Key takeaways
- Faulty car from a dealer? The Act lets you reject it
- First 30 days: full refund, no deduction, no forced repair
- 30 days to 6 months: one repair, then you can reject
- Reject in writing and keep the keys and V5C until it is settled
- Used cars and cars on finance too; private sales are the exception
On this page
Your legal right to reject
If you bought your car from a dealer — a garage, a car supermarket, a franchised showroom or a trader online — the Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives you a clear right to reject it if it does not meet the standard you are entitled to expect, and to have the price refunded rather than be held to repair after repair.
The Act gives you a ladder of remedies: a refund (by rejecting the car), a repair or replacement, or a price reduction if you keep it. Which rungs are open to you depends almost entirely on how long you have owned the car — so timing is the first thing to pin down.
The three time windows that decide your rights
How strong your position is depends heavily on how long you have owned the car. There are three key stages — read the full detail in our guide to car rejection time limits.
First 30 days
Short-term right to reject
Your strongest right. Reject outright and demand a full refund with no deduction. The dealer cannot insist on repairing it first, and the refund is due within 14 days.
30 days – 6 months
One repair, then reject
Allow one repair or replacement. If it fails (or they refuse), you gain the final right to reject. The fault is presumed present at purchase, so the burden is on the dealer.
6 months – 6 years
Rights continue — you prove it
You must show the fault was present or developing at sale, usually via an independent inspection. Claims run up to 6 years in England & Wales (5 in Scotland).
Watch the 30-day clock. It runs in calendar days from the day you took delivery, not working days — but it pauses while the car is with the dealer for a repair. The six-month mark matters too: before it, the dealer must prove the car was fine; after it, the burden is on you.
One quirk applies to cars specifically: while most goods carry no deduction for use if you reject in the first six months, motor vehicles are an exception — a dealer can make a reasonable deduction for the miles you have covered. We cover how that is calculated in fair use deductions explained.
Can you reject it? The three tests
To reject a car you need a genuine breach of one of the three standards every car sold by a dealer must meet. Most cases turn on satisfactory quality, which includes safety and durability — so a gearbox that fails within weeks, a hidden accident repair, or a fault that makes the car unroadworthy will usually qualify, even on an older car.
Satisfactory quality
The standard a reasonable person would expect given the age, mileage, price and description — including safety, durability and freedom from defects. Most car cases turn on this.
What counts as satisfactory qualityFit for purpose
Fit to be used as a car — and for any specific purpose you told the dealer about (such as towing). If it can't do the job it was sold for, you can reject it.
What legally counts as a faultAs described
Matches the advert and the salesperson’s claims — service history, owners, spec, or that it had never been in an accident. Mis-description is a breach.
Proving the fault was there at purchaseThere are limits: you cannot reject for fair wear and tear, for a fault you were clearly told about before buying, or one an examination you carried out should have revealed. Not sure which way your case falls? Put your reg into the free check and it works it out from your purchase date.
Rejecting a car for a specific fault
Your rights are the same whatever the fault, but the evidence and typical arguments differ. These guides cover the faults people most often reject cars over — each one walks through how to prove it and reject.
How to reject a faulty car: 5 steps
Rejecting a car is a process, not a single email. Follow these five steps to give yourself the strongest possible position.
Step 1: Stop driving the car
Once a serious fault appears, stop using the car where you safely can. Continuing to drive it can be treated as “accepting” the car and weakens a rejection.
Step 2: Gather your evidence
Photograph and video the fault, keep the advert and paperwork, log dates and conversations, and get a diagnostic or independent inspection report. Evidence wins car disputes.
Step 3: Reject in writing
Put your rejection in writing to the dealer, state the fault, cite the Consumer Rights Act 2015, and say clearly that you are rejecting the car and want a refund. Send it recorded delivery.
Step 4: Make the car available — don’t hand it back
You must make the car available for the dealer to collect, but you are not obliged to deliver it back. Don’t hand over the keys, the V5C or the car itself until the refund is agreed.
Step 5: Hold the deadline, then escalate
Give a clear deadline (14 days is standard). If they ignore you or refuse, escalate: a letter before action, then an ombudsman, the small claims court, or your finance company.
The rejection letter
Your rejection should always be in writing — it creates the paper trail that decides these disputes. State the fault, cite the Consumer Rights Act 2015, say plainly that you are rejecting the car and want a refund, and set a deadline. Our guide to the car rejection letter sets out what it must say and the paragraph that changes with your dates, and what evidence to include alongside it.
Or have the letter written from your answers.
- Enter your reg
- Get your verdict
- Reject your faulty car
Free · No card · About 2 minutes
Cars bought on finance
If you bought on PCP or HP, the finance company legally owns the car until it is paid off — which means they are responsible under the Consumer Rights Act, and you reject the car to them as well as the dealer. It sounds like a complication, but it usually gives you more protection, not less. See our full guide to rejecting a car on finance for the detail.
Start with how finance-company liability and Section 75 work, then the specifics for rejecting a car on HP or on PCP. Rejection is not the same as voluntary termination — that hands the car back but does not refund you.
If the dealer refuses
Some dealers stop replying, or say no and wait. There is a clear escalation path for that, and every rung of it comes before a courtroom.
Chase letter
Remind the dealer in writing of your rejection and set a firm final deadline. If the dealer ignores you →
Free
Ombudsman / ADR
The Motor Ombudsman (accredited dealers) or the Financial Ombudsman if you bought on finance. Using the Motor Ombudsman →
Free
Letter before action
A formal pre-court warning giving the dealer a last chance (usually 14 days) to settle. Letter before action guide →
Free
Small claims court
Issue a county court claim for cars up to £10,000 (England & Wales). Straightforward to do yourself. Small claims for car disputes →
From £35
Your refund & deductions
In the first 30 days your refund is the full amount you paid, with no deduction, due within 14 days. After that, on a final rejection the dealer can make a reasonable, proportionate deduction for the use you have had — and for cars this can apply even in the first six months. A “use” deduction is worth checking before you accept it, so compare the figure against our fair use deductions guide.
You can also usually claim 8% statutory interest and consequential costs (such as insurance or hire) you were put to. Work out what you are owed with our interest calculator.
What a dealer might say, and what the Act says
Some of the lines you may hear when you reject a car, and where the law actually stands.
“The car was sold as seen.”
The reality: Meaningless for a consumer buying from a trader. Your statutory rights cannot be removed by a sign, a disclaimer or a signature.
“You have to let us repair it — you can’t just reject it.”
The reality: Not in the first 30 days. During the short-term right to reject you can refuse a repair and insist on a refund. Only after 30 days must you allow one repair attempt.
“It’s just wear and tear.”
The reality: Genuine wear and tear is not a fault — but a component failing far sooner than it reasonably should is. Durability is part of satisfactory quality; an independent report settles it.
“The warranty is your only option.”
The reality: A warranty sits on top of your legal rights — it never replaces them. You can rely on the Consumer Rights Act even if a warranty claim is refused.
Rejecting a used car
The same law protects you when you buy a used car from a dealer, but satisfactory quality is judged against what is reasonable for that car’s age, mileage and price. You cannot reject a ten-year-old car for showing its age — but you can reject it for a serious fault a reasonable buyer would not expect, or one that makes it unsafe. For more, see your rights buying a used car and when you can reject for minor faults. Buying new instead? See rejecting a faulty new car.
Bought privately instead? The Consumer Rights Act does not apply — see your (narrower) rights buying from a private seller.
Frequently asked questions
Rejecting a car means formally telling the dealer, in writing, that you are exercising your legal right to return the car and have your money back because it is faulty — not asking for a favour or a goodwill gesture. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 a dealer cannot refuse a valid rejection, and the process almost always starts with a rejection letter.
Yes. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 you can reject a car bought from a dealer if it is of unsatisfactory quality, not fit for purpose, or not as described. Within the first 30 days of ownership you are entitled to reject it for a full refund.
You have a short-term right to reject for a full refund within the first 30 days. Between 30 days and six months you must allow one repair attempt before you can reject. After six months your rights continue but you must prove the fault was present at purchase, up to six years (five in Scotland).
It is best not to. Continuing to use a car after you have rejected it can be treated as accepting it and can weaken your position. Stop driving it where you safely can, and make it available for the dealer to collect.
Yes. With PCP or HP finance the finance company owns the car and is responsible under the Consumer Rights Act, so you reject the car to them as well as the dealer. Buying on finance usually gives you stronger protection.
Yes. The Consumer Rights Act applies to used cars bought from a dealer, though the standard expected is adjusted for the age, mileage and price of the car. A fault a reasonable buyer would not expect can still be rejected.
Largely no. The Consumer Rights Act only covers purchases from a trader. When buying privately your only real protection is that the car must be “as described”, plus the law on misrepresentation.
Usually not. Most car rejections are resolved with a written rejection, an ombudsman complaint or the small claims court, which is designed to be used without a solicitor. Specialist help can be worth it for high-value or complex disputes.
This guide is general information about your rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, not legal advice for your specific situation.