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I've bought a used Rover 25 that has a lot of faults - do I have any comeback with the trader?
I recently bought a Rover 25 from a trader. It has low mileage and is a 2002 model with slightly tatty bodywork, but it was exactly what I was looking for. I am not a mechanical expert, so I went to a trader to buy the car. I saw it, drove it, checked it over, including signs of head gasket failure, and they said they would put an MoT on it for an extra £100. When I picked the car up and drove it home, I noticed the MoT certificate said it had advisories but the trader hadn't mentioned it. I checked online and it had a corroded radiator and a coolant leak.
I took it to the garage yesterday to have the radiator done and they informed me that there is a huge amount of things wrong with the car that I didn't pick up on - a broken heater, a fan belt about to go, knocking alternator, the petrol tank sensor seems to not be working and it does look as if the head gasket has either gone at some point or is going again. Have I got any comeback with the trader, or do I just have to write it off?
I took it to the garage yesterday to have the radiator done and they informed me that there is a huge amount of things wrong with the car that I didn't pick up on - a broken heater, a fan belt about to go, knocking alternator, the petrol tank sensor seems to not be working and it does look as if the head gasket has either gone at some point or is going again. Have I got any comeback with the trader, or do I just have to write it off?
Asked on 12 May 2010 by marmite_hater
Answered by
Dan Harrison
An MoT isn't a guarantee of a car's mechanical condition. Some defects have no bearing on whether a car is roadworthy and therefore would not affect whether it passes or fails an MoT - like the heater. However, why were you charged £100 for an MoT, when the current rate is £54.85? Unless there was some rectification work to be done, you were overcharged. As for your rights when buying from a trader, you should read our section on consumer rights at: www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/consumer-rights
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