Many thanks for your patience, it is appreciated. I am now pleased to be able to provide further assistance with your query. First of all, I am sorry to hear about the issues brought up by this. It must be a frustrating situation to be going through.
When a private consumer buys a vehicle from a dealer, they have certain 'statutory' rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. If you wanted to refer to the legislation directly, please follow this link:
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/15/contents/enacted
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 specifically states that there is an expectation that goods must be:
- of satisfactory quality – they must not be faulty or damaged
- as described – they must match any description given at the time of purchase
- fit for purpose – they should be fit for the purpose they are supplied for
If the vehicle does not meet any the above requirements, the buyer will have certain legal remedies against the seller. It is, however, important to note that there is no protection against fair wear and tear, misuse or accidental damage.
If the vehicle does not meet any of the above criteria, the consumer’s rights against the seller are:
1. Reject the vehicle and request a refund – this is known as the ‘short-term right to reject’ and must be applied within 30 days of purchase or, if later, delivery.
2. Repair or replacement – this is still an option in the first 30 days, if the consumer does not want a refund and becomes the standard options after the 30 days have passed. It is the consumer’s choice as to whether they choose a repair or a replacement. If a repair is chosen, the seller is given one opportunity to provide a satisfactory repair, meaning that if it fails, the vehicle can still be rejected for a refund, even after the initial 30 days have passed. Alternatively, if the consumer wants to keep the vehicle, they can ask for a price reduction, based on what is wrong with it. That is something to be negotiated with the seller.
In the event that a refund is issued, the seller is legally able to deduct an amount to reflect the usage costs incurred whilst the vehicle was in the buyer’s possession, such as the extra mileage on the car. Any amount deducted for that must be reasonable and fair.
There is however one issue which you will face here and that is the time limit for making a claim. You said you bought the vehicle in Nov 2015. The legal time limit for claiming is 6 years which would run from the date of purchase as that is when the contract was formed. As such, the legal time limit for making a claim under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 would have been in Nov 2021. You are now legally out of time to make a claim in court and you are solely relying on the garage to voluntarily carry out any repairs.