Bought a Faulty Used Car? Your Rights and How to Reject It (UK)

A used car develops a serious fault days after you drive it off the forecourt. If you bought from a dealer (not a private seller), the law gives you strong rights — including, in many cases, a full refund. Here is how to use them.

Dealer vs private sale

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 applies when you buy from a trader. It says the car must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, and as described — taking into account its age and mileage. Buying privately is different: you have far fewer rights (mainly that the car must match its description and be the seller's to sell), so "sold as seen" carries more weight in a private deal.

The 30-day right to reject

If a fault shows the car was not of satisfactory quality at the point of sale, you have a short-term right to reject within 30 days and get a full refund. You do not have to accept a repair in this window.

After 30 days: repair, then reject

• Between 30 days and six months, you must usually allow the dealer one chance to repair or replace. If that fails, you can reject the car for a refund (which may be reduced slightly for use).
• In the first six months, a fault is presumed to have been present at the point of sale — the dealer must prove otherwise, not you.

If the car is on finance

If you bought on PCP or HP, the finance company legally owns the car, so your claim is against them, not just the dealer. That is often an advantage — finance providers are regulated and you can escalate to the Financial Ombudsman.

A rejection letter template

Dear [Dealer / Finance company],

Re: [Make, model, registration] purchased on [date]

The vehicle has the following fault(s): [describe]. Under the Consumer Rights Act
2015 the car was not of satisfactory quality at the point of sale. [Within 30
days: I am exercising my short-term right to reject and require a full refund of
£[amount]. / After 30 days: the repair attempted on [date] has not resolved the
fault, so I am rejecting the vehicle for a refund.]

Please confirm within 14 days how you will collect the vehicle and refund me. If
the car is on finance, this claim is also directed to the finance provider.

Yours faithfully,
[Your name and contact details]

Keep the fault evidence and any independent diagnosis. Dealers often try to insist on repeated repairs — but within 30 days, the right to a refund is yours.