Purchased Brand New Car - Can I Return It?

I purchased a brand new Kia Seltos and after 3 days i have had an engine issue. KIA can't determine what the issue is because the car system has no log of the fault.

Given it's only been 3 days, does anyone know if i can return the car?

There is huge demand for this car so the dealership would have no issues reselling this car even tough it's now considered second-hand.

Comments

  • +6

    You need to give them the opportunity to rectify it. What has the dealer said. We don't have lemon laws in Aus. Quick to dump the car. What is actually happening with the car?

    • Also keen to know what the issue is.

    • +6

      What is actually happening with the car?

      Buyers remorse.

      • +2

        why remorse - i would get another new car in exchange !

        • +4

          Why remorse, because with my experience in the automotive industry dealing with similar situations, most of the time the buyer would not just come out and say why they didn't want the car (found it cheaper elsewhere, really didn't want it, cant afford it, friend said they got theirs cheaper, etc…) and would spend their every waking moment finding the most inane shit wrong with the vehicle in the hope of being offered a buy back.

          Also, it wasn't clear in your post that you just wanted to swap it for a new one and read more like you just wanted to return it for a refund.

          You then go on to say "Well, they can just sell it to someone else…" and if that is the case, they would have to fix it, if that's so, then they can just fix it and give it back to you, or are you suggesting that they should just give it to the next person in the same state? Cant wait for that person to post here…

          How about giving them a chance to have a look at it. I get it, it's a 3 day old car and I wouldn't be happy, but I also would give them at least a chance to have it fixed.

          Side note to help you help them; Take notes on time, place and exactly what you were doing when the car faults (even down to the weather, hot cold, raining). Note exactly what lights come on not what light you think, point it out on the dash or in the owners manual and say "this light here" (Have had customers with Airbag issues only to find out it was a DPF warning light). It's also highly unlikely that an engine light comes on and goes out without registering some kind of historic fault code. Also note exactly what symptoms occur, not "kinda like a" or "it sounded like *makes a noise.mp3*"

          Most importantly, keep a documented history on when the car was at the dealership and what was done. Ask for copies of any work orders and history on the vehicle. Always communicate via email and if they say something, just politely ask them to put it in an email and send it to you to read later.

          But I know this is going to end in being a nightmare for you and the dealer. They are going to give it back with "no fault found" and you are going to drive it around the block and straight back to the dealer with the same or similar issue. And the snake starts eating its own tail…

    • +1

      Engine fault light, no power and vibration. They have had it for a day and will keep it for another two. It concerns me that the system in the car doesnt have record of a fault when i couldnt even get the car over 40km . thanks

      • +3

        Your lucky it's not an Audi. Many faults without error codes. Hopefully they can track down the issue. They need an experienced mechanic in tbe workshop to trouble shoot. Record all visits and conversatons and with who. Get their contact email address and confirm back to them the communication you have had. Ie. Further to such and such today. You are taking my new car from date to date to rectify the following isssue. Or the like. Just record everything they say they will do.

        • +1

          Record it on paper/email trail Don’t unlawfully record your interaction on a phone or similar otherwise a sh!t car will be the least of your worries.

          • @Tee Rex Arms: Yes I meant write down and feed back to them as record of convo. You can audio record if you state the fact at the start of the conversation. I don't think it's at that stage yet. Just wondering how many times the Op is going to be without car and for how long in the future if no true diagnosis.

            • @Melb69: You don't have to let the other party know you are recording them IF you are part of the conversation. What you CANT do is use that recording to disseminate information to a 3rd party, but you can certainly use it for your own records and to transcribe the conversation to paper.

      • +1

        Engine fault light, no power and vibration.

        I would expect a code to be registered if a light came on and its weird they cant find an error log.

        Because I have trust issues I would probably take the car down to super cheap auto and get them to download the logs too.

  • -2

    OP has money issues/buyers remorse and wants his coin back any way he can. Buh bowww.

    • +6

      i got no issues with dropping the money on the car. i just want a proper functioning one!

  • Are you too lazy to read the details of the warranty?

    • warranty is not a return…

      • The warranty should state the seller's responsibilities for a car defect. It seems like you just jumped on Ozbargain as the first point of enquiry.

        • +4

          Could be worse… they could have lied about roof racks…

        • Yeah and this is different to a warranty issue. New car contracts don't have clauses for return or consumer Law, just finance and sale provisions. It's obvious a new car has warranty, that's not what I'm asking.

  • +3

    If the car randomly does not work this is not fit for purpose. You do have grounds for new, but it will be an uphill battle if you have to take that path. Supposedly Hyundai are one of the better makes for warranty issue complaince. Might just be an early glitch. Better to find out now under warranty than when it's finished, but you would have 5 or 7 years.

  • -1

    Invoke the Lemon Law.

  • +4

    Given it's only been 3 days, does anyone know if i can return the car?

    No. Let them get a chance to find a remedy to the issue.

    What you can do right now, is log EVERYTHING. Get a notebook and write down every date/time an issue happens, and what you were doing at the time (driving down x road @ x kmh, etc etc). Note down every communication you have with the dealer (name of employee, date time, what they've said, pick up date, document everything.

    • Good advice and yes, you must give them every opportunity to fix the problem.

      I used excel and compiled an A3 sheet of all the problems I had with a brand new car. It took 12 months of fighting and a trip to NCAT to get an acceptable refund.

  • +2

    Bad fuel or bad credit?

  • Did they give you a loan car with a full tank to drive around in at their expense while yours sits in their shop? Sounds like a win to me (an inconvenient one but still a win).

  • ask for a replacement. read john Cadogan on his website as he is critical of some tricks in the trade. he likes Kia though. he favours customer rights over all.

    • +3

      He favours himself over all.

  • Yes, unfortunately, no refund, hate this happening, but yeah that's why i dont buy new cars, and not recommend anyone buy car with anything that's totally new( like not based on past good models)

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