Consumer rights when rejecting a new car
Rejection of a new car can be difficult, as it might mean being without a car for some time. If you think there is a problem with your new car, you may also be asked to provide evidence of why you think the vehicle breaches the Consumer Rights Act 2015, particularly if you’ve owned the vehicle for six months or more.
Rejecting a car on finance
If your car was bought on finance, such as PCP or HP, the finance company is the legal owner of the vehicle and is jointly responsible alongside the dealer under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. This means you’ll usually need to notify both the dealer and the finance company of your intention to reject, and work through the process with the finance company’s agreement.
You’ll still need to arrange for the vehicle to go back to the dealer for assessment or repair, so involving the finance company doesn’t remove the dealer from the process. It does mean sorting things out can take a little longer than a straightforward cash purchase. If the issue cannot be resolved with the dealer or finance company, you may also be able to take your complaint about a car bought on finance to the Financial Ombudsman.
How to reject your new car
If you do wish to reject your new car, you’ll need to stop using it immediately and notify the seller and/or finance company in writing of your intention to reject, taking into account the 30 day right to reject. You should then allow the seller and/or finance company up to eight weeks to investigate your complaint and issue a final response.
