Second hand cars top complaints list for fourth year in a row
Thursday, 28 January 2010 12:37
By myfinances.co.uk staff
Complaints about second hand cars topped a list of the most common complaints made by consumers for the fourth year in a row according to advice service Consumer Direct.
It said it received 50,790 calls and e-mails complaining about cars bought from independent dealerships last year.
Complaints about televisions and mobile phone service agreements were second and third, having switched places compared with the same survey a year earlier.
Complaints about laptop computers rose the most, up 42% on the previous year.
The service said it answered 1.5 million calls and e-mails last year, down 4 per cent on 2008.
Second-hand cars have consistently topped the list prompting an Office of Fair Trading (OFT) investigation as a result.
The OFT's own research has revealed young drivers, aged between 17 and 34 were the most likely to experience problems with vehicles.
Overall a fifth of those buying a second-hand car from a dealer or auction have experienced problems after buying a vehicle.
Faults with brakes, engine or clutch were the most frequent issues raised by motorists with the OFT.
The OFT also found that 86% of problems with vehicles occurred within three months of them being purchased from a dealership.
Just under half of those who made contact with the dealer about the problem said it was completely rectified. Nearly 30% said the problem had not been fixed at all
Among those who paid to resolve the problem, the average cost was £465. This was significantly higher if the car had been bought at auction, averaging £752.
The OFT's market study has been running since May 2009 and its final findings will be published in the spring.
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