Our newly bought car failed after six weeks - the dealer refuses liability, but do we have a case?

I recently bought Volkswagen Scirrocco 1.4 TSI for my son. It has had two previous owners and was bought from a second hand car dealer with 39,000 miles on the clock (sadly not a Volkswagen dealer). In the first few weeks after purchase the oil light came on and we found it was empty of oil. After refilling, it was still burning through significant amounts (litres) of oil and ultimately broke down completely in about week six following purchase. The dealer collected the car, identified the turbo as the issue and replaced it at a cost of £1500. He claims the cause of the turbo failure is solely down to my son's bad driving in the first month of ownership as the car was perfect when it left them. He also claimed turbo failure in a petrol engine is unheard of and can only be down to bad driving. My son is a careful and modest driver. Can even the worst driving possible destroy a perfectly good turbo in the space of four weeks? If we take legal action, will it be possible to prove the dealer is incorrect in this scenario?

Asked on 12 December 2017 by Chris Meredith

Answered by Honest John
The dealer is liable for any fault that could have been present or developing on date of sale for six months from the date of sale. Take the matter to Small Claims: www.gov.uk/make-court-claim-for-money / My general advice: www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/consumer-rights

If this car is the 1.4 TSI Twincharger, then I would try to reject it altogether and get all your money back (maximum £10,000) because it will only be the start of your problems. The Twincharger engine is a disaster zone.
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