My dad bought a car with a problem....advice pls??
Discussion
My dad recently purchased a 2007 Honda Accord diesel for the best part of £8.5k. Even after me spending days trying to convince him that due to his average annual mileage being about 6k he'd be better of with a (more reliable) petrol.
When he purchased it a warning light was lit on the dash highlighting a fault with the VSA module (Honda's traction control system). He was assured by the dealer that they would sort it so he bought the car with the fault.
Words fail me tbh, I don't know why he didn't bide his time or get it sorted before collecting the car but he took it away with the fault with a 'verbal' agreement they would sort it.
He has been fobbed off now for the last two months on promises to sort it but without anything happening. The VSA problem on the Accord can run to a £1600 bill so I can see why the dealer would be reluctant to sort it.
With no mention of the fault on any of his paperwork, where does he stand legally?
Is it as bad as I think it is?
When he purchased it a warning light was lit on the dash highlighting a fault with the VSA module (Honda's traction control system). He was assured by the dealer that they would sort it so he bought the car with the fault.
Words fail me tbh, I don't know why he didn't bide his time or get it sorted before collecting the car but he took it away with the fault with a 'verbal' agreement they would sort it.
He has been fobbed off now for the last two months on promises to sort it but without anything happening. The VSA problem on the Accord can run to a £1600 bill so I can see why the dealer would be reluctant to sort it.
With no mention of the fault on any of his paperwork, where does he stand legally?
Is it as bad as I think it is?
Surely if it's from a dealer the car came with some kind of warranty?
So even if they didn't note the fault formally at the time of purchase it should reasonably be covered by said warranty.
It's my understanding that in the first 6 months the emphasis would be on the dealer to prove the fault did not exist at time of purchase anyway, not vice-versa.
So even if they didn't note the fault formally at the time of purchase it should reasonably be covered by said warranty.
It's my understanding that in the first 6 months the emphasis would be on the dealer to prove the fault did not exist at time of purchase anyway, not vice-versa.
V8Wagon said:
He did get a years warranty with the car.
what sort of dealer is this? and what sort of warrenty?they will try their best to fob him off - forever if possible, unless he gets direct with them
edit: but at the moment hes pretty much losing
Edited by CalculatedRisk on Sunday 4th September 22:34
Why should the warranty company fix pre-existing faults?
Dealer is legally obliged to fix it, but hard to enforce if they won't play ball. May have to get it fixed and then sue them.
Having said that, Honda may fix it under goodwill as this is a known issue, and it's safety related - but depends on car's history, and they may not be keen on a recently bought used car from a non-franchised dealer.
Dealer is legally obliged to fix it, but hard to enforce if they won't play ball. May have to get it fixed and then sue them.
Having said that, Honda may fix it under goodwill as this is a known issue, and it's safety related - but depends on car's history, and they may not be keen on a recently bought used car from a non-franchised dealer.
Edited by Deva Link on Sunday 4th September 23:25
I don't know the extent of the problem, but can you inolve the Sale of Goods Act? Whereby a registered seller (i.e. a dealer) has to ensure all goods sold are fit for purpose, and if the problem is overly intrusive, the car is not fit for purpose. My knowledge gets thin here but a SOGA issue can have (small claims) court consequences.
Is your Dad happy for you to deal with this on his behalf?
If not you're probably onto a loser.
If so then what I would do is take it there and demand a courtesy car while it is parked in the workshop awaiting fix, or for the dealer to sign a note saying that the issue will be fixed, or the original price refunded.
If not you're probably onto a loser.
If so then what I would do is take it there and demand a courtesy car while it is parked in the workshop awaiting fix, or for the dealer to sign a note saying that the issue will be fixed, or the original price refunded.
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