Used car delivered with possible problem - help!

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Thu 1 Feb 2018 19:44
Used car delivered with possible problem - help! - jonnyjjbean

Received a used car from a reputable dealer last week and I think it may have a problem, when I accelerate at low revs (under 2500rpm) the car is jerky and hesitates almost as if it loses power for a second.

If I am very careful to go through the gears at high revs - say chnaging gear at 4000rpm the issue seldom happens - but in general day to day driving, pulling away from a roundabout in 3rd, it's always hesitating and makes for a jerky uncomfortable drive.

Cruising above 3000rpm is absolutely fine.

The issue can be replicated without fail by putting the car into a high gear at low revs.

I have 2 other cars by different manufacturers and I can put those in any gear I like and it will just be sluggish if I am a gear that is too high, there is no herky jumping. So I am assuming this isn't right.

Firstly - does this sound like a fault?

My second issue is that I purchased the car via the internet / telephone; my understanding is I am protected by the 14 day distance selling act and if there is a fault I can request my money back.

The issue with this is that I PX'ed my old car and the deal was £2200 for it against the price of the car which was £6500.

However, the final invoice is showing the value of the car being £6200 and the PX price £1900 (I actually posted a question about this here before purchase). So in the event of a possible refund they could be difficult and I lose £300.

I plan on taking the car to a local garage and paying someone to confirm a problem before I decide what to do next, but I would really appreciate some advice.

The garage is a 5 hour round trip so I really don't want to be getting it fixed by them and I am peeved that they sold it like this (the driver must have noticed the issue)


It was a big purchase for us as a family.

Edited by jonnyjjbean on 01/02/2018 at 19:45

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Thu 1 Feb 2018 21:07
Used car delivered with possible problem - help! - badbusdriver

What kind of car is it with what engine?.

Also, why on earth would you be pulling away in 3rd gear?!.

As a general rule i try to be in the correct gear for whatever situation, but i have experienced this kind of behaviour in cars before, not for a number of years though.

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Thu 1 Feb 2018 22:10
Used car delivered with possible problem - help! - jonnyjjbean

What kind of car is it with what engine?.

Also, why on earth would you be pulling away in 3rd gear?!.

As a general rule i try to be in the correct gear for whatever situation, but i have experienced this kind of behaviour in cars before, not for a number of years though.

Mazda 6 Petrol 2.0

What I mean is I will exit out of a roundabout in 3rd - I obviously wouldn't try to drive in 3rd from 0mph. Basically any kind of acceleration.

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Thu 1 Feb 2018 23:05
Used car delivered with possible problem - help! - Avant

The Mazda 6 petrol engine is by all accounts a good one, but all the road teste I've seen say that it lacks torque and very little happens below 2000 rpm.

Try pulling away from roundabouts in 2nd, and if there's no problem, there probably isn't a fault with it.

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Fri 2 Feb 2018 05:05
Used car delivered with possible problem - help! - SLO76
Mazda petrol engines are generally very robust but it’s not unheard of for coil packs to fail causing a loss of power. It can be intermittent like this too. Does it sound like it’s running rough on 3 cylinders when it does this? Not the end of the world, it’s an easy fix.
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Fri 2 Feb 2018 08:32
Used car delivered with possible problem - help! - Ebob

Obviously a good idea to get your local garage to look at it.

You could also buy an OBD2 Bluetooth code reader gonna Amazon for a tenner and download a diagnostics app for your smart phone and have it logging whilst taking it for a drive and check for faults codes.

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Fri 2 Feb 2018 08:47
Used car delivered with possible problem - help! - catsdad
Getting another garage to look is OK. However getting any work done by that garage may blur the lines re any claim. The original garage can claim that the second garage contibuted to any fault.

Have you contacted the original garage?
They may have a solution to offer such as their meeting the cost of a garage looking at it. After all they won't want the hassle of taking the car back.
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Fri 2 Feb 2018 09:56
Used car delivered with possible problem - help! - jonnyjjbean

It's more for someone to give me a second opinion and confirm their is a fault so the garage I brought it off can't fob me off.

I am assuming they won't want to collect and re-deliver (500 mile round trip) just to make a diagnosis.


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Fri 2 Feb 2018 10:03
Used car delivered with possible problem - help! - nellyjak

Do you have an EML/Check engine light on at all.?...does sound like as though it could be something like a coil pack.?

A quick and simple OBD code read should point you in the right direction.

Edited by nellyjak on 02/02/2018 at 10:04

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Fri 2 Feb 2018 10:47
Used car delivered with possible problem - help! - nailit

I would take it to the main mazda dealer, maybe more expensive but you would get it fixed first time (more likely than the alternatives) and you would have good evidence for any costs to reclaim.

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Fri 2 Feb 2018 11:24
Used car delivered with possible problem - help! - jonnyjjbean

So it definetly sounds like a fault then? I wasn't sure if a "more modern" (compared to my old 2005 banger) was doing something if the car was in a gear that is too high.

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Fri 2 Feb 2018 11:34
Used car delivered with possible problem - help! - nailit

So it definetly sounds like a fault then? I wasn't sure if a "more modern" (compared to my old 2005 banger) was doing something if the car was in a gear that is too high.

Maybe not but if not a fault the s****** sorry dealer will advise pretty quickly. Even if it costs for their time.

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Fri 2 Feb 2018 13:03
Used car delivered with possible problem - help! - SteVee

My Mazda 6 (1.8Litre/2005 Model) could be hesitant, especially when cold. I put some of these problems down to the current emissions legislation, drive-by tests and the like. I went from my Mazda to an older Primera, which pulls like a train from tickover - but then it's only Euro2 compliant.

I'm not looking forward to the day when I scrap the Primera and buy a 'modern' lag-prone car.

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Fri 2 Feb 2018 13:21
Used car delivered with possible problem - help! - galileo

My Mazda 6 (1.8Litre/2005 Model) could be hesitant, especially when cold. I put some of these problems down to the current emissions legislation, drive-by tests and the like. I went from my Mazda to an older Primera, which pulls like a train from tickover - but then it's only Euro2 compliant.

I'm not looking forward to the day when I scrap the Primera and buy a 'modern' lag-prone car.

Many modern naturally aspirated cars don't develop maximum torque till 4000 rpm or more. To give better CO2 results on the unrealistic EU tests gear ratios also are higher than used to be the case a few years ago. So if you were accustomed to something with a more flexible engine or lower gearing, you may need to adjust driving habits to use more revs or use a lower gear for acceleration.

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Mon 5 Feb 2018 13:07
Used car delivered with possible problem - help! - jonnyjjbean

But was it jumpy?

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