To want to return my car after a week?

[VintageThoughts]

Got a new car last week. I test drove two in my local city centre - both fine but preferred the automatic.

Bought one from a dealership 70 miles away. Test drove it for half an hour, all good. Paid for it and it was delivered a few days later as they needed to repair a scratch (which they didn't, actually but whatever).

So I've had it a week now and Oh. My. God.

I've replaced a 10 year old car with a 3 year old car and I cannot believe how rattly it is. Like, literally EVERYTHING rattles. The airbag, the dashboard, the speaker, the glove box, the front windows. It's horrendous! It actually gives me the rage every time I go out in it.

Clearly, the roads where I live are not as smooth as the ones where the dealership is.

So, AIBU to get rid of an otherwise perfect car because it sounds like a bloody bag of spanners?

And if so, do rattles constitute enough of a reason to exercise my 30 day 'right to reject'?

(I've tried turning the music up )

We used to call those ‘Friday cars’ back in the day.
No help but I had a brand new Jeep like that once. The build quality was terrible. Difference with mine is it was a lease. Had I bought it outright I’d have complained.

A 3 year old car shouldn’t rattle though so I’d certainly take it back. It could be mechanical, it could be something like a trim clip falling into a void somewhere or it could just be poorly built.

And well done for not turning up the radio. So many people are guilty of not listening to cars so when there is a problem they have no idea what normal sounds like.

Definitely take it back asap

What car did you have previously and what car do you have now?

Love the Airbag bit. What act rattles in that?

@Floralys2 - I had a ford fiesta and now I've got a Nissan juke.

@mogsrus - there's a separate panel above the glove box which says air bag on it. And it rattles

I've emailed the dealership. I'm just not sure if you can return a car because it rattles. Is that technically classed as a fault?

I also went from a fiesta to a Juke and found the same, I think unfortunately the build quality just wasn’t comparable and the interior just seemed cheap and plasticky if that makes sense. But mine wasn’t a top of the range model

I totally agree @Bogggle

Mine isn't top of the range either - it's a teckna so midway but the build quality is awful. I don't know how something can look so solid and yet be so poorly made. Have you still got yours? Did you ever get used to the rattles?

Mine was tekna too! I kept it for about a year then sold it on and went back to a Focus and now a Kuga

I've got a juke and at 8 years old it's just started to have a little squeak - and not all the time. I went from a Mini to it (so BMW build quality) and it's been fine. It's not a teckna though.

Dh has had a few cars over the years and not one of them has ever not had a rattle of some kind. He drives me mad trying to find out why and once I had to go into the boot with the seats down while he drove round the block to see if it was coming from the boot ! It wasn't
I don't feel cars are as well built as they used to be and this results in things going wrong quicker.
I'd take your one back op. If it's under warranty they should look into it. Good luck ( although the squeaky brake problem we had with our old car was never sorted out and we were fobbed off by the dealer)

@the80sweregreat

😂😂. This has made me laugh! I have the kids in total silence when we're out in the car pressing and holding things to see if it stops the rattle. I've not made them sit in the boot. Yet...

@Bogggle

I think this is what I'll end up doing. It's a shame because I love the car. I saved up for years to buy a car outright and now I'm just really disappointed.

To be fair, the dealership have been really good and have told me to bring it back. But I already know how that will go... "well we've had it apart and can't find anything wrong with it' etc etc!

https://www.themotorombudsman.org/knowledge-base/what-are-a-consumers-legal-rights-when-buying-a-car#:~:text=Under%20the%20Consumer%20Rights%20Act,date%20you%20brought%20your%20car.

Reject it within 30 days. Beyond that your rights become much more diluted. Email them to say you are formally rejecting it as it is of unsatisfactory quality (list the faults) and ask them to contact you to make arrangements to return for a full refund.

check the log book - sometimes this dud cars have gone through multiple owners for short periods. If that’s the case flag that too

I've got one of those, it is very noisy all round and not particularly reliable. If you can take it back I would. I was gutted too.

You didn't purchase the car from the West Midlands area did you?

I had to return a car a few years back for similar reasons. It was a nightmare as they wouldn't accept there was a fault. Months later and after the threat of bailiffs we got a refund.

I hope you have a smoother refund process.

My car rattles but it's down to the crap in the door pocket. I remove the crap, the rattle stops 😂

Basically I would say rattling is a fault as it indicates something is loose. Loose things on cars is not good or usual in my experience.

I have taken a car back. No regrets, a new car shouldn’t cause you hassle. The dealer may have its own return scheme, have a look on the website eg https://www.marshall.co.uk/site/money-back-guarantee/

I really really want to take it back. I'm just scared that they'll say that a rattle (or ten) isn't classed as a fault.

@paddingtonBee - no, it's from Blackpool.

I'm still within the 30 days but I think they'll try to fix it, take me over the 39 days then say they couldn't find anything wrong with it.

I'm so pissed off. I loved my last car from day one and kept it 9 years. I don't even want this one for 9 weeks :(

Yes, take it back but be prepared for a bit of a fight with the dealership.

I've had a rattling car and it drove me up the wall - every journey became a sensory nightmare

@sailrunski

That's exactly it! As soon as I set off I'm listening out for it. Picked DD up from school yesterday and along with the usual creaking window and rattly glovebox. It developed a really loud rattle on the dash and another one in the centre console somewhere. It's just nonstop and as silly as it sounds, it's actually really stressing me out.

I know, I'm lucky that this is all I have to worry about. It's just I saved up for so long and now I'm utterly disappointed.

Im taking it back next week to see if they can fix it. Fingers crossed although I feel extremely un hopeful.

Ford Fiesta’s are usually made in Germany.

Can you return a second hand car? Check the contract...