Faulty, stolen or written-off used cars: costs and checks

The risk

What can go wrong, and what it costs

In a poll for Citizens Advice in April 2024, more than one in four people (28%) who had bought a used car in the ten years before said they'd had a problem with it: most often the car turning out to be defective (30%), then damage they weren't told about (27%) and a higher mileage than they were told (19%).¹

Faulty. In an RAC survey of 2,395 drivers in April 2025, 65% had paid for unexpected repairs to their car in the year before.² Have the car inspected before you pay, and know your rights if you buy from a dealer.
Written off before. A past write-off can put buyers off, however well the car was repaired, and insurers are likely to value it lower.³ In six Financial Ombudsman Service decisions from 2022 to 2026, insurers settling a claim took between 10% and 32.30% off a car's value for a past write-off. Find out before you agree a price: Cat S and Cat N: what a write-off category means sets the six out.
Stolen. If it was stolen, it generally isn't yours, whatever you paid.⁴ Police advice in Northern Ireland is that innocent buyers of stolen cars may have the car taken from them, lose the money they paid, and be arrested as part of police enquiries.⁵ Check it isn't recorded as stolen: see How to check if a car is stolen.
Clocked. A reduced mileage inflates a car's value, so you pay more than it's worth.⁶ The MOT history records the mileage at each test.⁷ Compare it, and ask about any reading lower than the one before.
Still on finance. Can the lender take it back? If a car on hire purchase or conditional sale is sold before it's paid off, the law protects a private buyer who bought "in good faith without notice" of the agreement.⁸ Northern Ireland has the same rule in its own Act.⁸ But you can still end up in a dispute with the lender. Check whether money is still owed on it before you pay.

What to do before you buy

Do these in this order. The prices and the card limits are from Citizens Advice.

The records

Check the free MOT history on GOV.UK: whether each test was passed or failed, and the mileage recorded.^{7, 9}
Run a history check for what the MOT history doesn't show: whether it's been reported stolen, whether money is still owed on it, and whether it's been written off and put back on the road. It costs up to £20.⁹

The car

Have it inspected. An MOT doesn't cover the condition of the engine, clutch or gearbox.¹⁰ An independent inspection, around £120 to £250, gives detailed information about the car's condition.⁹

For what to look at on the car yourself, see Before you buy a used car.

Paying

Pay by credit card if you can: it gives you protection for a car costing between £100 and £30,000, even if you pay only part on the card.⁹

Roadworthy checks tax, MOT and MOT history from scanning or entering a number plate. Its full history check, £6.99, also shows whether a car is recorded as stolen on the Police National Computer.

Check a car with Roadworthy

Free, for Android. The full history check is £6.99: what it checks.

Check before you pay

On a £5,000 car, a history check and an inspection together cost up to about £270, around 5% of the price. That's what it costs to know what's on its record and what condition it's in before you hand over the money.

Your rights

Where you buy changes your rights

From a dealer. The car must be of satisfactory quality, fit for any purpose you told them about, and as described.¹¹ Within 30 days, you can reject it for a full refund, though you have to show the fault was there when you bought it.^{11, 12} Within six months, if you ask for a repair or replacement instead, the fault is taken to have been there, unless the dealer proves it wasn't.^{11, 12} In Northern Ireland, nidirect gives the same 30 days and six months, and says the dealer gets one chance to repair or replace the car.⁶
From a private seller. The car has to match its description.¹³ In England, Scotland and Wales, no one may sell a car that isn't roadworthy, unless it's clearly sold as spares or for repair.¹¹ In Northern Ireland, you can claim if the seller misrepresented its age or mileage, but not for faults.⁶
At an auction. Citizens Advice says you probably won't have the protection you'd have from a dealer.⁹

So if you want the law on your side, buy from a dealer. "Sold as seen" or "trade sale" can't take those rights away, a warranty is on top of them, and you may also be able to claim extra losses, such as the cost of recovering a car that's broken down.¹¹

Bought from a dealer online or by phone? You have 14 days to cancel, from the day you take the car.¹¹

A dealer should tell you if the car has been an insurance write-off, or if its mileage history doesn't add up: Trading Standards guidance names leaving either out as an example of a misleading omission.¹¹

Your rights for a fault can last up to six years (five in Scotland), Citizens Advice says, though it's usually easier to use them in the first six months.¹⁴

The catches

What a dealer's rights don't cover

After six months, you have to prove the fault was there when you bought it.¹¹
If you reject the car after a repair or replacement hasn't worked, the dealer can take off an amount for your use of it, even in the first six months.¹²
You can't claim for a fault you were told about and had explained, one you should have spotted when you inspected the car, one you caused, or normal wear and tear, Citizens Advice says.¹⁵

Found a problem? What to do first

Citizens Advice suggests these steps for England, Wales and Scotland, and nidirect for Northern Ireland.

First

In England and Wales, if you think it's stolen, call the police on 101 or take it to your local police station, and don't return it to the seller yourself.¹⁶ For Scotland and Northern Ireland, see How to check if a car is stolen.
Otherwise, complain to the person who sold you the car.^{6, 17}

Then

Check how you paid: a credit card or a debit card's "chargeback" scheme may give you another way to get your money back.⁹
If the dealer arranged your finance, ask the finance company too: you might be able to take action against it as well as the dealer.⁹

Still not sorted?

In England, Wales and Scotland, ask whether the dealer belongs to a trade association, such as the Motor Ombudsman, or look for a logo on its paperwork.¹⁷
If it does, contact the association: its conciliation or arbitration service acts as a go-between to help you and the dealer sort it out. The Motor Ombudsman is on 0345 241 3008.¹⁷
In Northern Ireland, if the dealer belongs to a trade association, nidirect says to write to the Retail Motor Industry Federation, or to the Motor Ombudsman for a car still under a manufacturer's warranty.⁶
In Northern Ireland, if you still can't resolve it, you may need to take legal action. For up to £5,000 you can use the Small Claims Court, without a solicitor; Consumerline, below, can advise you how to apply.⁶

In England and Wales: the Citizens Advice consumer helpline, 0808 223 1133.⁹

In Scotland: your local Citizens Advice bureau, or Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 164 6000.⁹

In Northern Ireland: Consumerline, the consumer advice helpline for the Trading Standards Service, on 0300 123 62 62.¹⁸

Sources

Citizens Advice, press release of 20 May 2024 on used cars
RAC, Two-thirds of drivers hit with unexpected car repair costs (21 November 2025)
Financial Ombudsman Service, Motor valuations and write-offs
legislation.gov.uk, Sale of Goods Act 1979, section 21
Police Service of Northern Ireland, Vehicle buying and selling advice
nidirect, Buying a new or used car
GOV.UK, Check the MOT history of a vehicle
legislation.gov.uk, Hire-Purchase Act 1964, section 27; Hire-Purchase Act (Northern Ireland) 1966, section 62
Citizens Advice, Buying a used car (also for Wales and Scotland)
GOV.UK, Getting an MOT: the MOT test
Business Companion (Trading Standards), Selling used vehicles
legislation.gov.uk, Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 19, section 22, section 24
legislation.gov.uk, Sale of Goods Act 1979, section 13
Citizens Advice, Claim using a warranty or guarantee
Citizens Advice, Problem with a used car (also for Wales and Scotland)
Citizens Advice, If you think you've bought stolen goods (also for Wales)
Citizens Advice, Getting help from a motor trade association (also for Wales and Scotland)
nidirect, About Consumerline and how to contact the helpline

First published 31 October 2026. Last updated 31 October 2026. General information, not legal advice.