Gearbox failure on used car - who should pay for the repair?

My sister bought a 2012 Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCi with an automatic gearbox for £5150, Less than two months later and 2000 miles covered, the gearbox has failed. It lost drive and the diagnosis was the gearbox solenoid, fault code P0766.

She has been quoted £3500 to fix it but on the sales invoice the extra cover only goes up to a max of £500 and it doesn’t cover electrical parts of the gearbox.

Should this be covered by the dealer, as it’s happened within two months of purchase? Could it have been developing when at the time of sale?

Asked on 21 November 2022 by K Egerton

Answered by Dan Powell
Take the car back to the dealer and ask them to put this right or give your sister ger money back. As per the 2015 Consumer Right Act, any serious fault that develops within the first six months of ownership is deemed "present or developing" at the time of sale.

The dealer is 100 per cent responsible for putting this right. They have one opportunity to fix the car. Your sister will be entitled to a refund (minus a fair deduction for the use she has already had from the vehicle) if the car cannot be repaired.

For your consumer rights, see: www.honestjohn.co.uk/how-to-reject-a-car-your-cons.../
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