Does Used Car Dealer Legally Have To Tell You Who Was The Previous Owner Of The Car

[wesley]

hi guys

i understand that used car dealers have to tell costumer(s) the car is cat C/D etc but what about the previous owner(s)?

i purchased 09 ford focus 1.6 zetec 40k miles, nearly 3 weeks ago from polar ford st helens. the car looked very good condition but after i picked up the car, i found few faults and very annoying buzz vibration throu the gas pedal which very very uncomfortable.

got back from 2 weeks holiday yesterday,got new V5 doc from DVLA, previous owner was Hertz (gutted)

in a way its my fault for not checking the V5 before purchased the car. i didnt think the car would be used by rental companies from Ford used car dealer.

usually people says there are 4 worst cars to buy, 1) ex taxi cars, 2)ex police cars, 3) ex learner cars, 4) ex rental cars

so i bought a worst car (gutted)

what can i do about it?

thanks

Wesley

[GREENS]

Hi Wesley,

Unfortunetly mate there is nothing you can do. The dealer will have to tell you the number of owners but they dont have to let you know about the actual owners.

What i can tell you is every car sold has a deal file.......within that file that will have either the V5 or a photocopy of it. Ask to see this and this will tell you the info on previous owners. Obviously to late now..but you know for the future....

hi guys

i understand that used car dealers have to tell costumer(s) the car is cat C/D etc but what about the previous owner(s)?

i purchased 09 ford focus 1.6 zetec 40k miles, nearly 3 weeks ago from polar ford st helens. the car looked very good condition but after i picked up the car, i found few faults and very annoying buzz vibration throu the gas pedal which very very uncomfortable.

got back from 2 weeks holiday yesterday,got new V5 doc from DVLA, previous owner was Hertz (gutted)

in a way its my fault for not checking the V5 before purchased the car. i didnt think the car would be used by rental companies from Ford used car dealer.

usually people says there are 4 worst cars to buy, 1) ex taxi cars, 2)ex police cars, 3) ex learner cars, 4) ex rental cars

so i bought a worst car (gutted)

what can i do about it?

thanks

Wesley

[cyb]

hi guys

i understand that used car dealers have to tell costumer(s) the car is cat C/D etc but what about the previous owner(s)?

what can i do about it?

You can/should remember the phrase "Buyer Beware" on anything you purchase, ask questions before buying, if it helps make a list to take with you. And one question you should always ask when buying a used car from anywhere is "can I look at/see the V5 form?" if a garage says no then WALK AWAY, if they give you an excuse or say they 'don't have it' WALK AWAY - say you will come back when they do have it. NO genuine garage will buy in a car without a V5 so they should have it when anyone comes to view/buy, don't let them fob you off with a load of excuses and if they do - WALK AWAY.

[Danny87]

I was talking to someone this morning and I said "I always ask when buying a car how many previous owners it has" and they said "Why, it's pointless".

But, when thinking about it I can't work out how it could be pointless? It is all about buyer beware, and things like how many previous owners is worth checking out. If the car has ten previous keepers for example, and the vehicle is only, say, 5 years old - it has been brought and sold 10 times - what's wrong with the car, why aren't people keeping it.

I know that's not what you asked but personally, seeing the V5 and asking how many previous keepers is well worth it when buying a car. When I bought my Fiesta I asked and the dealer got the V5 and let me have it, one previous, and he was selling on behalf of a woman who had owned it since 2003. So I didn't see any warning bells, in fact the opposite.

My Mum's boyfriend bought an ex-taxi (Focus estate) and he's not had any issues, and it went through the MOT last week only needing a few bulbs.

It comes down to how well the car has been maintained by the previous owners of the vehicle. I personally wouldn't walk away from a vehile because it was a hire car, the chances are it's probably been main dealer serviced and looked after, but it depends on the hire company I guess.

Just my opinion/feedback anyway :)

[wesley]

hi guys

thanks for the replies, much appreciated

was talking to my mother's boyfriernd this morning, who knows a lot about car/motorbike.

he said where he works, staff can get leased cars via hertz, said he wouldnt worried about the car was from hertz cos mainly leased cars would drove by 1 driver.

we had a very good look at my car again, said there is no way the car used by 200 or 300 people. the condition is totally spotless. i had a car rental n cyprus for 2 weeks, the car was 2 years old and totally wreck. scratch and dent everywhere.

in the service log book, first 3 stamps was hertz service centre, last one by ford dealer the day i picked up the car up. i have to admit why i didnt checked the history/service book as the car was £1,500 less than next ford focus for sale, similiar age and mileage lol

the day i picked up the car, the saleman reminded me to take it in for service at 52k mile or aug 2012, he even put a service tag reminder sticker on top right of windscreen. and reminded me the warranty will run out at 60k mile or aug 2012.

i suppose i over-reacted in some way. let see how the car is in next 11 months, if all good then i'll keep it for long time, if problems, will get rid just before 3 years old.

thanks again

[jeebowhite]

As mentioned it is a little too late but there is certainly a lesson you have learned the harder way.

I bought my Cee'd from a dealer, and queried why a vehicle only 54 weeks old had 20000 miles on the clock, they couldnt help enough, they advised me it was used by a kia representative, and as such was maintained more than the service schedule required. I havent had a problem with it, done a further 6k on the clock and not a thing is wrong (ok so an air conditioning "Fin" has come off the front, but that might be part of the fact that I dropped the car onto a curb! oops!

Otherwise as mentioned cars in that business can be a very healthy and well looked after machine. When I sell a car, I always hand over all the receipts for all the work done, including all MOT reports for the last X years, and the receipts for the likes of the oil filter housing.

I much prefer to see these in the dealers file when I buy a car if I am slightly unsure.