Used Mitsubishi Shogun with defects, need help urgently

[Paul Needham]

Hi any help would be muchly appreciated. We recently brought a Mitsubishi Shogun from a used car dealer. On the test drive, I noticed the air con didn’t work the power steering was making a noise the sat nav wasn’t working and the engine had a rattle. I explained to the salesman the faults and he said he would get them all fixed so we agreed to buy the car so long as all the faults was fixed (salesman said the engine rattle would be that it needed a service as it’s been stood a while) anyhow we waited around a week for them to fix all the faults. When we went to pick up the car none of the faults had been fixed even the power steering was nearly empty of fluid! I told him that I wasn’t happy. Salesman topped up the fluid and said drive it for the weekend and see if there were any more faults and return it on the Monday with a list. So we did as we were asked.

The Monday came with a few more items on the list that was faulty now there was all the original faults the rattle had intensified there was also the rear heaters wasn’t working and an oil leak on the rear diff! He said he would take to a garage with the list of faults. 2 week later we get a call the cars been all done. So we go pick the car up the sat nav still doesn’t work he said it needs a new disc and at £86 second hand it was a lot of money so he was waiting for his IT guy to COPY one from a different car! Then the tar heaters still wasn’t working and he said that the rear heater box had failed and again that was too expensive so we need to wait for a cheaper one to turn up! Also the engine rattle was ok as the car has high mileage. Also the air con fluid had been topped up but that also was leaking out the rear of the car underneath.

So we took the car as I needed one for the bank holiday weekend. The next day I towed my horse trailer (which I clearly stated to salesman when we was looking at the car that I need a car to tow the horse box) on driving down the dual carriage way the car started overheating. Pulled over let it cool down and carried on driving home. The next day my dad who is a qualified mechanic took the rocker cover off to look at the rattle to see that the cam chain is way too stretched and is nearly jumping off the sprocket he said it’s very dangerous and could cause serious engine failure any time. By this time I have had enough and really want my money back because the amount of time I’ve not had the car and all the times it’s meant to have been fixed and hasn’t how do I stand? As it is at the moment the car is back at the dealers being fixed “again” and the dealer is refusing to give a full refund.

By this time I have had enough and really want my money back because the amount of time I’ve not had the car and all the times it’s meant to have been fixed and hasn’t how do I stand? As it is at the moment the car is back at the dealers being fixed “again” and the dealer is refusing to give a full refund.

Please please any advice would be grateful.

Regards Paul

[Stuart Masson]

Hi Paul. Although it sounds like your car has significant problems, it will depend on the car’s age and mileage as to whether they are considered significant enough to reject the car.

It’s easy to say now, but you should never have accepted the vehicle with the repairs not completed. Once you have paid for the car and taken delivery, you will always be on the back foot when trying to get a refund or repair.

For more information, have a read on our article on rejecting a faulty car.

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