How to Manage a Problem With Your Used Car
If you have a problem with your used car, figuring out which steps to take next can be half the battle. Protect your money, your car and your rights. Buying a used car isn’t always an easy experience. even at the best of times, you can have problems. It’s hard work to make sure everything goes as it’s supposed to after all since so much goes into what makes a car work. Even if you bought a pristine looking car with all of the relevant paperwork, it’s still never a sure thing. You’re not alone with your problem either, and if a problem does arise with your new used car, you need to know the correct course of action to deal with it.
To make sure you know how to put things right, we have some useful advice to take on board. As used car inspectors, we see all kinds of problems cropping up in vehicle sales both pre and post purchase. As well as helping prove thigns are not your fault, we have some useful ways to help you do that yourself as well.
1. Know Your Rights
The first step in resolving a problem with a used car is finding out your rights, even if you might not be protected. Chances are that that is the case, but not always. If the issue wasn’t pointed out to you when you bought the car, or if the car had the issue when you bought it, even that no one knew about, you may have a case to hold the seller or dealer responsible. Of course, if it’s deemed your fault, then it’s on you to fix, but if it was intentionally hidden hen you could even get a refund in your favour. Take a look at that in more detail here.
2. Identify The Issues
By this point, we’ll assume the fault is yours (and if it’s not, then we’ll get onto that too), and that means it’s up to you to get it fixed. It happens to all of us. The first thing that you need to do in your journey to fixing the problem with your used car is to find what it is that’s actually causing your issue. You may even be able to get someone to come to you if it’s a simple job, but to have a valid argument no matter what has happened, you need to have a comprehensive understanding of the problem that is occurring and ultimately, what the cause of the issue was. 4 common problems.
If the issue is more serious than one of these obvious issues, or even if it’s not, it might be time to consider going to a garage to get the problem fixed by a qualified professional that can do the job properly. Just remember to get a receipt for what you have done, but quotes can be just as good as we’re about to look at.
3. Get a Repair Quote
Once you know more information about the problem with your used car, it’s time to move to the next step of fixing the problem. Before you do anything and again to keep you protected, you need to get some quotes. Different people with different specialities and simply different businesses will offer you different prices. That’s just how business works, and this is no different. Remember to shop around.
It’s a good idea to call or to visit in person at least 2 or 3 garages to get a rough estimate about what it’s going to cost to fix your used vehicle issue. When you have found the one you’re happy with, take your car in and get an exact quote about what it’s going to cost for the expected work. They will call you about anything else before they do it anyway, but you need this information as we explained.
4. Confirming Liability
Going back to your rights, another important step in putting your used car problem right is to confirm the liability to finish things up. If the used car that you’re having a problem with came from a used car dealer, then you’re well in with a chance. As we said above, if the problem isn’t your fault or even happened as a result of another fault that was already existed (AND you didn’t know about it), then you can likely get the work paid for by them. If not, you can get refund the car for the value you paid for it and the bill is theirs. Repairs can be extremely expensive after all.
It’s also essential to say that if you didn’t buy the car from the dealer, it’ll be a lot harder to get anything from other parties involved, i.e. auctions or private sellers. There is no real way to prove when it happened, and if there is, it’s up to you to make a case. It could be worth getting back in contact with the seller before you try and go anywhere else with your case, or to get an inspection from a professional service such as CarExamer to get more information. (Your insurance may be of use here too).
5. Get back on the road
After the work has been done and you have a clear idea of what it is that’s happened from a professional point of view, you’re back to some of part one. Chase up whatever you need to to make the car legal again, settle the cost, and you’re all good to go. It’s daunting, but it’s an easy fix most of the time. The hard part is pointing the finger and truly accepting what it is that has happened, and the cause of it as well.
Overall, it’s vital that you protect yourself and your car as much as you possibly can, above all else. You can never be too thorough when you’re buying a new car, and if something does go wrong, don’t take it on the chin without thinking about it first. This is just one of many reasons car inspections can be such a valuable asset to your vehicle purchasing. They can both save you money on any potential issues or simply prevent a bad purchase. In any case, you know where you stand.
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