Rejecting a car from a dealer

[thebraketester]

HNY all.

We purchased a 2nd had car in September, a 2021 mk8 gti. The car has been nothing but trouble since we have had it.

We are rejecting the car and this has been agreed by the dealer.

They are asking for quite a heafty cost per mile during the time we have had it.

Is there any legislation on these charges or can a dealer just ask for whatever they want? I fully expect to have to pay something given we have whacked on some miles, I just want to make sure we are not being bent over a barrel.

Thanks

TBT

[ThingsBehindTheSun]

How much per mile and how many miles?

[snuffy]

I assume you mean September 2025?

But if they are asking to reduce the price offered to you by x pence per mile that you have driven it, surely what they are actually doing is just buying the car back from you for less than you paid them for it? So you are just selling it back to the dealer, and if you did that anyway (for whatever reason), they would offer you less in any case?

That's not really rejecting it, its just selling it back?

[Alickadoo]

snuffy said:

I assume you mean September 2025?

But if they are asking to reduce the price offered to you by x pence per mile that you have driven it, surely what they are actually doing is just buying the car back from you for less than you paid them for it? So you are just selling it back to the dealer, and if you did that anyway (for whatever reason), they would offer you less in any case?

That's not really rejecting it, its just selling it back?

But surely, it is reasonable to expect him to pay something for the miles he has done in the car?

at x pence per mile = y.

I believe the normally agreed rate is 45p per mile, but even I can be wrong sometimes.

[stevemcs]

ThingsBehindTheSun said:

How much per mile and how many miles?

That’s probably the main question, if you have covered 10,000 miles then the car could not have been that bad.

I would presume 15pence per mile would be reasonable

[thebraketester]

Car bought in sept 2025

Car is a 2021 mk8 gti

[CMTMB]

Unless the OP has edited the post, it seems perfectly clear he bought a 2021 car in September last year.

[Ted Maul]

Not unheard of for dealers to make adjustments for miles used but as ever, details matter. Without them any responses are just largely useless.

[Richard-390a0]

So how much mileage have you put on the car in three months it can't be that much? Would you like to clarify?

[soxboy]

I saw a recent video on ‘The Logbook’ on YouTube where IIRC there was an agreed amount from finance rejections of 45ppm - this may have been a precedent set by the Financial Ombudsman.

[butchstewie]

What's a "hefty cost"?

[MercedesClassic]

I was in a similar position recently and was going to reject within the 30 day no quibble period but I got an additional contribution from the dealer and I used that towards rectification.

Looks like up to 6 months you ve to allow the dealer a chance to rectify the issue before rejecting but it sounds like your has more than one fault.

No agreed price per mile either so that could be determined by the dealer who could effectively price you out of your rejection request.

https://www.thecarexpert.co.uk/rejecting-a-car/#3-...

Ps, for the definitive answer you’re probably going to need to speak to the Motor Ombudsman and when I called them they couldn’t intervene as my dealer wasn’t signed up to their service. Anyway, they might be able to mediate between you and your dealer for a better outcome for you.

Edited by MercedesClassic on Friday 2nd January 12:23

[Roger Irrelevant]

Why oh why don't people put the actual amounts in posts like this - it's a pretty critical piece of info and difficult to advise without it. However, I'll take a stab in the dark that the dealer has said 45ppm, as they very often do in situations like this. OP you should say that's silly and offer half that. if you can agree on around 30ppm I'd take that. This is all assuming that the car is as good cosmetically as when you got it and you haven't broken anything.

[snuffy]

MercedesClassic said:

No agreed price per mile either so that could be determined by the dealer who could effectively price you out of your rejection request.

https://www.thecarexpert.co.uk/rejecting-a-car/#3-...

That's my point. If you buy a car for say £10k and you think it's a pile of crap and tell the dealer you are rejecting it and they say "ok, we will take the car back, here's £5k for it", it's hardly you rejecting it, you are just selling it back to them at a lower price than you paid for - it's a "rejection" in name only.

Article said:

When you are rejecting a car, the dealer has to buy it back from you for the same price you paid for it.

[thebraketester]

Sorry I should have put it in the post. £1.50 per mile.

[Krikkit]

thebraketester said:

Sorry I should have put it in the post. £1.50 per mile.

Ridiculous, even 45p would be pretty steep.

[Ted Maul]

thebraketester said:

Sorry I should have put it in the post. £1.50 per mile.

How many miles have you done? As a starter, £1.50 per mile is taking the proverbial.

[Roger Irrelevant]

thebraketester said:

Sorry I should have put it in the post. £1.50 per mile.

Christ!!! That's absolutely ridiculous, no way would that stand up in court unless like I said you've otherwise knackered the car somehow.

[MercedesClassic]

snuffy said:

MercedesClassic said:

No agreed price per mile either so that could be determined by the dealer who could effectively price you out of your rejection request.

https://www.thecarexpert.co.uk/rejecting-a-car/#3-...

That's my point. If you buy a car for say £10k and you think it's a pile of crap and tell the dealer you are rejecting it and they say "ok, we will take the car back, here's £5k for it", it's hardly you rejecting it, you are just selling it back to them at a lower price than you paid for - it's a "rejection" in name only.

However, it appears that that is how it works legally.

Yes sir, I was going to reference back to your post but couldn’t drafting it. You’re a bit at the mercy of the dealer after 30 day no quibble period ends and as OP states ‘you’re over a barrel’

@OP - we need more details about this case. I note yiu say it’s been issues from the start. If I was me I’d have initiated the rejection within the first 30 days and the obligation is in the dealer to collect and give a full refund.
Now as some months have past and your put on 1000 for example at 45ppm that’s £450 off what you paid. I can’t answer if you think that’s a good offer or not. I think you need to escalate to the Ombudsman for advice and maybe their leverage with the dealer.

In November my mate bought his first car after not having one for 10 years. A Pug 308 diesel. He had it two weeks and one morning it had an inch of water around drivers footwell and wouldn’t start. He got it recovered to the dealer and they promised to fix it but I advised totally rejection and refund which they did albeit after they got the V5 he was waiting on.
They have the car for sale again still with the mats he bought from Halfords in it

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

As a starter for ten I'd get a valuation from webuyanycar.

Subtract this from the buy price & divide by the number of miles covered. Not an exact science, but would give a "feel" of a reasonable ppm chargeback.