Can I get my money back on a used car?

I bought a car in April from a dealer that gave me three months of warranty. During this period I paid motor tax (400 euro) and insurance. I also had to do my NCT during which it was discovered that the car was outside the permit pollution numbers, as it was burning too much oil. Also needed to replace two ball joints and the windshield had to be replaced since I bought the car with a small crack.

I then took it back to the dealer that seemed very helpful and said it would fix the car for me since it was still in warranty.

Four weeks later my car is still there. I tried to either get my money back (he offered me €3k less than what I paid) or get another car (he does not have a car with similar price and valued my car €1k less than what I paid).

I decided to wait to get it fixed since it was not worth for me to lose money to get some money back or another car. Now he told me the entire engine needs to be replaced!

Is the engine replacement process good/bad for the longevity of the car? Do I have any legal basis to get my money back?

Thanks

Robert Alves (Drumcondra)

Jul 2024 Filed under: warranty

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Expert answer

Hi Robert,

That sounds like a traumatic experience - and a frustrating one. I don't feel we have enough information to understand the full story, but you should investigate the legality with the experts at the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission as they'll know the best course of action.

With regards to replacing the engine, that in itself isn't a good or bad thing so long as it is done properly and the replacement engine is in good condition. Unless it's a new or reconditioned engine there's no way to know how good the replacement is, unfortunately. 

Shane O' Donoghue - Complete Car Advisor
@Shane_O_D