We know that choosing a car is an important decision so all the vehicles listed on the site are from dealers with strong reputations to help increase transparency, honesty and trust in your purchase.
All AA Cars dealers adhere to the AA Dealer Promise Code of Practice which ensures that your vehicle comes with:- A detailed history check via Experian
- A minimum of 6 months MOT on every vehicle
- All available V5 and service records
- Allow you to test drive any vehicle upon request
- Allow an Independent inspection if requested
- Provide every vehicle in a good condition
- Work closely with AA Cars giving you peace of mind that there is someone to turn to should an issue arise
The unique mediation proposal offered by Dealer Promise means AA Cars will act as a broker between you and the dealer if issues need to be escalated and resolved. The key objective of the service is to create a line of recourse for you if a problem develops with your recently purchased vehicle. In these scenarios, AA Cars aims to mediate the best and fairest solution for both parties.
Before you contact us, know your legal rights
You may find the following link useful as it details your Consumer Rights following the purchase of a vehicle:
https://www.theaa.com/car-buying/legal-rights
As outlined by Citizens Advice, for a guide on your legal rights when buying a used car, click on the following link for further information:
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/buying-or-repairing-a-car/problems-with-a-used-car/
Alternatively, you can also contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133 for further assistance.
Take a look at our Q&A
-
I bought a car from a dealer but within the first 30 days there is a problem - what can I do?
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, when a fault develops in a recently purchased vehicle, you must stop using the vehicle immediately and make the dealer aware of this in order to give them the opportunity to diagnose the fault.
-
I asked the dealer to refund me because of a fault with my vehicle but they said I wasn't entitled to one because it's wear and tear - what are my rights?
Dealers are not usually required to provide a refund or rectify any component that fails due to fair wear and tear. However, the vehicle will still need to conform to any description given to it and should be judged in accordance with the standard and performance that is reasonable to expect in a similar vehicle of that age, mileage and model.
For example, an old vehicle with a high mileage will not be expected to be as good as a newer vehicle with a low mileage, but it should still be fit for use on the road, in a condition which reflects its age and price.
-
I recently bought a car but don’t think it’s right for me so have changed my mind - can I return the vehicle to the dealer and get my money back?
You cannot reject your car simply because you have changed your mind if you visited the dealership before purchase - you can only reject it if a fault occurs. However, if you bought the vehicle at a distance without visiting the dealership, you have 14 days from the date of delivery to return the vehicle for a refund - it is your responsibility to return the vehicle and not the dealers.
-
My vehicle has a fault which has been diagnosed - what are my options?
Within the first 30 days of purchasing the vehicle, you may have the option to reject the vehicle and obtain a full refund on your purchase. Alternatively, you can give the dealer one opportunity to repair the vehicle - failure to repair the vehicle may entitle you to a refund.
If a fault comes to light after 30 days but before 6 months have passed, then you may be entitled to a repair, replacement or refund. It is assumed in law that the fault was present at the time of purchase unless the seller can prove otherwise. During this period, unless you have agreed otherwise, the seller (dealer) has only one opportunity to repair (or replace) the faulty vehicle, after which, if they fail to repair it, you may be entitled to a refund. In the event of a refund being due after 30 days from purchase and during the first six months, the seller is permitted to make a 'reasonable' adjustment to the amount refunded to take account of the use that you have had of the vehicle since you bought it.
-
I reported the fault to the dealer but have not heard back - what do I do now?
If you have contacted the dealer and haven’t heard back within a reasonable time, then we would recommend you contact the dealer again, both verbally and in writing. You would need to advise them that if they do not repair the vehicle within a reasonable time, then you may have no other choice other than to take it to another garage and the dealer may be liable for the cost of the repairs.
It is not advisable for you to have any work carried out relating to the fault that you have reported to the dealer without taking the above steps as it may affect your rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 to claim that money back.
-
The dealer is too far away from me to return it to them to have any repair work completed - Can I take it to my local garage to complete the repair work?
Under no circumstances should you ever take the vehicle to a garage of your choice to have any work completed on it without prior authorisation from the dealer.
As stated in the Consumer Rights Act 2015, the dealer should always be given the first opportunity to repair the vehicle and would not be liable for any costs you have incurred by taking the vehicle to an alternative garage without the dealers’ prior knowledge and consent.
-
My own garage has diagnosed a fault, however when the vehicle was returned to the dealer, they inspected the car and could not find a fault - What happens now?
An independent inspection should be completed on the vehicle by a third party not linked to either the dealer or customer - An AA inspection, for example, would be deemed as an independent inspection.
We would recommend that both parties agree on the independent garage/service that will be carrying out the inspection prior to anything being confirmed.
The cost incurred for carrying out an independent inspection would need to be agreed between yourself and the dealer, however it may be likely that you would need to pay for the inspection initially and if a fault is found, then recompense for the inspection could be sought from the dealer.
-
The vehicle can not be driven back to the dealer because of the fault - how can I get the car back?
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, within 6 months of purchasing the vehicle, if a fault has been proven and the car cannot be driven to the dealer, it is the responsibility of the dealer to recover the vehicle at no cost to the customer unless stated otherwise at the time of purchase.
-
Something seemed wrong with my car so I took it to a local garage who looked at it and repaired the fault. I have tried to send the dealer the bill for repair works but they are refusing to pay - Should they pay the bill?
Under no circumstances should you ever take the vehicle to a garage of your choice to have any work completed on it without prior authorisation from the dealer.
As stated in the Consumer Rights Act 2015, the dealer should always be given the first opportunity to repair the vehicle and would not be liable for any costs you have incurred by taking the vehicle to an alternative garage without the dealers’ prior knowledge and consent.
In this instance, the dealer was not given the first opportunity to diagnose the fault in order to repair it, therefore the dealer is not liable to pay the bill.
-
Does the price advertised on a vehicle include any additional charges such as admin fees?
Although we expect our dealers to include all fees in the advertised price, we would always recommend that you check this with the dealership directly prior to purchase.
