Crackdown on safety of used cars sold by Central Bedfordshire car dealers

A crackdown on the safety of used cars being sold in Central Bedfordshire uncovered faults including a broken suspension that could have made the vehicle dangerous to drive.

Central Bedfordshire’s Trading Standards team took part in a two-day Operation Jumpstart, with council officers deciding which car traders to visit after reviewing consumer complaints and other intelligence.

Trading Standards officers visited car trader forecourts looking for any evidence of misrepresentation in connection with claimed mileage, vehicle descriptions, vehicle specifications and service history. Back-office checks were also undertaken, where complaints policies, sales paperwork, warranties, and other due diligence paperwork were examined.

The DEKRA vehicle examiner inspected three vehicles at each premise, for critical safety faults such as illegal tyres, structural corrosion, poor braking systems, damaged steering, and suspension.

The visits uncovered, a vehicle odometer with no recorded mileage, illegal tinted headlights, vehicles without screen pricing which could potentially disadvantage a buyer, vehicles described as sold as spares and repairs, which could be deemed as seeking to limit a consumer’s statutory rights. One vehicle was found to have a broken rear spring, a vital part of any vehicles suspension system, making the vehicle potentially dangerous to drive.

And officers served ‘Removal from Sale Notices’ at two premises – meaning the vehicles had to be immediately removed from sale from the forecourt and any websites. Trading Standards is now conducting ongoing investigations into possible offences.

Councillor Ian Bond, Deputy Executive Member for Community Services, said: "We review every complaint and pick out the ones which cause us concern, or which show patterns. In some instances, we would try to speak to the traders to advise and guide them on their responsibilities, but others may go straight to criminal investigation."

“There’s no excuse for traders to list for sale, vehicles which have not undergone a comprehensive mechanical inspection by a competent engineer. Consumers are entitled to be treated fairly and if they do choose to purchase a vehicle, they have a right to expect that the vehicle is as described by the trader and safe to be on the road.”

You can report a problem with a business or product to the Council by contacting the Citizens Advice consumer helpline.