Previous confliction

In May 2009 I bought a Volkswagen Jetta 2.0 diesel from a VW main dealer. The car was first registered in August 2008 and had 14,000 miles on the clock. I was told by the salesman that the car had been previously owned by VW UK. I have now discovered that in fact it was owned by a company that is a cover name for a car rental company. I feel that I have been misled. I have not yet contacted the dealer. What do you think I should do?

Asked on 19 December 2009 by

Answered by Honest John
Nothing. Something like 80% of used cars re-sold at 6 - 18 months old are ex-rental. If not, where else were they going to come from?
Nowadays, the slightest damage to a hire car, bodily or mechanically, comes off your credit card. And engines are built to such tight tolerances that they are actually better run in by a variety of different drivers than by just one, especially than by an overly 'careful' driver. The sweetest, most reliable car I have ever experienced was an ex rental Mondeo, bought at 10 months old with some minor body damage to the roof in January 2009. That car served me, my wife, and then my ex-wife very well and very cheaply for nine years. Nothing significant went wrong, and even components like brake discs lasted a very long time. I don't blame salesmen for obfuscating the history of perfectly good cars when they know full well that stupid prejudice against ex-rentals would lose them a sale.
Dear Honest John,

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