Second-hand car dealers slammed by OFT

The Office of Fair Trading has published a damning study on second-hand car dealers, declaring that the system is failing buyers.

The report claims that buyers going to second-hand dealers could be overpaying to the tune of £580m a year due to clocking, which lowers a car's displayed mileage. A further £85m is spent by customers attempting to fix issues that should be sorted by the dealers before the car was sold.

The OFT found that the majority of problems with a used car come to light in the first three months, suggesting that many are being sold beneath a satisfactory standard. The Sale of Goods Act says the dealer should solve any issues with a car with a repair, refund or replacement if the vehicle was defective at the point of sale.