I sold a car in good faith but the buyer says it need repairs and wants me to pay - where do I stand?
I recently sold a 14 year old MINI which I had bought for my wife but she prefered her original car. I MoTd it and drove it for twelve miles and it passed the MoT and drove without fault. Subsequently it was purchased from me and the new owner took it away. After three days he contacted me to say that having travelled at least eighty miles it had boiled. He continued to drive it until it was cooked. He wanted me to repair it or re-imburse him for the car which I refused to do as it was fine when he took it away. He is now taking me to court over this, what are your thoughts?
Asked on 18 July 2025 by Clive Nicholson
Answered by
David Ross
In private sales the buyer has limited rights of recourse, other than if the car was not as described or misrepresented when advertised, or that the vehicle is unroadworthy. It is up to the claimant to prove that you misrepresented the condition of the vehicle in order to be successful in their claim against you. You can read more about this in our guide here - www.honestjohn.co.uk/advice/car-buying-advice/how-.../
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