Need advice

[Transform_IT]

Hi everyone,

I need some advice regarding a recent car sale that has turned problematic. Here's what happened:

On July 8, I had a potential buyer come to view a BMW M4 that I had listed for £18,000 on Facebook Marketplace. After some negotiations over Facebook Messenger, we agreed on a price of £17,000 because I needed the funds urgently for a house purchase.

The buyer, who claimed to be a car detailer, pointed out some issues with the bodywork that I wasn't aware of, indicating it might have been repainted. He inspected the car thoroughly, including under the bonnet, and took it for a test drive. Although he drove it aggressively, he seemed satisfied with its mechanical condition but concerned about the bodywork.

Initially, he offered £15,000, which I declined. Eventually, we settled on £16,000. He insisted on completing the sale that evening despite the rain. He came back with his girlfriend and another friend, inspected the car again, and transferred the money.

I didn't have the V5 document at hand since it was in storage, but I had applied for a replacement, which has now arrived and been sent to him.

Ten days later, he contacted me, reporting several issues:
- A coolant tank leak.
- Blue smoke from the exhaust.
- A vibration possibly due to a leaking CV joint boot.
- Hesitation and misfiring diagnosed as a turbo oil leak, requiring turbo replacement.

He claims these problems weren't present during the test drive and wants me to either:
1. Accept a return of the car.
2. Pay half of the repair costs, amounting to £1,000.

I was unaware of these issues at the time of the sale. The car had passed an MOT and I had receipts for recent repairs, totaling £1,650. The sale was at a lower price due to my urgent need for funds.

I'm unsure of my legal standing. Does anyone have advice on how to handle this situation? I sold the car as seen, and these issues could have arisen post-sale.

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[Transform_IT]

I have a hand written receipt which we both signed stating the car, the price, the reg and the fact V5 would be sent after sale.

Has he got a sold/received, as seen, signed letter too, from the point where money changed hands;
obviously sounds bizarre that he would exchange money without seeing v5 as proof of ownership

 

[Transform_IT]

he’s got no real rights as a private seller/buyer. The only time it’s an issue is if you knew about it and misrepresented the car. But good luck proving that..

No, I didn't know of any mechanical issues other than the bodywork, which was only apparent after he pointed them out to me. His intention was to wrap the vehicle as he didnt like the colour. On the drive home he phoned me and said there was a vibration when doing 80mph on the motorway, I said it was likely the tyres as they were old and needed replacing which agaon was discussed prior to the sale. He said that's fine as he was buying new alloys and tyres anyway. He then messaged me a few days later saying he'd been to a tyre specialist who confirmed the two front tyres had bulges and would be the reason for the wobble.

10 days later he is now saying with the new alloys there is still a vibration and believes it's the exhaust, which makes no sense or the CV joint which has a perished boot.

He then said the car has developed a misfire and there is blue smoke and as a result the exhaust valves don't open fully. He has had the issue diagnosed and it's apparently the turbo seals. He has been told if hes replacing the seals, he may as well replace the turbos as the labour is the largest cost and whilst they are there and in bits it makes financial sense and will future proof the car. He has been quoted a minimum of £2.2k for this work. He has also said that he drove the vehicle for a bit and heard a hissing sound, and when he pulled over he popped the bonnet and the coolant tank was empty. He opened the head tank and the coolant began bubbling and was very low. None of these issues were present when the vehicle was sold. The first day he viewed it, he had it sat idling from cold for 20 mins and then i took him out in it and after 10 minutes he drove it for 20 mins. The next day when he returned to pay and collect the vehicle he had it idling from cold for 30 mins, again no smoke or running issues. He then drove it home 45 mins and then contacted me 10 days later with these issues. He did say he hadn't driven the vehicle since and this was the first day of driving it due to being away.

He has asked to either return the car, which I'm not in a position to do as the monies have been spend paying the deposit of my new house. Or, for me to pay him £1000 to help him pay for these repairs. He has said a family member who is clued up on law has advised him to do this.

Thanks.

 

[Transform_IT]

He wants exactly half the repair costs, which happen to be exactly £1000, which is also the exact amount he paid over his initial offer of £15,000?

Yeh, and he mentioned that. He said if I pay him £1k, it's only the same as the £15k I initially offered.

 

[Transform_IT]

Was it a cat s?

£16k seems cheap unless it 100,000++ miles

Sadly the market has completely fallen on its arse. It made £17,400 on ebay, but after discovering the issues with the paint, it didn't seem fair to proceed with the sale, which I told the winning buyer.

MOTORWAY and WeBuyAnyCar offered £18,000, but again, the paint can't be unseen now, so they wouldn't no doubt knock me down for that. Also, the car was sold with an issue with the amp which needs replacing. This is due to the rear wing filling with water and submerging the amp. A common fault if the drain plugs aren't kept clear.

All of this was factored in when selling the vehicle and the buyer was fully aware.