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Original poster

Bought car with major, dangerous, fault.

64 replies

Effingcars · 25/02/2025 13:26

Bought a car from eBay. The seller described it as a good runner and it had a lot of work put into maintaining it. It was described as an ideal car for a new driver or to learn in.

The car was uninsured, so a test drive was not doable, but they showed all the receipts for the services and things done to it, and it sounded fine.

It's an automatic (this is important).

It drove home fine, used the foot brake, not the handbrake throughout.

Couldn't park inside yesterday, so parked in road.

Moving other cars around today, had to use the handbrake - and it doesn't work!

I know caveat emptor etc, and as it was a private seller it's sold as seen.

However, I also know it is illegal to sell an unroadworthy car as a runner (and the ad states it is good to go and could be driven away).

I've contacted the seller, but they're ignoring.

What exactly can we do? I imagine they must have known there was this fault, yet declared it was good to drive.

The car has an MOT until later this year.

OP posts:
Anothermathstutor · 25/02/2025 13:27

You can’t do much. You should have tested it.

wherearemypastnames · 25/02/2025 13:27

Unless you can prove that the fault preexisted and the other party knew, you are wasting your time

Bromptotoo · 25/02/2025 13:27

Assume it's a private sale and not a dealer.

What's the make/model/age and how much did you pay?

Is the handbrake manual or electric?

Original poster
Effingcars · 25/02/2025 13:32

Bromptotoo · 25/02/2025 13:27

Assume it's a private sale and not a dealer.

What's the make/model/age and how much did you pay?

Is the handbrake manual or electric?

Edited

It's a Vauxhall Astra Elite, it's 2010 (so 15 years old) and was £2k.

The handbrake is electric.

OP posts:
RoseDog · 25/02/2025 13:33

You could have got temporary insurance for about an hour for about a tenner to test drive it.

Original poster
Effingcars · 25/02/2025 13:33

wherearemypastnames · 25/02/2025 13:27

Unless you can prove that the fault preexisted and the other party knew, you are wasting your time

Obviously it pre-existed as it's only been driven home.

OP posts:
wherearemypastnames · 25/02/2025 13:34

There is no obvious about it

The fault could occur at any time including during the drive home

Littletreefrog · 25/02/2025 13:34

Effingcars · 25/02/2025 13:33

Obviously it pre-existed as it's only been driven home.

Show quote history

But can you prove it?

Original poster
Effingcars · 25/02/2025 13:34

RoseDog · 25/02/2025 13:33

You could have got temporary insurance for about an hour for about a tenner to test drive it.

Yeah I know, it wasn't actually me (I can't drive).

The car was also untaxed, so it would have been impossible, even with temporary insurance.

OP posts:
Pigeonqueen · 25/02/2025 13:35

I can’t believe you didn’t test drive it!! 😳😳😳 You could have got it insured just for the day and given it a go. Sorry but what a lesson to learn. I don’t think there’s anything you can do now.

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 25/02/2025 13:38

Your own insurance would usually
cover you to test drive it. So if the owner refused you a test drive you should have walked away. (But you know that now...)

(I have an automatic and I rarely use the handbrake I just put it in 'Park'.)

BlitheSpirits · 25/02/2025 13:39

if you are daft enough to buy a car from a randomer on the internet without test driving it , what do you expect?

MinnieCoops · 25/02/2025 13:41

Good grief. I bet they couldn't believe their luck.

Never ever buy a car without driving it.

Tryingtokeepgoing · 25/02/2025 13:43

As you have discovered, buying a 15 year old car without test driving it is risky.If the seller deliberately misled you, maybe you have case even in a private sale...but its equally likely that they will claim that they weren't aware or that the fault has occured since you bought it. So I don't know how you prove it. hey will likley just say they it's an auto, they never use the handbrake at it was fine when it was MOT'ed

thenightsky · 25/02/2025 13:45

I drive an automatic and only use the handbrake for parking as extra safety. It would be fine just in Park. Its not a major fault and probably just needs the cable replacing, which I imagine any garage could do.

wherearemypastnames · 25/02/2025 13:47

I would say - if this has emerged and you feel the seller likely knew and was deliberately deceitful it would be worth getting another MOT

CerealPosterHere · 25/02/2025 13:48

If it had been a garage you'd have rights but I believe as it's a private seller you don't.

albapunk · 25/02/2025 13:49

Have you had the handbrake inspected by a mechanic and got a quote to fix? It could be something simple. It would have flagged on the MOT if there was a handbrake fault so as an automatic seller may have never used it often and left it in Park - I do this as one of our shared cars is automatic - may not have realised at some point it did develop a fault.

Mrsttcno1 · 25/02/2025 13:49

Unfortunately you’re on a hiding to nothing here, you really need to test drive and check everything before purchase.

Quietnowplease · 25/02/2025 13:50

File this one under good lessons to learn op and just get it fixed

JustHereWithMyPopcorn · 25/02/2025 13:50

I've driven an automatics for ten years and never applied a handbrake, just put it in park. Is it normal to apply a handbrake??

Original poster
Effingcars · 25/02/2025 13:51

Pigeonqueen · 25/02/2025 13:35

I can’t believe you didn’t test drive it!! 😳😳😳 You could have got it insured just for the day and given it a go. Sorry but what a lesson to learn. I don’t think there’s anything you can do now.

It was also untaxed.

It was insured to drive away, but no insurance would allow you to drive an untaxed car (or would it, I was sure that a car needed to be taxed, but I don't drive so knowledge limited I admit).

The car was taxed after purchase (of course it wouldn't be able to drive home unless taxed).

To be fair, I didn't realise it hadn't been test driven, I only found out after the fault was discovered.

OP posts:
Shade17 · 25/02/2025 13:52

Realistically, you’ve bought an end-of-life car so it’s hardly surprising that it has some faults. Just use park and then either repair it or sell as an MOT failure when the next MOT is due.

TheTigerWhoCameToEatMyArsehole · 25/02/2025 13:53

First problem is buying a used Vauxhall second problem not test driving it and not checking things before taking it away. Get the handbrake fixed. Note to anyone with an auto not using your handbrake and just dumping it in park it isn't good for your gearbox.

Isobel201 · 25/02/2025 13:53

I use my handbrake for my automatic Aygo, but I do also put it in park when stopped. Its just there for backup if you temporarily need to stop. Even uninsured, you could have turned the engine on and done a drive up and down the road just to check it worked. You'll just have to suck it up and get it fixed.