UK — Rejecting used car under Consumer Rights Act after gearbox fault + misdescribed features
Hi all — looking for a sanity check on rejecting a used car purchase from a dealer.
Purchase
Bought a Volvo V40 Cross Country from a motor dealer (trade sale, not private) from an independent dealer in West Yorkshire.
Purchased 9 April 2026.
Paid £6,750 by bank transfer (Monzo).
Deposit originally paid 8 March.
Advertisement / Misdescription
The dealer’s advert listed reversing sensors as fitted and stated they added £375 value.
On the day of collection, I noticed the sensors were not present and raised this immediately.
Dealer acknowledged this and offered £100 “goodwill” instead.
I have screenshots of the original advert showing reversing sensors listed and what they valued them as.
The dealer later claimed the advert had already been taken down, but I took further screenshots after being told this, showing the advert was still live.
Mechanical faults (within ~10 days)
Engine management light appeared.
Vehicle entered limp mode / major loss of power.
Diagnostic code P0771 relating to automatic gearbox operation.
Vehicle became unreliable for normal use.
Noticed an amber fluid leak underneath (two areas toward centre/passenger side, no strong smell — possibly transmission fluid).
I drove normally during ownership (including one London return trip), with no collisions or impacts.
Action taken
I have sent a formal rejection to the dealer under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 citing:
serious mechanical fault within 30 days,
vehicle not fit for purpose,
vehicle not as described (missing reversing sensors).
Requested dealer arrange collection/recovery and full refund.
Gave 48 hours to respond and 7 days to resolve before starting Money Claim Online proceedings. Considering I have screenshots of them reading and ignoring previous messages I sent about the sensors.
Vehicle is currently parked and unused awaiting collection.
Current situation
Communication is mainly via text message. They saw the message and I’m going to give them 48 hours before I follow up.
I have screenshots of advert, conversations, and fault evidence.
Questions
Is the short-term right to reject clearly applicable here?
Can the dealer insist on inspection or repair instead of refund?
Can they legally deduct mileage or costs from a refund within 30 days?
If they ignore messages, is Money Claim Online the correct next step?
Anything else I should do now to protect my position?
Thanks — just want to ensure I’m handling this correctly.
P.s. I did use AI to summarise what happened just so it’s more consistent and easy to follow through so please don’t come after me. It has been 10 days since purchase I sent the message to them about rejecting the car on the 19th.