Need help for a friend

[EpicMarty]

Hi everyone
This is quite a complicated story but it’s left my friend in a lot of debt.
So last year he brought a Vauxhall Zafira from our local second hand car dealer, he took finance out in the car along with the dealers car cover if anything is wrong with it, the day he drove it away within 2 days the aircon stopped working and took it back to get replaced.
5 months the down the line the turbo blew on the car and my friend was quite suspicious about the car and took it back to the dealer, the dealer then quoted “our cover covers most parts of the car but not the turbo you’ll have to a)buy a turbo from us or b) take it to another mechanic, so my friend took it to another mechanic, upon inspection the mechanic was puzzled on how the turbo blew in only 5 months and advised my friend to take it up with the finance company so he did, they opened an investigation which took another 4 months and the result was wear and tear, my friend told the mechanic to replace the turbo which he did and upon further inspection the mechanic said the turbo had screwed the engine up, so now my friend is left with a car that can’t be used as it’ll cost another fortune to replace the engine and he still has to pay the finance back for a scrap car.
Is there anything g my friend can do? As this js not right to put someone that needed a car for work and his family only to be left with no car and £14k of debt?

Thank you

[echat11]

Hi EPICMARTY

Welcome to LB

How did he pay the deposit for the finance?

[Pezza54]

Hi
Did the finance company arrange an engineer's inspection report? You said the finance company blamed wear and tear.
Do you know the age of the vehicle, its mileage, the price your friend paid, and how the vehicle was described by the advert and/or the salesman?
Are you able to find out the date your friend took delivery and the date the vehicle was taken back to the dealer to report the failed turbo?
During the 4 months the finance company took to diagnose wear and tear was the vehicle off the road?

[Pezza54]

This case appears to revolve around whether the failed turbo was caused by fair wear and tear.
I am hoping that your friend bought an average or low mileage car in good condition and regularly serviced and can therefore argue that the turbo should have lasted much longer
Provided your friend returned the car to the dealer within 6 months of delivery to report the blown turbo, then subject to the above, he should be able to make a claim against the finance company under the Consumer Regulations Act 2015
The dealer told him the turbo was not covered by the warranty and that may be correct, but he should not have told your friend he will have to pay for the repair. At the time your friend was not aware of his rights under CRA and even if he was, a face to face confrontation at the dealer's premises is not a good idea.
After 30 days and under 6 months from delivery the consumer is entitled to repair, replacement or a refund (as it is a motor vehicle a deduction for usage can be made)
As the repair bill is a lot of money, your friend should reply to the finance company pointing out the above and ask for the car to be repaired at their cost, a suitable replacement vehicle found or a refund on monies paid to cover the cost of repair.
If the finance company continues to dispute the matter, your friend should be prepared to obtain his own engineer's report on the turbo failure and cause of the engine damage