Legal advice re: car purchase

PhilM · May 30, 2012

My wife and I recently bought a second hand car from a dealer (48k, 55 plate). We took the car for a test drive and it was absolutely fine, checked out clear on an HPI check etc and all seemed fine. The day after we bought it, the engine management light came on after I'd left it parked up for about 10 minutes before starting it again. I left it overnight and when it started, the light was off and the car seemed completely fine.

Later on that day, I replicated the problem by parking it up for 10 mins and starting it again and the light came on and the car stalled and would not start. Leaving it for an hour returned the car to normal. I phoned the dealer and left a voicemail asking him to call me. He did not return my call. I took the car to a local garage and they diagnosed a fuel pump and regulator failure. Parts and labour would total £700. They also said that the problem was pre-purchase as there were further incidents of the same error stored on the ECU from before we bought it.

I've not been to see the dealer yet because it's a considerable distance from where I live, so before I do, my question is, what are my options and what are my rights before I pursue this? The biggest problem is that the dealer verbally agreed a three month warranty with my wife, but did not actually give it to us in writing at all.

Do we have any course of action available to get this bill paid for, or am I just going to have to suck it up?

Master Agger · May 30, 2012

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