Refund
£7,895
For consumers · England & Wales · Small claims under £10,000
Bought a faulty car?
Reject it under CRA 2015.
Dealer sold you a car that turned out to be faulty and now refuses to refund or fix it? The Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives you a 30-day right to reject, and a six-month presumption window after that. CourtPilot drafts the letter and the bundle.
We help you prepare the documents and file them yourself — you’re always the claimant on the record. Not a law firm, no legal advice given.
✓ CRA 2015 s.20 — short-term right to reject
✓ s.75 Consumer Credit Act if bought on finance
✓ s.69 interest at 8% recoverable
30-day right to reject ✓
30 days
Short-term right to reject a faulty car for a full refund — Consumer Rights Act 2015 s.22.
6 months
Period where the fault is presumed to have been there at sale — the dealer must prove otherwise.
s.75
Consumer Credit Act 1974 — joint liability of the finance company for credit purchases over £100.
Can you take this to court?
Five checks.
If most are yes, you’ve got a claim.
Used-car claims under £10,000 are some of the more winnable consumer cases — the CRA presumption shifts the burden to the dealer for the first six months, and an independent vehicle inspection puts the technical evidence beyond argument.
1
You bought a car from a dealer (not a private seller) that turned out to be faulty.
2
The fault was present at the time of purchase, or appeared within 6 months.
3
The dealer has refused to refund, repair or replace.
4
You have evidence of the fault — independent inspection, mechanic’s report, photos.
5
The amount you’re claiming is under £10,000.
· Eligibility self-check
✓You bought a car from a dealer (not a private seller) that turned out to be faulty.
✓The fault was present at the time of purchase, or appeared within 6 months.
✓The dealer has refused to refund, repair or replace.
✓You have evidence of the fault — independent inspection, mechanic’s report, photos.
What CourtPilot drafts for you
Pleaded to CRA 2015.
And s.75 where it applies.
Generic complaint letters don’t shift the burden of proof or invoke the finance company. CourtPilot drafts to CRA 2015 ss.19–24 and — if you bought on credit — adds the s.75 Consumer Credit Act 1974 angle to bring the finance company in too.
1
Letter Before Action — Names the vehicle, the fault, the CRA right being exercised and the 14-day deadline under the Practice Direction on Pre-Action Conduct.
2
Fault timeline & inspection summary — Mileage, dates, what was said at sale, what the independent inspection found — the chronology and evidence the court will look at first.
3
Particulars of Claim — Pleaded to CPR Part 16, citing CRA 2015 ss.9–11 (satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, as described) and ss.20–24 (consumer’s remedies). s.75 CCA where the car was bought on finance.
4
Witness statement & court bundle — Your account with the invoice, the inspection report, the correspondence and the photos exhibited — indexed and paginated for the hearing.
9:415G
Re: Faulty 2019 Ford Focus — refund under CRA 2015 s.20
Dear Sirs,
I write before issuing a claim in the County Court Money Claims Centre. On 7 April 2026 I purchased a 2019 Ford Focus (reg LV19 KXP) from Mercia Motors Ltd for £7,895. Within 18 days the dual-mass flywheel failed; an independent inspection on 28 April confirms the fault was present at the point of sale.
I exercise my short-term right to reject under Consumer Rights Act 2015 s.20 and require a full refund within 14 days…
Days used
18
Statute
CRA s.20
Deadline
14 days
Download Word doc →
The cost of being heard
Solicitors are expensive on used cars.
CourtPilot is one fee.
On a £7,000 used-car claim, a solicitor’s fee plus expert can eat the refund — and on the small-claims track none of that is recoverable. CourtPilot is one flat price covering letter, particulars and bundle.
What a solicitor charges
£1,000–£3,000
Plus their hourly rate after that
Typical solicitor fee for a small-claims used-car case — and that’s before the independent inspection (which is recoverable in the claim itself). Solicitor fees aren’t.
What CourtPilot charges
£97
One-off · the lot
LBA citing CRA 2015 (and s.75 CCA if relevant), fault timeline, particulars, witness statement, MCOL walkthrough, court bundle. One-off — credited against the £9.97 if you sent the letter first.
What changes
Nothing
You’re still the claimant
Same court, same forms, same procedure. You sign and file. We draft, walk you through MCOL, and produce the bundle.
Pricing, in one breath
£9.97 today. £97 if it goes the distance.
Send the letter first. Most disputes settle once a proper LBA lands. If yours doesn’t, the £9.97 comes off the toolkit — same total either way.
01 · Today
£9.97
Letter Before Action
Drafted from your invoice and the inspection, citing the section of the CRA you’re relying on and the 14-day deadline. A correctly-cited statute turns most dealer refund disputes around.
02 · If they don’t settle
£97
£87.03
Upgrade to the full toolkit
MCOL walkthrough, particulars, fault timeline, witness statement, court bundle, hearing script. £9.97 credited automatically.
03 · Included
Free
Finance-claim helper
Bought the car on HP, PCP or credit over £100? We add a parallel s.75 Consumer Credit Act claim against the finance company — often the faster route to a refund.
The questions people ask
The bits people always ask.
What is the 30-day right to reject a faulty car?+
Under Consumer Rights Act 2015 s.22, you have 30 days from delivery to reject a faulty car for a full refund. The car must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, and as described. If any of these aren’t met, you can return it within 30 days — no “one chance to repair” required.
What if the fault appears after 30 days?+
Between 30 days and 6 months, the fault is presumed to have been present at the time of sale under CRA 2015 s.19(14). The dealer must prove otherwise. You must give them one chance to repair or replace under s.23. If that fails, you’re entitled to a refund under s.24 (which may be reduced for use).
Can I claim against a private seller?+
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 only applies to purchases from a business. For private sales, the car only needs to be “as described”. If the private seller misrepresented the car’s condition, you may have a misrepresentation claim — but the bar is higher and the remedies narrower.
What if I bought the car on finance?+
If the car was on hire purchase, PCP, or a credit agreement over £100, you have a parallel claim against the finance company under Consumer Credit Act 1974 s.75. You can pursue the finance company instead of or alongside the dealer — finance companies tend to refund faster than dealers do.
Do I need an independent inspection?+
An independent inspection report from a qualified mechanic or engineer significantly strengthens your case — it should detail the faults and state whether they were likely present at sale. Typical cost £150–£300, and the cost is recoverable as part of your claim.
Two minutes · No card
Find out the cleanest route for your faulty car.
Free case check tells you whether you’re inside the 30-day reject window, whether s.75 applies, and the exact next step. No card required.