Bought a car from a dealership around 70 miles from where I live at the end of October, around 33k miles on the clock. After only ten days I got a dashboard light start to come on each time I turn the ignition on with an exclamation mark in a triangle saying engine fault: repair needed followed by airbag(s) or pretensioner seat belt(s) faulty then ‘risk of particle filter clogging: see handbook’

Contacted them straight away about it and they booked it in for an initial diagnostic in their workshop for two weeks later. I then noticed a creaking type noise driving at low speeds under the driver footwell and mentioned this also prior to diagnostic. Verdict from the initial diagnostic was that shock absorbers needed doing and that the dashboard lights were an electrical fault and they would need their subcontracted electrical specialist to have more of a look at it. I was informed that when they had a date of availability back from said electrics specialist that I could bring it to them, have the shock absorbers done then the car be taken to the electrics specialists garage same day.

Heard nothing after four days and emailed to follow up, they said they’d follow up with the workshop and let me know. A further three days past and nothing so I emailed again, informed still awaiting information. A further two weeks go by and nothing, I rang the department several times and was told on three separate occasions that bloke from aftersales would call me back and didn’t, I left email to reflect this. I then received an email following day apologising for the lack of communication citing staffing issues, that the electrician was now on his Christmas holiday (this was the 12th December) who has said he will get in touch as soon as he is back to book it in.

This was very annoying with the lack of communication there’d been from the previous three weeks after I’d took it in for the initial diagnostic, I questioned therefore whether there were any attempts to liaise with said electrician between the 23rd and this email update on the 12th. They reported having made several attempts to contact and that they cannot control the workload of an external garage.

Gets to the 8th Jan still no update so I email to reflect this and say I am on a week of annual leave W/C 5th feb and could bring it in then, booked for Tuesday 6th Feb. I was told timescale regarding likely fix of the electrical fault to be unclear, I informed them that on the 6th I’d only be able to drop it in for a day as mentioned I live 70 miles away and would need car to get back.

Very frustratingly the shock absorbers didn’t get completed on this day for what reason I don’t know and seemed to be through poor communication between departments. Electrician had a look for a more specific diagnostic, essentially I needed to rebook to bring the car back in as this couldn’t be sorted same day. Had to book it in for the following month in March, again when I was on leave. Brought it in and shock absorbers were done, I was however told by the workshop that they had tried to fix the electrical fault with the diagnostic recommendation from the electrician but that this hadn’t solved the problem. I was then advised to liaise with the electrician directly to take it into their garage and they would obviously pick up the bill. Phoned him and couldn’t get it booked in for several weeks and was informed I’d need to leave it with him for likely at least a few days. I dropped the car off and have needed to get trains back home and to borrow someone’s car whilst it’s in.

After over a week in the garage I’ve been informed by the electrical specialist that he cannot sort the issue out. They’ve tried an airbag module, switch and a lights bar I think he’d said? I said that with this problem then realistically the car will be incapable of passing an MOT. He confirmed this to be the case unless I found an MOT station that ‘didn’t mind’ and that ways around it obviously not by the book would be to do away with the bulb in the dashboard or unplug the seat module in the middle of the dashboard. Said he has tried everything within his remit he can try.

The dealership have said they can buy the car back from me but would take a mileage deduction, in just over 5 months ive clocked up nearly 9k miles so have been told the deduction would be significant and likely the cost of the car! I’m aware this is fairly standard but seems very unfair considering I had initially flagged this fault as soon as it occurred, a mere ten days after purchase and that there has been such poor communication and lack of urgency from their end to have this remedied in a timely manner. They have said they want to work with me and regarding the MOT issue have said they’d be prepared to do my MOT tests free of charge going forward where they could ‘switch off’ the airbag light fault / overlook it so to speak for the purpose of the MOT. This isn’t however convenient at all for me to be bringing my car such a long way every time I’m needing to get an MOT. I’ve asked whether they would therefore consider me trading it in for another car, they appeared to potentially be open to this but would obviously depend on which car and have asked me to have a look and get back to them.

To be honest in an ideal world I’d rather just sell the car back to them and have nothing more to do with them and take my business elsewhere as I’ve gone through lots of inconvenience with them, but I feel stuck regarding the issue of the mileage deduction which from what I’m reading garages are entitled to do. However as mentioned this feels a bit of an injustice due to the above outlined. Would I have a realistic argument in that I should be entitled to a full refund? After all this matter came up a mere ten days after purchase and I’d promptly informed them of this. It is a serious fault in that I wont be able to get the car to legitimately pass an MOT and isn’t a matter they’ve been able to solve under warranty. Surely they have sold me a car not fit for purpose and I should be entitled to a full refund?