Rejecting s/h car from dealer, indy or dealer to inspect?
Discussion
Somewhat confusing title due to space restrictions, let me try and explain further!
I purchased a secondhand car on Friday from a dealer. Within 48 hours it has become apparent that it has some serious issues, appears to be burning (or otherwise consuming) 1 litre of oil every 50 miles. The car is an AMG, 8 years old, less than 70k miles. I'm no idiot when it comes to cars and this one is showing every sign of being thoroughly knackered.
The dealer in question is a main dealer, part of a huge chain, but is a main dealer of a different marque. I don't want their mechanics pulling my complicated engine to bits and rebuilding it as cheaply as possible with just enough improvement to make me go away for six months. I don't want to sound like a diva but this car is all about the engine! Their mechanics completely failed to spot (or, more likely, chose to ignore) this issue despite doing a 150point check on it prior to purchase, clearly they are incapable of fixing it. Therefore I am pursuing my option under CRA 2015 to reject the car outright. It's only 3 days since purchase so I am well within the timeframe to do so, and do not have to give the dealer the opportunity to repair it. I know older cars have niggles, if a consumable or wearing part had failed after a week or a month I would take it on the chin, but this appears to be a terminal engine failure which existed at time of purchase.
However, I recognise that they will need to have the fault confirmed, which brings me to my question. Can the supplying dealer insist that it is their own (clearly incompetent and/or biased) mechanics who inspect the vehicle, or can I ask for an independent inspection to be carried out by an unrelated Merc & AMG main dealer? If they do a leakdown test, compression test, borescope and measured oil-consumption drive and tell me it's all 100% then I will eat my words and happily swallow their inspection cost. I would love nothing more than to own and enjoy the car for the next three or four years as planned! The early morning clouds of blue smoke, oily black crap all over the car (and dripping out of the tailpipes!) and rapidly vanishing oil stocks at my local parts place suggest that there is some serious internal issue which only a new engine would satisfactorily rectify though.
I realise this subject comes up quite regularly, I have done as much research as could on PH and elsewhere, but haven't seen a clear answer to this particular question.
I purchased a secondhand car on Friday from a dealer. Within 48 hours it has become apparent that it has some serious issues, appears to be burning (or otherwise consuming) 1 litre of oil every 50 miles. The car is an AMG, 8 years old, less than 70k miles. I'm no idiot when it comes to cars and this one is showing every sign of being thoroughly knackered.
The dealer in question is a main dealer, part of a huge chain, but is a main dealer of a different marque. I don't want their mechanics pulling my complicated engine to bits and rebuilding it as cheaply as possible with just enough improvement to make me go away for six months. I don't want to sound like a diva but this car is all about the engine! Their mechanics completely failed to spot (or, more likely, chose to ignore) this issue despite doing a 150point check on it prior to purchase, clearly they are incapable of fixing it. Therefore I am pursuing my option under CRA 2015 to reject the car outright. It's only 3 days since purchase so I am well within the timeframe to do so, and do not have to give the dealer the opportunity to repair it. I know older cars have niggles, if a consumable or wearing part had failed after a week or a month I would take it on the chin, but this appears to be a terminal engine failure which existed at time of purchase.
However, I recognise that they will need to have the fault confirmed, which brings me to my question. Can the supplying dealer insist that it is their own (clearly incompetent and/or biased) mechanics who inspect the vehicle, or can I ask for an independent inspection to be carried out by an unrelated Merc & AMG main dealer? If they do a leakdown test, compression test, borescope and measured oil-consumption drive and tell me it's all 100% then I will eat my words and happily swallow their inspection cost. I would love nothing more than to own and enjoy the car for the next three or four years as planned! The early morning clouds of blue smoke, oily black crap all over the car (and dripping out of the tailpipes!) and rapidly vanishing oil stocks at my local parts place suggest that there is some serious internal issue which only a new engine would satisfactorily rectify though.
I realise this subject comes up quite regularly, I have done as much research as could on PH and elsewhere, but haven't seen a clear answer to this particular question.
CRA 2015 states the fault is deemed to have been there from date of purchase and the burden of proof is with the dealer to prove otherwise. Like you I can't find anywhere that stipulates any conditions so I would assume they can carry out the check themselves. If you are unhappy with their findings then it would be up to you to arrange a check yourself. If it then came to court it would be down to the judge to decide which report had more merit but one would hope your independent inspection would carry more weight than their inhouse check.
Thanks mcpoot, I appreciate the response. I guess my concern is that once I hand it back to them they might try any dirty trick they can think of to temporarily subdue the problem. However, they are a big chrome and glass main dealer rather than a backstreet outfit, so maybe they will see sense, cut their losses, and try to move on rapidly.
You may find that the dealer staff have done this themselves. An AMG is an incredible beast and very few places get sight of these sorts of things. The allure of taking it out for a blast in an environment where nobody gives a s
t (I’m looking at you, Arnold Shark and Evans Halfwits) can be all too much for some who think that car enthusiasm is driving like a tit on public roads in fast cars you couldn’t afford to own, whilst having zero knowledge of or mechanical sympathy for the vehicle in question.
Having said that, a big fancy main dealer when presented with a car chewing through that much oil is likely to apologise profusely, hand the money back and try sell it to someone else.
When they get to the third victim, they may try auctioning it.
t (I’m looking at you, Arnold Shark and Evans Halfwits) can be all too much for some who think that car enthusiasm is driving like a tit on public roads in fast cars you couldn’t afford to own, whilst having zero knowledge of or mechanical sympathy for the vehicle in question.Having said that, a big fancy main dealer when presented with a car chewing through that much oil is likely to apologise profusely, hand the money back and try sell it to someone else.
When they get to the third victim, they may try auctioning it.
Thanks for the response. The dealer appears to be playing ball for now, their sales manager has agreed a full refund both by phone and email, they will collect the car next week. Some minor haggling may be required over the month of road tax I will have to pay and some other directly attributable costs but I am feeling pretty relieved right now!
Pegscratch said:
You may find that the dealer staff have done this themselves. An AMG is an incredible beast and very few places get sight of these sorts of things. The allure of taking it out for a blast in an environment where nobody gives a st (I’m looking at you, Arnold Shark and Evans Halfwits) can be all too much for some who think that car enthusiasm is driving like a tit on public roads in fast cars you couldn’t afford to own, whilst having zero knowledge of or mechanical sympathy for the vehicle in question.
Having said that, a big fancy main dealer when presented with a car chewing through that much oil is likely to apologise profusely, hand the money back and try sell it to someone else.
When they get to the third victim, they may try auctioning it.
This fills me with fear.t (I’m looking at you, Arnold Shark and Evans Halfwits) can be all too much for some who think that car enthusiasm is driving like a tit on public roads in fast cars you couldn’t afford to own, whilst having zero knowledge of or mechanical sympathy for the vehicle in question.Having said that, a big fancy main dealer when presented with a car chewing through that much oil is likely to apologise profusely, hand the money back and try sell it to someone else.
When they get to the third victim, they may try auctioning it.
My C63 is getting serviced by Merc next week, but the garage is owned by one of the lot you mentioned above.
They're picking the car up from the house and then dropping it off again. I'll be keeping an eye on my data logger when its away
I have had a similar issue in the past, bought a low mileage (lol) Astra and was using tons of oil.
Had a so called warranty for 3 months, went back to the guy and said, : Listen mate if this engine has done this mileage I will be damned, it's clear the rings had gone or worse, is there anything you can do"
And obviously nothing could be done, I was done for about 1500 quid after trying to trade in the piece of garbage.
I think the car had maybe done the mileage, but the engine certainly had not.
Had a so called warranty for 3 months, went back to the guy and said, : Listen mate if this engine has done this mileage I will be damned, it's clear the rings had gone or worse, is there anything you can do"
And obviously nothing could be done, I was done for about 1500 quid after trying to trade in the piece of garbage.
I think the car had maybe done the mileage, but the engine certainly had not.
I would expect it would be down to the dealer to arrange the inspection as they sold the car. In the same way you don’t want them to claim the car is all good, they won’t want you to claim the car is knackered.
I find it odd how you claim to know about cars and can tell a good one from a bad one but bought this car which you are saying is knackered.
I find it odd how you claim to know about cars and can tell a good one from a bad one but bought this car which you are saying is knackered.
Terzo123 said:
This fills me with fear.
My C63 is getting serviced by Merc next week, but the garage is owned by one of the lot you mentioned above.
They're picking the car up from the house and then dropping it off again. I'll be keeping an eye on my data logger when its away
I'd be making arrangements to drop it off and wait with it. AMG performance centers get enough through that it isn't really that big a deal; although that's not to say a bad mechanic won't seek an excuse! They are more likely to save it for the sales cars than the customers cars.My C63 is getting serviced by Merc next week, but the garage is owned by one of the lot you mentioned above.
They're picking the car up from the house and then dropping it off again. I'll be keeping an eye on my data logger when its away
Generic MB dealers, especially in a low rent chain, I'd rather take the risk of not servicing it TBH.
Pegscratch said:
You may find that the dealer staff have done this themselves. An AMG is an incredible beast and very few places get sight of these sorts of things. The allure of taking it out for a blast in an environment where nobody gives a st (I’m looking at you, Arnold Shark and Evans Halfwits) can be all too much for some who think that car enthusiasm is driving like a tit on public roads in fast cars you couldn’t afford to own, whilst having zero knowledge of or mechanical sympathy for the vehicle in question.
I really doubt that it could have been shagged to that extent by some test drive pilots from the garage. It's an AMG, it's not got an engine made of cheese.t (I’m looking at you, Arnold Shark and Evans Halfwits) can be all too much for some who think that car enthusiasm is driving like a tit on public roads in fast cars you couldn’t afford to own, whilst having zero knowledge of or mechanical sympathy for the vehicle in question.Bert
BertBert said:
I really doubt that it could have been shagged to that extent by some test drive pilots from the garage. It's an AMG, it's not got an engine made of cheese.
Bert
Depends how long the car's been sat on the forecourt. They don't always sell so quickly, especially if it's not got the desirable options on it or is a less appealing colour.Bert
Give it seven or eight weeks plus of it being the "butty run" car from cold and it'll soon start to make a mess of it's internals.
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