Is the car dealer in the wrong here?

[StripyZebraa]

I was looking to finance a car, and found a perfect one and agreed on this on Saturday. I had a bit of a panic that I may have went in too fast, but it was absolutely perfect and it had everything I wanted. So I paid the deposit on Sunday.

I’m young and I don’t have the most flashy job in the world, so my budget was fairly small £150/160 a month. This one was £170 but newer and less miles than i thought, plus it had everything I wanted so I went for it.

I went to an official car dealer this time as I’ve had issues with other garages in the past, and thought these would be more ‘expert’.

On Sunday I made absolutely sure that it had all the features I wanted. I asked the man specifically if it has cruise control, he said yes. He then said he’d go and check, and came back and said ‘yes definitely’. This was part of the reason I went ahead.

Picked up the car yesterday. Find out very quickly that it doesn’t have cruise control - it has something that looks like it, but is in fact a speed limiter.
Something maybe I would mistake for cruise control - but you’d think the expert who works in the official dealership would know this.

I can’t help but feel like I’m paying above my budget for this car, and yet it doesn’t have all the features I want AND asked specifically for.

My dad has told me to go in and complain. Part of me thinks I should - I based my decision on this and I specifically asked for it. I cannot afford to be paying this much money a month on something that didn’t even meet my requirements.

What could I do here? What are my rights?

You have 14 days cooling off period

I would just deal with the finance company. If this has made you change your mind then phone the finance company & explain

you could be able to hand the car back

I had a fiesta with the limiter feature but it wasn’t too great. At Times it would go over the limit set

F1 cars most certainly do NOT have launch control 😁

I see a lot of modern cars on the motorway Speeding up & slowing down when the carriageway is clear . Folk not using cruse control

over taking doing 68 then speed up to 75

catching people up who have overtaken you miles down the road

I use cruise control all the time

Don't buy the car op

If you do you'll be buying a car without the specific reason you were buying it for

Ask for the deposit back as the car has been misadvertised

Even better try and get a photo of the advert that said it had CC or was it word of mouth only?

CC is a feature that will be listed in pretty much any car's advert so it should be on there to prove that they are wrong

Wind your neck in. I said she could have taken her Dad OR ANOTHER OLDER PERSON, I didn’t say a man. She could have taken her Mum. It’s always wise to take someone else unless you’re confident dealing with the snakes who work in car dealerships. The OP states she’s 21 and doesn’t know much about cars. Car dealers are notoriously sexist and patronising to solo women, fact. It’s not right but that’s the way it is. If her Dad is telling her to complain etc, why didn’t he go along with her in the first place to help her?

Many years ago.

@StripyZebraa I imagine that cruise control is probably on your car but that you have to press a button to switch between it and the speed limiter. My old car had a switch next to the hand break but everything else for CC and SL was controlled from the steering wheel. Have a search online and see if you can find out? I changed makes and it's been a learning curve finding out how to use all of the different functions.

In the grand scheme of things, cruise control is just a convienience thing. Lots of cars do only have limiters because obviously it's more technically complicated for the car to constantly control the throttle rather than just saying "no" if you try to accelerate over a certain speed. It's nice to have but it's hardly essential.

I would go back to the dealer, but I wouldn't be surprised if the only option is to just cancel the purchase, and then you have to decide whether you want to start hunting for a car all over again over quite a minor thing.

Lots of cars do only have limiters because obviously it's more technically complicated for the car to constantly control the throttle rather than just saying "no" if you try to accelerate over a certain speed

Lots of cars have the capability for CC but it’s not enabled. It’s a very common retrofit on a lot of brands. Generally just a different stalk or steering wheel buttons and 10 mins with a laptop.

Not sure why people are arguing if cruise control is important enough.
I've never used it personally, but that isn't really relevant. it is something the OP specifically wanted and specifically asked about. She was specifically told the car had it, so, if it doesn't, then of course she should return to the dealership to sort it out.

There are lots of features on a car that might be important to one person that aren't important to another - that isn't the question that is being asked.

Have you actually confirmed by looking at the manual or going back to the dealership?

What car is it?

I absolutely agree that everyone would benefit from having some basic knowledge of cars, in order to do simple things like top up oil, washer bottle, etc. It’s remarkable how many drivers have absolutely no idea how to do the most basic maintenance tasks, let alone know how to use jump leads.

Because OP sees it as important, that’s why. I couldn’t live without my cruise control, you can…neither of us is wrong.

Give the limiter ago. I much prefer it and feel it's much safer, as you can put your foot down without worrying about speeding, but still have full control of the car, should you need to slow gradually, and then straight back on it. No faffing to get CC back on and off. One of our cars only has a limiter, the other has both, I literally never use the CC but religiously use the limiter, particularly in towns.

I would definitely go back and demand what i asked for, that is mis selling my book.

I use adaptive cruise control all the time, especially on motorways. If more people did the roads would be a safer place.

100% complain and go back. I find the only people who don't use it who have it are either old fashioned or have no idea how to use it correctly.

My vehicle maintains separation with the vehicle in front when cc is on. It has a minimum setting of 20mph but obviously if the traffic is at 3mph its at 3mph.
I use it all the time, most useful on stop/start, and slow moving traffic in town, takes all the effort out of monitoring the guy in front who's suddenly braking or slowing without braking.
Equally in m-way road works - maintains the 50/60 and slows down with the traffic in front.
Makes any distance driving so much more relaxed.

of course you go back and politely and firmly point out the issue. I mean what's the worst that can happen?

I would google the exact model and see if it has cruise control before doing anything. The buttons/controls really vary.

then complain to dealer if it hasn’t, see if they have another car you can swap to

To me it is not about whether or not you like cruise control or speed limiters, it is your requirement.

I view it as deception, which is a criminal offence.

Hopefully you can get satisfaction without having to resort to the cooling off period or indeed the criminal law.

Cruise control is vital to my driving. I would never buy a car without it.

If I had asked specifically for it and they said it had it, I would go back and swap the car. I would be annoyed.

If she's driving through a lot of average speed roads, it may be what a PP said about the speed maintenance she wants. When she's only young and with insurance prices sky high atm, esp for younger ones, it may be a safeguarding measure that makes her feel safer. She's young and won't have been driving long, give the lass a break!

Exactly, I use the limiter all the time. I have tried cruise control a couple of time, but couldn't see the point.