I bought a car from a dealer which I have now discovered was stolen recovered - where do I stand?

I bought a car from a dealer and decided to sell it a year later only to find it had been stolen and recovered. I went back to the dealer he already knew this but didn't tell me this when I bought the car.

Now I'm having problems finding a buyer, the car was only two years old when I bought it, so it wasn't cheap. What should i do?

Asked on 20 June 2023 by michelle

Answered by David Ross
If the dealer is admitting that he knew the vehicle was stolen recovered but did not inform you of this, then he is potentially in breach of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 on the basis that he has withheld information from you that may have affected your decision to purchase the vehicle.

We would write a letter of complaint to the dealer by recorded post explaining the situation and asking for a refund or a replacement vehicle. You may need to escalate this to Trading Standards or The Motor Ombudsman if the dealer is a member. We would also contact HPi if you purchased your vehicle check from them, asking why the vehicle was shown as clear when it was stolen recovered.
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