Not upheld: unsatisfactory quality of goods supplied under hire-purchase agreement complaint against Startline Motor Finance Limited
Financial Ombudsman decision DRN-6286958 of 2026-06-10T00:00:00+00:00. unsatisfactory quality of goods supplied under hire-purchase agreement complaint against Startline Motor Finance Limited. Outcome: Not upheld.
Decision detail
| Reference | DRN-6286958 |
|---|---|
| Decision date | 2026-06-10T00:00:00+00:00 |
| Firm | Startline Motor Finance Limited |
| Product | Motor finance (PCP / HP) |
| Claim type | unsatisfactory quality of goods supplied under hire-purchase agreement |
| Outcome | Not upheld |
| Remedy | No remedy ordered. The ombudsman acknowledged Mrs B may be able to recover reasonable costs if she obtains further expert evidence that proves her claim, but based on the evidence presented, Startline is not required to repair the vehicle or accept its rejection. |
Summary
Mrs B purchased a seven-year-old used car with 64,000 miles through a hire-purchase agreement with Startline in August 2025. Within four months, the vehicle experienced multiple faults including brake issues, transmission warnings, and ultimately a breakdown in December 2025 with a suspected clutch actuator fault. Mrs B complained to Startline and indicated her intention to reject the vehicle if repairs were unsuccessful. Startline arranged an independent inspection by Business I, which concluded the transmission fault developed after purchase and was not present at sale, supported by the vehicle's successful coverage of 4,000 miles before failure. The ombudsman found insufficient evidence that the faults were present or developing at point of supply and concluded the issues were consistent with normal wear and tear for a vehicle of this age and mileage, therefore not upholding the complaint.
The Ombudsman's reasoning
The ombudsman applied the Consumer Rights Act 2015 test for satisfactory quality, which requires faults to have been present or developing at the point of supply. The ombudsman gave significant weight to Business I's independent inspection report, which concluded the transmission fault developed after purchase and was not evident at sale, supported by the fact the vehicle successfully covered 4,000 miles before failure. The ombudsman noted that for a seven-year-old vehicle with 64,000 miles, some wear and tear is reasonably expected, and the clutch actuator is a high-wear component. The ombudsman found the brake pads, tyres, and battery issues were consistent with normal wear and tear for a vehicle of this age and mileage. The ombudsman concluded Mrs B would need expert evidence of equivalent status to overcome Business I's report to succeed in her claim.
How this compares
| Group | Decisions | Uphold rate |
|---|---|---|
| Startline Motor Finance Limited, all decisions | 489 | 50% |
| Motor finance (PCP / HP), all decisions | 18,521 | 38% |
Source
Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website