Not upheld: quality of goods - alleged unsatisfactory quality and lack of durability complaint against Toyota Financial Services (UK) PLC trading as Redline Financial Services (RFS)

Decision detail

Summary

Mr M acquired a used 2019 car under a hire purchase agreement with RFS in November 2022 for £15,664. The car was 3.5 years old with 44,787 miles at acquisition. In June 2024, the engine failed completely, requiring approximately £7,500 for replacement. Mr M complained that the car was not of satisfactory quality and that a water pump repair shortly after purchase indicated cooling-related issues were present at sale. The ombudsman rejected the complaint, finding that the 18-19 months and 11,000+ miles of use before failure indicated the fault was not present or developing at sale, and that the lack of manufacturer-recommended servicing prevented establishing the car was not reasonably durable. No remedy was ordered.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman applied the Consumer Rights Act 2015 satisfactory quality test, considering the car's age (3.5 years), mileage (44,787 miles), and price (£15,664) as relevant circumstances. The key reasoning was that had the engine fault been present or developing at sale, it would have manifested during the 18-19 months and 11,000+ miles Mr M drove the car before failure. The ombudsman noted the lack of detailed diagnostic evidence regarding the engine fault's cause and the absence of manufacturer-recommended servicing, which limited ability to establish the car was not reasonably durable. The water pump repair shortly after purchase, while completed under warranty, did not provide sufficient evidence of a developing defect leading to engine failure.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website