Worryingly, every car chosen for a spot-check on forecourts of leading second-hand dealers was found to be unroadworthy and below MoT safety standards. The shocking failures included exhaust and fuel system leaks, bald tyres, cracked windscreens, defective brakes and horns.
If they had been driven from garages, new owners lives' could have been at risk. They could also have faced fines and penalty points for having unroadworthy vehicles. And if you think these failures were limited to old bangers, you’re wrong, some of the cars were only two years old.
Dealers were said to have insisted privately that repairs would be carried out after deals were struck.
Peter Stratton, lead motor trade officer for the Trading Standards Institute (TSI), countered: "That is not good enough.
"I've never known a garage to decline a test drive, so cars should be roadworthy. I'm afraid the problem is all too common across the UK."
Test Drives
Citroen Saxo (1999) for sale at £4000: exhaust leak in which fumes could enter vehicle, causing lack of concentration, headaches and nausea. Handbrake cable snapped.
Classic car (40-years-old) for sale at £9000: fuel system leak on to exhaust heat shield and fuel pipe leak on to exhaust. Concern petrol vapour could explode and vehicle catch fire.
Peugeot 307 (2003) for sale at £9995: two bald tyres with one down to the core fabric.
Mercedes C Class (2002) for sale at £13,988: windscreen cracked across driver's vision.
Renault Laguna (2002) for sale at £7000: core of one tyre exposed and three others below legal tread limit.
Peugeot 406 (2000) for sale, no price: locking nut missing on rear wheel tyre.
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