New used car problems

[Reveny]

I bought a 10-year old car a couple of months ago. There was a small issue i noticed very soon after buying it. The dealership fixed this with no cost.

However a couple of weeks ago something went wrong so that it was undriveable. I needed to get a tow truck to take it to the dealership. The dealership are refusing to pay for fixing it.

What are your thoughts on this? I believe the ownership is on the dealership when the car is relatively newly bought. But they clearly don't think they have any responsibility.

Also, have i got myself a lemon if things are going so badly so soon after getting it?

MIght help if you say what car it is, what the issue is and who the dealership is....

Very hard to say without details but let’s say it’s a wear and tear item like a clutch then they’re not going to fix it under warranty.

Did they offer any warranty when you bought the car and what does it actually cover? If the fault is not covered or there wasn't a warranty then I don't think they are liable for repairs.

Difficult to argue that the fault was preexisting when purchased since it causes the car to be undriveable and you have been driving it for a few months....

Unless there was some warranty offered then you are out of luck. Even then warranties tend to only cover non consumables so like pp said clutches etc are not covered

If there is no warranty you probably won't get very far. If it's a big national dealer you might have more luck than a smaller one just to save their reputation. What is the problem with the car?

If it’s not something that was broken when you bought it, and you don’t have the additional warranty, then surely it’s “wear and tear”. It’s a ten year old car. That’s when I’ve always found stuff starts going and every year they get more pricey to keep them going.

Difficult to argue that the fault was preexisting when purchased since it causes the car to be undriveable and you have been driving it for a few months....

BTW "a couple" means two, not "a few".

Of course there could have been pre-existing damage that takes time to come to light. In fact if it is not identified and fixed, it can cause sufficient damage. That is what happens with cars. That's why you should get things fixed immediately and not ignore them. Also as the engine and underside are not visible, there can be invisible faults.

I thought this was the point of buying through a dealership and why the cars are more expensive. Because there is greater protection against buying faulty cars. If there is no protection, then I should have bought privately and paid for a mechanic inspection. It still would have been cheaper.

Yes, I have got a warranty and this where the disagreement has arisen.

I guess i will have to take this on the chin and learn for next time.

Not necessarily, but it’s very hard without any details. What’s the car, how many miles has it done and what’s the issue?

Lots of things aren’t covered by the warranty, often including fair wear and tear commensurate with age of vehicle. You have to be really careful. I’d also say it’s best to have coverage to get yourself towed to a garage when you have an older vehicle

It may not be a warranty issue but could be CRA 2015, impossible to say without details.