Buyers of used cars often have something to complain about.
Used cars are booming, you know that too. Sales and therefore prices have skyrocketed since 2020. You must have something like new cars unaffordable by now. It is striking that with the increase in used car sales, there are also many more disputes compared to the past.
Increasingly common disputes over used cars
According to Sjaak Drinkenburg of legal aid firm DAS, significantly more cases have been reported up to and including August 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. Last year, 170 cases were received, this year that number has risen to 330.
Legal assistance
This includes legal assistance regarding car defects or warranty. Common cases are rolled back mileage or unreported damage from the past.
Then there are broken parts such as a blown turbo, defective brakes or refusing on-board computers. There are also reports of missing options that are mentioned in the sales advertisement. Just like far too high oil consumption. By means of legal advice, the buyer can get his way with the right help, if things are indeed not right.
Buyers initially try to reach a solution with the selling party; if this does not work, they seek legal assistance.
More used car sales, more chance of disputes. Actually, it is more than logical. When buying a used car, it is extremely important that you do your research properly. Everything you can check yourself, you should do, so that you do not end up with unpleasant surprises afterwards. It is not a hundred percent guarantee that you will always buy the perfect used car, but it does at least make the chance that something is wrong smaller.
Have you ever had a nasty dispute with a selling party while hunting for a used car? Let us know. In the comments!
Comments
-
Johanneke say
Isn’t it true that (almost) every modern car uses oil? Because the oil used today is very thin to reduce resistance in the engine, and thus increase efficiency.
I stick to my statement that the most reliable cars were made between the early 90s and mid 00s. No direct injection, no dual clutches, no ultra thin oil, turbos, EGR valves. Just strong blocks with 16 valves and about 60 – 70 hp per liter. The Volvo 2.4 for example, 4g engines from Mitsubishi, Toyota engines. They go over half a million on gas with normal use and maintenance.
-
kevindb say
Will not only have to do with the number of used cars sold but even more with the legal warranty period that went from 6 months to 12 months. BOVAG warranty was followed by 12 months warranty instead of 6 months.
Another reason may be that customers who previously bought new and were therefore used to factory warranty now buy used cars and always complain about the used car because they are not used to the signs of wear and tear.
So I think it makes sense that the number of warranty claims has grown.
