Your Legal Right to Reject
Understand exactly what the Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives you — and how to use it within the first 30 days.
UK Consumer Law · 2026 Edition
Know Your Rights.
Reject Your Car.
The plain-English guide that puts UK consumer law in your hands — so dealers can’t fob you off.
- Instant PDF download
- One-time purchase of £4.99
- Template letters included
- 20
- in-depth sections
- 43
- pages, plain English
- 35+
- years’ motor-trade insight
- CRA
- 2015 explained
Dealers Count on You Not Knowing This
Every year, thousands of UK buyers are sold faulty, misrepresented, or unfit vehicles. Dealers know the law — and they’re betting you don’t.
This guide levels the playing field. Written in plain English, grounded in the Consumer Rights Act 2015, it gives you everything you need to reject your car and get your money back.
Facts first. Evidence second. Emotion last.
30
days
To exercise your short-term right to reject
What’s Inside the Guide
Template Letters Included
Ready-to-send rejection letters drafted to the correct legal standard. Copy, personalise, send.
Step-by-Step Process
A clear, numbered process from first complaint to full refund — no legal jargon, no guesswork.
What to Do If They Refuse
Escalation routes including the Motor Ombudsman, Trading Standards, ADR and the small claims court.
All 20 sections
- 1Introduction
- 2The Legal Framework
- 3The 30-Day Short-Term Right to Reject
- 4What Makes a Vehicle “Faulty”?
- 5Day 31 to Six Months: The One Opportunity to Repair
- 6Repair or Replacement: What You Actually Have to Allow
- 7The Final Right to Reject
- 8The Six-Month Rule and Proving Your Case
- 9How to Formally Reject the Vehicle
- 10When the Dealer Says No
- 11Finance, HP and PCP
- 12Independent Inspections and Technical Evidence
- 13ADR — Alternative Dispute Resolution
- 14Complaints, Escalation and Ombudsman-Style Processes
- 15Court — When Everything Else Has Failed
- 16Common Dealer Arguments — What They Actually Mean
- 17Your Complete Evidence Pack
- 18Ready-to-Use Letters and Templates
- 19The Complete Vehicle Rejection Action Plan
- 20The Quick-Reference Vehicle Rejection Guide
The 10-step quick start
The first page you’ll turn to when something goes wrong.
- 1Make the vehicle safe.
- 2Record the fault and mileage.
- 3Notify the dealer in writing.
- 4Check when the vehicle was supplied.
- 5Establish whether you are within 30 days.
- 6Gather the evidence.
- 7Don’t make unnecessary repairs without considering the evidence.
- 8Follow the appropriate statutory remedy route.
- 9Keep every communication.
- 10Escalate methodically if the dealer refuses.
Free rights check
Where do you stand right now?
Your rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 change with time. Enter the date you took delivery of the vehicle to see which stage you’re in.
Days 1–30
Short-term right to reject
You may be able to reject the vehicle outright and ask for a full refund — no obligation to accept a repair first. Act quickly and put everything in writing.
Day 31 – 6 months
One opportunity to repair
The dealer normally gets one chance to repair or replace. A fault appearing now is generally presumed to have been present at delivery, so the burden is on the dealer to prove otherwise.
After 6 months
Evidence becomes everything
Your rights continue, but you will usually need to show the fault was present when the vehicle was supplied. Independent inspections and a clear paper trail matter most here.
Indicative only, for consumer purchases from a trader. This is general information, not legal advice — your circumstances and evidence matter.
Heard this before?
What the dealer says — and what it actually means
A taste of Section 16. The full guide decodes every common brush-off and tells you exactly what to ask for next.
“It’s a used car.”
A used car does not have to be perfect — age, mileage, price and description matter. But “used” does not mean “anything goes”.
“Sold as seen.”
This does not automatically remove your statutory rights in a consumer sale from a trader.
“There’s no warranty.”
A warranty is a contractual promise. Your rights under the Consumer Rights Act come from legislation — they are different things.
“You have to let us repair it.”
After 30 days, repair or replacement is generally the first remedy stage. That does not mean unlimited attempts.
“The warranty company rejected the claim.”
A warranty company’s decision does not automatically decide your statutory rights against the dealer who sold you the car.
“Our terms say no refunds.”
Contract terms cannot simply override statutory consumer rights.
“You didn’t service it with us.”
That is not automatically proof that maintenance caused the fault. Ask for the technical evidence.
“You signed to say you accepted the car.”
Accepting delivery does not automatically mean accepting every hidden fault.
Andrew Lesley
MSc CMgr FIMI
- 35+ years in the UK motor industry
- Technician, Sales Manager & Dealer Principal
- ~10 years running manufacturer customer service
- Represented manufacturers at the Motor Ombudsman, in arbitration and in court
Written by an insider
I’ve sat on the other side of the table.
“Customers often know that something is wrong with their vehicle, but do not know what their legal rights actually are. They may be told that they have to accept a repair, that the manufacturer is responsible rather than the dealer, or that they have no option but to keep a vehicle they no longer want.
The reality can be very different.
After 35 years in the motor trade, I know how dealerships and manufacturers approach these disputes. This guide is designed to help you understand how to approach them too.”
Questions, answered
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