automatic replacement or refund. However, if you have owned the car for longer, the dealer/garage that sold you the car will be entitled to repair the car. For your consumer rights, see: www.honestjohn.co.uk/problems-with-a-new-or-used-c...s

Tags: rejecting a car consumer rights limp mode refund

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