'My car fell apart on the motorway' — Warning to buyers of used vehicles

A woman has issued a warning to buyers of used vehicles after a car she bought "fell apart" on the motorway.

Driving along the M3 motorway in March, Tracy Barber had a terrifying experience.

"My car fell apart on me," she told ITV Wales.

"I ended up with no steering, no brakes at 70mph, which nearly killed me.

"The wheel sheared off, the brake calipers and the brakes ended up behind my car, and there was fluid inside of it."

She had bought the 2015 plate Hyundai i40 only a month before.

The left front wheel became detached from Tracy's car.

Tracy, who lives in the West Country, browsed the website Car Finance 247, a site which allowed her to search for cars and finance providers.

She chose a vehicle from Tredegar-based dealership Desirable Motors.

The car was bought through a finance agreement with the lender Moneybarn.

After the incident, she complained to Car Finance 247, Moneybarn and Desirable Motors.

Tracy Barber says she was lucky to escape the accident without injury.

She then took her case to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

It accepted the car had already done 116,000 miles, and a further 1,500 in her ownership.

The Ombudsman pointed to an engineer's report carried out after the accident, suggesting the wheel and drive shaft had been "improperly torqued".

That report said this would be "impossible to prove" due to the car being driven "in a distressed condition".

But the Ombudsman concluded the car was "not of satisfactory quality" when supplied.

It told Moneybarn to end the credit agreement and provide £250 compensation.

Tracy's complaint was upheld by the Financial Ombudsman Service.

Car Finance 247 told ITV Wales it "expects all dealers to deliver high standards for our mutual customers and has a robust onboarding process (due diligence) supported by a dealer agreement.

"A dedicated team Dealer oversight continuously monitors dealer performance across a number of key measures to ensure standards are maintained for the duration of our relationship."

Moneybarn says it treats customer complaints "very seriously", adding it has released Mrs Barber from her finance agreement, apologised to her, and paid the £250 recommended by the Financial Ombudsman Service.

"We continuously review and improve our processes to ensure the best possible service for our customers", it told ITV.

Desirable Motors says the car was "fit for purpose" when delivered, with an MOT and service carried out.

Citizens Advice say problems with used cars are consistently its top complaint.

Consumer charities warn problems with used vehicles are common, but say many of us may not be aware of our rights.

Lauren Nation, from Citizens Advice Caerphilly Blaenau Gwent, urges people to check the terms and conditions of any purchase.

She said: "Cars are very mechanical, so things just do go wrong with them, but this is why we do stress that if you're buying online you do things like check the reviews, get down there to see the vehicle.

"When buying at a distance, you do get a 14-day cooling off period, so read up on that as well.

"If you're using a car marketplace, it's always important to check your terms and conditions, so that you understand first and foremost who your rights are going to be against, because you could be buying through them, but you may have rights with the garage itself, or may have rights with the finance company if you're going through the finance company as well".

The charity says problems with used vehicles are its most common complaints.

It urges anyone with a problem to contact its consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133.