Can I reject a used car if I discover a serious hidden fault?
Yes, if you bought from a dealer — the first 30 days give you the strongest legal footing you'll ever have.
Yes, if you bought the car from a dealer — the Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives you a genuinely strong right to reject a faulty car within the first 30 days. The car must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, and as described, and if it isn't, you don't have to accept a repair first: you can hand it back for a full refund. The law even presumes the fault was there when you bought it, so the burden isn't on you to prove it during this window.
Your rights depend entirely on the timing
| When the fault appears | What you can do |
|---|---|
| Within 30 days of delivery | Short-term right to reject: full refund, no need to accept a repair first, fault presumed present at sale |
| 30 days to 6 months | Dealer gets one chance to repair or replace; if that fails, you can reject (refund may be reduced for use); fault still presumed present at sale |
| After 6 months | Still claimable, but you must provide evidence (usually an independent diagnostic report) that the fault existed at the time of sale |
The 30 days runs from the date the car was delivered to you, not the date you signed the paperwork — a detail worth checking if there was a gap between order and collection.
What counts as satisfactory quality
Quality is judged against what a reasonable person would expect, given the car's age, mileage, and price — a ten-year-old budget car isn't held to showroom standards. But regardless of age or price, the car must still be safe, durable, and free from significant defects. Hidden mechanical faults, undisclosed accident damage, safety defects, and premature failures aren't excused just because the car was sold as used — some wear and tear is expected, a serious hidden fault is not.
What a "trivial" issue looks like, versus a real one
- Minor cosmetic issues — a small scratch, light wear consistent with the car's age — generally aren't valid grounds to reject the car.
- A significant fault that affects safety, reliability, or the car's basic usability is what the right to reject is built for.
- A dealer can't contract out of these rights, regardless of what any paperwork, disclaimer, or "sold as seen" wording says — this only applies to sales by a business, not private sellers.
How to exercise your right to reject
- Act quickly if you're within the first 30 days — this is your strongest position, and asking for a repair instead can pause or complicate the short-term right.
- Tell the dealer clearly, in writing, that you are exercising your short-term right to reject the vehicle and treating the contract as at an end.
- State the specific fault and reference the Consumer Rights Act 2015's requirements for satisfactory quality, fitness for purpose, and accurate description.
- The dealer must refund the full price within 14 days of getting the car back.
- If you're outside 30 days, ask for a repair (their one opportunity) rather than jumping straight to rejection — but keep records in case the repair fails.
- If the dealer refuses to engage at all, you can pursue the claim through the county court.
What happens if I discover the fault after 30 days? Between 30 days and 6 months after delivery, the dealer gets one opportunity to repair or replace the car. If that attempt fails, you can then reject it, though the refund may be reduced to reflect your use of the car. A fault discovered in this window is still presumed to have been present at the time of sale. After 6 months, you can still claim, but the burden shifts to you to prove the fault existed at the time of purchase.
Does the Consumer Rights Act apply if I bought the car privately? No. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 only applies to purchases from a dealer or other business seller. Buying from a private individual gives you weaker protection: the car must match its description and the seller must not have lied about it, but 'sold as seen' carries much more legal weight in a private sale.
Related questions
Official sources
Found a serious hidden fault in your used car?
Use Kibbo's Cars & Vehicles tools to check your rejection window and draft your rejection letter.
Explore Cars & Vehicles tools →