Turbo failure is one of the most expensive repairs you can face – often £1,500 to £3,500 or more. When a turbo fails shortly after buying a car, it rarely happens without warning signs that existed at purchase.
How Turbos Work (Simply)
A turbocharger forces extra air into the engine, creating more power from less fuel. It spins at up to 250,000 RPM, operates at extreme temperatures, requires constant oil lubrication, and has very fine tolerances.
When things go wrong, they go wrong badly – and usually expensively.
Common Causes of Turbo Failure
Oil Starvation
The most common cause. The turbo needs a constant flow of clean oil. Failure occurs when the oil level drops too low, oil isn't changed regularly, the oil feed pipe becomes blocked, or the wrong oil type is used.
Key point: Oil starvation doesn't happen overnight. The oil system was likely compromised before you bought the car.
Contaminated Oil
Metal particles from a failing engine can damage the turbo. If oil contamination caused your turbo failure, there's likely an underlying engine problem that existed at purchase.
Worn Seals
Turbo seals degrade over time, causing oil to leak into the exhaust (producing blue or grey smoke), oil to leak into the intake (burning oil), and loss of boost pressure.
Seal wear is gradual – visible symptoms usually preceded the failure.
Foreign Object Damage
Something entered the turbo through the intake – a failed air filter, debris from a failing intercooler, or broken manifold components. This damage is often visible on inspection.
Overspeeding/Overboosting
Usually caused by wastegate failure, boost control issues, or ECU problems. These are component failures that develop over time.
Your Consumer Rights
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, the car must be of satisfactory quality, including being durable.
When Turbo Failure Supports Rejection
You have strong grounds if the turbo failed within the first few months of purchase, you've added low mileage since buying, there's evidence of pre-existing problems, and the dealer didn't disclose any turbo issues when selling.
Evidence of Pre-Existing Problems
Turbos don't just fail spontaneously. Look for evidence that problems existed: service history gaps (missed oil changes accelerate wear), previous smoke complaints recorded in service notes or MOT advisories, existing oil leaks showing turbo seals were already failing, low oil level at purchase indicating ongoing consumption, MOT advisories mentioning smoke, oil leaks, or emissions issues, and diagnostic codes stored in the ECU (turbo-related fault codes may be logged from before your purchase).
The 6-Month Rule
Within 6 months, the law presumes the fault existed at purchase. The dealer must prove otherwise.
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Building Your Case
Step 1: Get a Diagnosis
Have the turbo inspected by a specialist. Ask them to report on the cause of failure, whether signs of wear were visible, an estimated time the problem was developing, and any evidence of pre-existing issues. Get this in writing – an independent inspection report is crucial.
Step 2: Check the History
Check the MOT history for emissions failures and smoke advisories. Review the service records for oil change regularity. Look at previous owner patterns – multiple owners in a short time can suggest known problems.
Step 3: Document Current State
Take photographs of the failed turbo, record the oil condition (is it black, sludgy, or contaminated?), and note the mileage when the failure occurred versus the mileage at purchase. Keep everything.
Step 4: Calculate Your Position
Compare your mileage at purchase with the mileage at failure, and note how few miles you've actually done.
If the turbo failed after you added 3,000 miles to a car with 80,000 miles, you didn't cause this problem.
What to Write to the Dealer
To: [Dealer]
Re: Rejection – Turbo Failure
Vehicle: [Registration]
Dear Sir/Madam,
On [date], I purchased [vehicle] from you at [mileage] miles for £[price].
On [date], at [current mileage] miles, the turbo failed. I have had the vehicle inspected by [specialist/garage], who confirmed [cause of failure].
The turbo failure indicates this vehicle was not of satisfactory quality when sold:
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Durability – A turbo should last well over 100,000 miles with proper maintenance. Failure at [X] miles indicates underlying issues.
-
Pre-existing condition – [Include specific evidence: oil contamination, service history gaps, previous smoke issues, etc.]
-
Development period – I have added only [X] miles to this vehicle. Turbo failure develops over thousands of miles, not the relatively short distance I have driven.
[If within 6 months]: Under Section 19(14) of the Consumer Rights Act, the fault is presumed to have existed at purchase.
I am rejecting this vehicle under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and require a full refund of £[amount].
Please respond within 14 days.
Yours faithfully, [Your name]
Common Dealer Responses
"Turbos are wear items"
Turbos are designed to last the life of the engine with proper maintenance. They're not like brake pads. A turbo failing within months of purchase was already failing when sold.
"You must have driven it hard"
Ask them to explain how your driving style in [X] miles caused a turbo failure, when the previous owner drove [Y] miles without issue. The maths doesn't support this.
"The oil wasn't changed"
If you've owned the car for 3 months and added 2,000 miles, you weren't due an oil change yet. The oil condition was set by the previous owner and the dealer who sold it to you.
"It's a diesel, they're expensive to maintain"
True, but irrelevant to your consumer rights. The car still has to be of satisfactory quality when sold.
Finance Protection
If you bought the car on PCP, HP, or paid any deposit on credit card, the finance company is jointly liable. Contact them alongside the dealer – they can pressure the dealer to resolve the issue, and you can claim against them directly if the dealer refuses.
Repair vs Reject
If You Want to Keep the Car
You can request the dealer repair the turbo instead of rejecting. After 30 days, you must usually allow one repair attempt before rejecting.
But consider whether they'll fit a quality replacement, whether there are other underlying issues (oil contamination suggests broader engine problems), and whether you trust the car now.
If You Want Your Money Back
Rejection returns your purchase price. Within 30 days, you can reject immediately. After 30 days, you must allow one repair attempt – if it fails or takes too long, you can then reject.
What About Independent Repairs?
If you repaired the turbo yourself before realising you had consumer rights, you may have weakened your rejection case (you've "accepted" the goods). However, you can still claim the repair cost as damages. Get the old turbo back as evidence if possible and keep all invoices and diagnostic reports.
Recommended reading
Prevention When Buying
For your next car purchase:
Check for Turbo Health
Listen for whining or whistling sounds, check for smoke on acceleration, look for oil leaks around the turbo, and feel for responsive boost delivery.
Verify Service History
Regular oil changes are crucial for turbo longevity. Check the correct oil specification was used and there's no evidence of oil starvation.
Get an Inspection
A pre-purchase inspection should check turbo operation and look for warning signs.
Research the Model
Some engines have known turbo weaknesses. Forums and reliability surveys can warn you.
The Bottom Line
Turbos don't fail overnight – problems develop over thousands of miles, making pre-existing issues highly likely if failure occurs shortly after purchase. Within 6 months, the fault is presumed to have been present at sale. Document everything: the cause of failure, service history, and mileage comparison. Finance gives extra protection via Section 75, so write to the finance company at the same time as the dealer. Don't accept "wear and tear" as an excuse – turbos should last well over 100,000 miles with proper maintenance. And consider the underlying cause, because oil issues often suggest other engine problems that may surface later.
Turbo failed on a car you recently bought? Check if you qualify for our rejection service – we'll help you pursue a refund.
