What to do if you have been mis-sold a car?

Roman Danaev22 December 2025

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A mis-sold car disrupts life quickly, but you’re not stuck. If the vehicle came from a car dealer, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 protects you when the car isn’t as described, isn’t of satisfactory quality, or isn’t fit for the purpose you discussed.

If the car came from a private seller, CRA does not apply. Your protection comes from the Misrepresentation Act 1967, which covers false claims made before the sale.

You regain control by gathering strong documentary evidence, identifying who sold the car, and contacting the seller in writing. And if the car is on PCP or HP finance, you tell the lender straight away. They must review your complaint because they are treated as the supplier of the vehicle, even though remedies are not automatic.

Timing shapes what happens next. You have a 30-day right to reject a dealer-supplied car when the problem appears quickly. You have further rights during the first six months, including repair, replacement, or a refund, depending on the issue. Meanwhile, complaints about finance or commission require escalation to the Financial Ombudsman Service if the lender’s response is unreasonable.

What is a mis-sold car and how do you know if it applies to your situation?

A car is mis-sold when it doesn’t match what the car dealer or seller told you before the purchase. That mismatch is enough to trigger your rights as a consumer when the seller is a trader. For private sellers, your rights depend on proving a misleading statement rather than the CRA tests.

You know mis-selling applies when your documentary evidence shows a clear difference between promise and reality. Examples include missing service history after being promised a complete record, hidden accident damage, or being sold a diesel that doesn’t suit short school runs after you explained your routine.

Most dealer mis-selling aligns with three CRA categories: not as described, not of satisfactory quality, or not fit for purpose. If your experience fits one of these tests, a complaint has a solid foundation.

How does the Consumer Rights Act 2015 protect you if your car was mis-sold?

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 covers cars bought from car dealers, offering protection from the day you take ownership. It doesn’t apply to private sales. The law gives you clear grounds to challenge a mis-sold car through its three tests, and for the first six months the burden shifts to the dealer to show the problem wasn’t present at purchase.

You hold a strong 30-day right to reject, and after that period they can request repair or replacement. If those fail, a refund or price reduction becomes possible. A structured Formal complaint, supported by documentary evidence, helps the dealer understand the issue and speeds up the process of securing financial redress.

What should you do if your mis-sold car is on a car finance agreement?

A car finance agreement adds another route to resolution because the lender is treated as the supplier of the vehicle for complaint purposes. They must review your concerns, though they are not required to offer a remedy unless their investigation supports it. Sharing your documentary evidence helps them understand how the mis-selling occurred and whether the dealer failed to meet expected standards.

Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) – how mis-selling affects this structure

A Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) strengthens your position because the lender owns the car during the agreement. Their ownership means they must investigate your concerns, but any resolution depends on what their review finds. When Documentary evidence shows inaccurate descriptions or unsuitable advice, the lender has grounds to step in, negotiate with the dealer, or adjust the agreement when justified.

Hire Purchase (HP) – how ownership and liability work

A Hire Purchase (HP) agreement also places the lender as the legal owner until the final payment. They must consider your complaint, though the outcome relies on what the evidence shows. This structure usually makes the process easier for families because the lender can instruct repairs, reassess the contract, or unwind the agreement only when the investigation supports those actions. Their involvement reduces your dependence on the dealer to resolve problems.

What financial redress can you realistically expect after being mis-sold a car?

Financial redress aims to return you to a fair position after a mis-sold car. The outcome depends on your documentary evidence, the type of seller, and the findings of the investigation. Dealer sales follow the CRA structure of refund, repair, replacement, or price reduction. Private sales rely on proving the seller made a misleading statement.

When finance is involved, the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) can order the Lender to adjust the agreement or return payments, but only when the evidence confirms mis-selling. This includes cases involving discretionary commission arrangements on PCP/HP deals taken out between April 2007 and January 2021, where dealers could inflate interest rates to increase their commission without telling you.

Redress reflects the gap between what you were promised and what you actually received.

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