Buying a used car can feel a little daunting when it comes to understanding what your rights are if anything goes wrong with the car. And should you even consider a car which is being sold with no warranty at all?
People often confuse a car warranty with their rights to give the car back and expect a refund if it turns out to be faulty – they are not the same thing. Cars can legally be sold without warranties but this does not affect your consumer rights.
To give us more insights on this we asked the team behind Big Motoring World to answer some of the important questions related to warranty on used cars.
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Is it my statutory right to have a warranty on a used car?
If you buy a car from a trader you are protected under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. It means you can return a car which is faulty or was not correctly described. You are also protected under the Road Traffic Act 1988, which makes it an offence for a car trader to sell you a car which is not roadworthy. If the car is not safe or not roadworthy you are entitled to take it back and get a refund.
What is a warranty for, on a used car?
A warranty is basically a kind of insurance against certain issues, and goes beyond your consumer rights. It covers a range of faults which wouldn’t usually allow you to reject the car completely under the Consumer Rights Act.
Most dealers offer approved used car warranties for around 12 months – if you have one of these make sure you read the small print as they will often have requirements within them that any repairs or servicing is carried out by the dealer selling you the car.
Used car dealers will normally offer some kind of warranty but they vary enormously in cover and value. Some are for a week, or a few months and they will exclude specific areas. You need to read the small print carefully.
Some will require you to get their permission before carrying out repairs, others will require you to pay up front and then claim back the costs from them – the conditions vary enormously within used car warranties so always read them carefully.
Should I ever buy a used car with no warranty at all?
Traders are perfectly within their rights not to provide a warranty at all and this is often the case with very cheap, old, or high mileage used cars, for example. It is perfectly legal for them to sell a car in this way.
You should avoid dealers who offer you a reduced price in return for not supplying a warranty as it will make you responsible for paying for any problems which the car might have, which are not serious enough to merit returning the car. This is not a good deal for you.
What questions should I ask about a warranty?
You need to ask about exactly what the warranty covers – make sure you know the details exactly and don’t be afraid to ask anything which jumps out at you.
Make sure you are offered a warranty – if the dealer doesn’t even mention the warranty then ask them otherwise they might be trying to pull the wool over your eyes by simply not offering it at all.
What to look for in your warranty details
Some less than scrupulous traders will include lines such as “spares or repairs” or “trade only” within the warranty – make sure you read it carefully so that you can weed out any elements of the warranty which aren’t to your benefit.
When you sign the contract you have agreed to the terms and conditions of the warranty so it’s important for your own sake to make sure you check it thoroughly before committing to the car.
A good warranty can be of great value to you and will be worth its weight in gold if the worst happened and you find problems with your car shortly after purchasing it. The warranty could potentially save you a lot of money if your car were to develop a problematic fault – but only if it is covered.
That’s why it’s really important to check the kind of warranty that is offered as well as to read the small print in great detail before signing on the dotted line. And it’s important to remember that if the car has no warranty, you still have consumer rights to return the car if it is deemed un-roadworthy.
Conclusion
When considering buying a used car you need to do your research and make sure all of the paperwork is in place, including all of the details of any warranty that is offered. And don’t forget to check all of the fine print before finally agreeing to sign on the dotted line and committing to any purchase.