Used car dealers anger nearly two in five drivers

As many as 39% won’t use same dealer again to buy used vehicle

Almost two in five motorists who bought a used car would under no circumstances use the same dealer again, according to an RAC survey.

Yet as many as 56% of the 1,500 motorists polled said they would rather buy a second hand car than a new one.

As many as 39% would definitely not use the same dealer again to buy a used vehicle, while 40% said they had had a problem with a car bought from a second-hand vehicle car sales team.

In addition, 29% said the dealer did not do a good job in putting the problem right, while 30% said they had told people not to use a particular car dealer.

The 56% who preferred purchasing old cars rather than new ones said new cars depreciated more quickly.

In addition, 44% thought they got better quality and a higher specification of vehicle if they bought from a used-car dealer.

The prime reason for deciding to change cars was revealed as increasing repair bills (50%), followed by unreliability (41%).

However 31% said they just fancied a change while for 29% it was the miles on the clock getting too high.

RAC spokesman Mario Dolcezza said: “We understand that for many motorists buying a used car is a big financial commitment and there is real anxiety about unwittingly buying a ‘lemon’ and having no comeback after driving off the forecourt.

“Dealers really need to make sure they do everything they can to give buyers the utmost confidence in their cars as trust is key in the buying process.”