Sold my car to someone I know; closed the deal last Friday. He calls me today to say that a warning light had come on, he's had it looked at and it needs a new ABS Modulator at a cost of about £1800 (a re-con unit would only be about £1300 fitted). To be honest I'm gutted becase I sold it in good faith and have offered to meet him half way on the cost. He has since come back asking me to pay about two-thirds of the cost! I reaffirmed that I would meet half the cost only.

Now, if he asks me for more than half again I shall withdraw my offer and tell him tough sh1t, sold as seen. It will cost me a friend no doubt and to be honest it is causing me a fair amount of stress. What would you do…

If he's really a friend then you'll sort it out 🙂

Thats a shitter, how much was the total price?

Buy it back, your offer is fair though…

never sell a car to a friend

I think 50/50 is fair if you genuinely didn't know this problem was about to happen.

never sell a car to a friend

Funny enough, that did go through my mind before I sold it to him!

never sell a car to a friend

…for more than the tax left on it… 😉

Buy it back…

Already replaced it, the money is spent…

50/50 is more than fair.
And assuming he's had more than one opinion, & opinions from a non-franchise real-world garage or two…?

3 opinions from non-franchised garages, two of them specialists in the vehicle involved including one that I have always used.

Look up the Sale of Goods Act 1979 (as amended) and see what that says about what people can and can't do after purchase of a car.

Going through that now after my wife's new car went wrong.

Basically, I think that he can claim a replacement, a repair or a refund.

willard – Member

Look up the Sale of Goods Act 1979 (as amended) and see what that says about what people can and can't do after purchase of a car.

Going through that now after my wife's new car went wrong.

Basically, I think that he can claim a replacement, a repair or a refund.

I'm not so sure about that, I think there are different rules for a private seller.

Edit: http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/c_secondhand_cars.pdf

Secondhand cars

When you buy a secondhand car, your rights will depend on whether you bought
the car from a dealer, from a private seller, at an auction or over the internet.

Buying a car from a private seller – what the law says
If you buy a car from a private seller, you won't have the same rights as
when you buy from a dealer. You will only be able to take action against the
seller if:
* the vehicle doesn't match the description they gave you, for example, they told you it had only one owner when it has had several. The seller will be responsible for giving you a false description, even if they believed it to be true
* the seller broke a specific contract term, for example, by saying that the car would have an MOT and it did not
* the car is unroadworthy. It is a criminal offence to sell an unroadworthy car. A car is unroadworthy if its brakes, tyres, steering, or construction make it unfit for the road. An MOT certificate does not
mean that the car is roadworthy
* the seller was not the legal owner of the car and did not have a right to sell it.

Look up the Sale of Goods Act 1979 (as amended)

Don't think he's wanting to bin the friendship just yet…

what kind of car is it – make model and year?

50/50 seems fair.
Or buy it back.
You just to buy crappier cars in future – so you can give them away..
J.

If you sell a car privately you should always give a receipt and write sold as seen on it. Then there is no room for comeback, you never forced him into buying the car so what you offered is more than fair

Looking subjectively at it, then its just buyer beware, the light wasn't on when you sold it to him (was it?) so you weren't to know. I'd say he doesn't have a leg to stand on unless you sold him a warranty with it.

I think the half price offer is more than generous. Certainly ask him to get a couple of more quotes (even just to get some value for your money…).

Never again will I sell cars to friends. One tried to barter down the agreed price when I turned up at his house with the keys/documents, another complained to me after a year that some electricals had gone wrong (after he'd lent it to another friend who has a long history of breaking everything he ever touches, yet still my fault apparently).

Can't you just find a scrappy with that model of car in it and go and get one from there?

A lot of modern cars need the abs ecu re coding to the engine or body ecu's iir, hence the cost

Sounds heck of an expensive component. How much was the car? 50 / 50 sounds fair to me

Is the car from the VAG group? as Volkswagen are now offering replacements at nominal prices as it is a recognised design/build issue. However this is subject to a few small clauses.

For a genuinely unforeseen problem, 50/50 is more than fair.

U31… if that's the case I am sure there are places that he could go to get it re-coded for a lot less than £1300!

I think 50/50 is fair if you genuinely didn't know this problem was about to happen.

What a load of tosh (IMO) – you buy a second hand car you take that risk. If he'd known the problem existed or might pop up soon he has some partial responsibility, if not he owes him nothing, friend or not. In fact I'd be more than cheesed off at the mate for asking.I'd do anything I possibly could to help and I may offer some cash to help out, but to consider it obligatory is a joke and if they asked I'd let them know my thoughts in no uncertain terms.

A lot of modern cars need the abs ecu re coding to the engine or body ecu's iir, hence the cost

Aye, but that's just the dealer bending you over – it takes 10 seconds and a piece of software/hardware they already have for other purposes, there's no reason for the stupendous cost.

I sold a car to our neighbours for £700. The turbo went not long afterwards. I hunted for, found, paid for and fitted a replacement, £120 + time. They paid me back for the part.

They were really nice about it tho and forced the cheque into my hands. I probably wouldn't have asked them for it, but their backs were against the wall financially at the time. Although that's another issue since they aren't exactly cautious… 😐

The point was they were super nice about it. If the OP's "mate" is being an arse, I'd tell him to stuff it somewhere wrapped in a piece of paper with 'Caveat Emptor' written on it.

50% of the reconditioned unit is more than fair. They didn't buy a new ABS modulator so there is no reason for them to turn down a reconditioned one.

But I would be trawling ebay for a used one, if you are stumping up half the cash voluntarily, I say you have the right to choose the cheapest option.

Another vote for 50% of the recon'd unit. Reckon that's what I'd do and if he had any sense he'd take it. He certainly wouldn't have got that if he wasn't a friend so it's a good and fair deal.

He's a cheeky git. I wouldn't even ask if i'd bought it. How far do you think he'd get if he'd bought it from an auction or from autotrader?

Is this a VW/Audi/Seat? There is a known issue with the ABS sender units and if you speak to the people at your dealership garage and then VAG
central customer services then you will get a lot off.

It went on my wife's 53 plate touran and at first they quoted us the full price, but after a lot of haggeling we got 50% off and woudl have had more if the car was newer. MOre recent cars they are doing it for free!

Never sell to a friend as others have said!! Always ends in tears!

As for the 50/50 im astounded you are so genourous. You didnt forse him to buy the car, as so long as you did NT know about any fault prior to selling, its a private sell so sold as seen. You are NOT honoured to help out in anyway, so if hes not happy with your v generous 50% offer id tell him to shove it. I know easier said then done, what with being a friend etc but that is life. If he bought it from joe bloggs down road he wouldnt have any come back!

If that had been me, I'd have given him a reciept with "sold as seen and inspected, no warranty expressed or implied" written on it, like I do with every car I sell….. And that would have been the end of the matter.

To be fair, I wouldn't dream of even asking for money towards the repair if I'd have bought the car.

If it's a VAG, for crying out loud change the brake light switch first. It fails regularly, puts on more dash lights than a Christmas tree, and is a fiver to replace. The ABS modulators do fail, but the brake pedal switch fails a lot more often!

A failed abs sensor can throw up problems everywhere as well do you not know any mechanic friend's or know anyone with a diagnostic machine?

If its VAG get it put on a VAG-COM and get a print out of the faults.

http://www.findapart.com I got three calls the next day for a single point injection unit second hand, 26,000 miles, £60. Part brand new close to £900. Car is running like a dream.

****, awful situation.

How long have you known him? I think 50:50 is fair. Remind him if its a private sale normally its sold as seen.

Also ask him – how could he gaze into the future and spot something amiss? What if something else goes wrong in 2 weeks- should you also offer a warranty on that? Ask him that. Its a shitter but say to him 50/50 is BOTH of you stung together 🙂

Thanks for the replies so far 🙂

It's a Land Rover Defender TD5 so the ABS is all tied in with the 4WD Traction Control, etc., hence the cost 😯

Mechanic friend (at one of the non-franchised LR Dealers) has already done the diagnosis and confirmed what is required. It's also him that has shopped around for us for a recon unit so far.

I would take full responsibility for this.

Sorry, doesnt your friend know what he was letting himself in for?

Did he expect a hewn-from-granite-tonka-toy in a Defender? Does he know if he keeps it he'll have to fork-out every so often par the course and it might be at risk of being stolen due to its desirability for parts?

Just double-check his perception. He may have a skewered-image of the brand/car.

Also…….find out if you can have forwarning on this sort of problem- ask him to ask the garage this. IF THERE IS NO CHANCE THAT YOU COULD HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM BEFORE THROUGH SYMPTOMS BEFORE THE LIGHT – Then he'll know your completely innocent yet hes asking you to foot the bill for something that is AFTER you sold it in 100% good-faith.

Don't forget to ask him when you should reasonably stop contributing to repairs (sounds daft but it may stop his 2/3's request dead then).

toys19 – Member
I would take full responsibility for this.

Cheers dude, paypal or money transfer. We both appreciate your offer…like, really! 😆 8)