Rights of the buyer when sold a dying car

[mark c]

G'day all,

A freind of mine recently bought a used, used, used car which over-heated due to total absence of oil or water just six weeks after she bought it. It was quickly 'fixed' by the garage she bought it from, but a few days later it blew the head gasket... It was then 'fixed' again by the same garage but then over-heated yet again about a day after she got it back and they now say it needs a new engine... A new engine will probably cost more than the car...

... and she's having to pay for it all!

I'm just wondering what the rights of the buyer might be in a case like this? Could the garage be liable for covering the repair required because it happened so quickly after it was purchased? Any legal experts out there willing to offer a little advice?

Many thanks!!!

Mark

[miniman]

due to total absence of oil or water just six weeks after she bought it

I'd guess that the garage would use the defence that all the subsequent problems stemmed from that incident and that she should regularly check the oil and water on a "used, used, used car".

[incorrigible]

How many times did she check the oil and water in those six weeks ??

The handbook will recomend every week, even for some new cars, and making sure there's oil in it isn't the garages fault IMHO

[AlunR]

My sisters Escort was left oilless after a service - we only noticed when she phoned 2 days later to say the engine had died. Nothing we could do to the dealer at all

[johnelliott]

It may well be that the law would agree that your friend had been done over, but the chances of getting any useful recompense are so small as to be virtually negligible. Proper firms don't sell used, used, used cars. Best thing to do IMO, buy another car, this time from a private seller who has owned it for a good few years.

John

[incorrigible]

The garage seem to have been OK, after all they've fixed the problem as presented to them a couple of times. Although they obviously didn't explain the pitfalls of owning such a machine, but that's not in their remit either

Your friend clearly needs something other than a used used used car, or at least some advice on what to do to keep it on the road

Expensive lesson, but we've all had them

[Marcos maniac]

AlunR said: My sisters Escort was left oilless after a service - we only noticed when she phoned 2 days later to say the engine had died. Nothing we could do to the dealer at all

One of my vans was returned to us without the oil filter being correctly tightened the driver only noticed when it dropped off on the M23

[mark c]

Thanks all, pretty much as expected really

Regards,

Mark