Second hand car problems - advice please

[njs1999]

Hello

Bought a Vauxhall Frontera (Diesel) from a second hand dealer approx 2 months ago - T reg, 109k on clock. Have just started having problems with it, Engine management light comes on and it goes in to 'limp mode', i.e. doesn't let you go above 40mph when going over 3k revs - normally going up a hill.

The car was advertised with Full service history, which wasn't given to us at the time but the dealer said he would chase up and forward on. I hadn't received anything after a month and called him to chase up, he said he couldn't get in touch with previous owners and basically said it wouldn't be coming, but that I could find this out myself by ringing round, etc.

On the test drive, the Engine Management light came on (seemed to come on when car was in low revs). It was very intermittent and he plugged a little machine in and reset the EML. This perhaps should've told me to walk away, but as it was intermittent and seemed a decent car other than that, I bought it.

He did supply me with a 3 months warranty, covering the costs up to £500 - it's one of those that offers different levels of cover.

Basically, I'd like to know what my rights are in terms of getting it repaired/refund. It is illegal to say it has a FSH in advert, which I now have no hope of getting from him?

Does the warranty cover his back or is the issue still with the potentially false advertising of FSH?

Thanks in advance

[4x4 bobby]

I think this would be a question for trading standards, but i would imagine it has been sold and its not fit for pourpose!

[snapper]

Me? I'd probably go down the local trading standards folks, taking all the info I had and get their immediate advice on the legal stuff and what rights you have but don't get them directly involved just yet.

Stuff to take, any evidence you have really, copies of the adverts posted by the dealer relating to the vehicle in question (if bought on line go through your browser history to get a copy and then save it as well as printing it).

Next job would be to speak to the dealer and see what he is willing to do to help (don't tell him you have already taken advice), start nice then ramp up depending on what he says. Look around the car lot at the same time this cars nice, I like that one over there sort of stuff, take the wife... girl friend whatever might even give him the impression you could be in the market for a second car for the good lady if things go well with the fronty, tis all in the negotiations and impression you put over. Get him thinking if I make this guy happy with this fronty he's gonna buy another (don't buy another ffs, but he don't need to know that).

If he is willing to fix it and your otherwise happy with the car then go that route, if he's either not willing to repair or your not happy with car then I think I would go down the 'not fit for purpose' and miss sold (service history) routes using the lack of service history as an indication that the vehicle has either not been serviced or poorly serviced in the past and this has directly led to the issues you are now having with it and as a final nail in the coffin so to speak go back to Trading Standards going down the route that he knew of the possible problems from lack of /poor servicing and tried to hide them by initialy stating that there was a good service history but is now unwilling to back up that earlier statement.

If you know the previous history of the car ie the original dealer that first sold it and where it was based then it might be possible to track down some sort of service history via the original dealer and any other local VX dealers via the VRN.

You might even be able to 'up' the warrenty cover on it, or even extend it into a long term cover type thing. But whatever you don't tell the dealer about the problems before asking if you decide to try this

Good luck anyway.... and do tell us how things worked out.

[Lenny1969]

There is 2 issues here.

Firstly the service history. If you want it as he says then yes push for it.

The EML light could be something and nothing, the problem is you have to find out WHAT is the problem.

My first port of call would be to get the fronty diagnostic codes read, then go from there. If its a problem DIRECTLY relating to servicing, AND you can get the history then you may have some recourse.

But its proving the service history is at fault and is now leading to the problem your having, which in my opinion is almost impossible.

(An MOT on a car is only valid for the point of inspection, when you drive from the MOT centre its all subjective to VOSA).

Get the codes read, find out the issue and cost, and go from there.

[njs1999]

Thanks for replies so far.

I have got a copy from Autotrader, who kindly went through their archives and emailed me a copy of the advert which clearly states it comes with FSH.

I'll definitely speak to Trading Standards on Tuesday and see what they say about it being falsely advertised.

I take on board it is difficult to link any servicing with current faults, but I've managed to have a look at a couple of previous MOT failures online and they are exhaust related. Perhaps this could be linked, perhaps it couldn't - who knows?

[RatCav]

Don't do any work on it. It can be seen as accepting the condition of the truck and your prepared to fix the repairs yourself. You are allowed to get a qualified mechanic to diagnose the reason for the EML via a tech 2 or op-com.