Here's the backstory;

28/10/2024 - I visited the Blue Bell Hill branch of Big Motoring World and viewed an Audi listed at £27,500 plus their £250 buyer fee. When I looked at the car I immediately noticed that the brake discs on the front were corroded (as was picked up on an MOT 2 years ago), and the rear discs were incredibly worn with a very obvious lip.

I notified the salesman and the sales manager that I expected these to be replaced as a condition of the sale and they assured me they would all be checked before I collected it and if they needed to be replaced for the vehicle to be safe they would be. I was eventually permitted a very short test drive and it drove fine, except it picked up 4 screws in one tyre due to debris right outside their depot (the tyre was replaced before collection.)

Went through the purchasing saga, they initially missold the deal to me and confused me, but I stuck firm before paying the deposit and got the deal I had shaken on. They 'threw in' Tyre & Alloy protection, and Gard X by 'overpaying' for my trade-in. 

Purchasing route - 'cash purchase' in BigMW's eyes. Financed via CarMoola as the APR was significantly lower than BigMW's offering. This worked via a bank transfer, remainder was paid by debit card (they don't allow credit cards, I suspect because of the Sec 75 protection!). 

30/10/2024 - Attended the branch to complete the handover. After paying the balance of my deposit by debit card I was taken to the handover office and we ran through the various registration elements, tax etc. I told the handover guy about the brakes and he went and spoke with the mechanic and brought the car around.

On his return, he confirmed that the mechanic said they all needed replacing but it would be done at a VAT-registered garage local to me and someone from aftercare would be in touch within the next 24 hours. (I know, at this point I should've stood firm and refused to take the car but I trusted their word) I asked for this to be confirmed in writing but he said he couldn't send me an e-mail but it would be sent internally. 

When I went outside to look at the car, I could see there was polish which had been poorly applied, I pointed out a 4-inch scratch on the rear quarter panel but was told "Well it's not a new car sir". 

31/10/2024 - First opportunity to see the car in the daylight, it is very clear the 'valet' wasn't up to scratch with the interior of the car still filthy dirty. The seats had dust and marks on them so how they can say the Gard X leather protection had been applied I have no idea, those car seats had not been cleaned at all so clearly they have mis-sold me the Gard X protection. I also can't validate that the bodywork has had it applied either.

Their website clearly states that all vehicles undergo a 200-point inspection prior to handover, however, they are refusing to provide me with any evidence of this check for my vehicle, had it undergone that check they would have noted the brakes and everything else. 

I called their aftersales number and logged a formal complaint receiving an e-mail back including a copy of their complaints policy (attached). 

01/11/2024 - A message pops up on my dash stating it requires an oil service within 30 days, upon speaking with my local Audi dealership, it is 6 years old so also requires spark plugs to be changed. None of this was done by BigMW despite this being clearly advertised on their website as done if it's due. 

I also took out a personal loan on this date and withdrew from the finance agreement as the personal loan was a much more favourable interest rate and reduced my payment term by 1 whole year. So now, this car is fully funded by myself effectively (although was purchased on finance, if that makes sense). 

05/11/2024 - I received a response to my chaser e-mail advising they had contacted the Blue Bell Hill branch and were waiting for information. I sent back a lengthy e-mail detailing my issues (per their policy) and my proposed remedies. 

I have replied a couple of times now but don’t seem to be getting anywhere with this, I note your complaints procedure allows for 7 days but when something as serious as brakes are involved I would have expected to see some form of expedited response from your company in your absence.

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I’ll set out my issues in detail below, as your complaint policy requests they are clear and complete

1. On viewing the car, I informed the salesman that the brakes were clearly worn and would all need replacing, they informed me that it would undergo a health check before I got the car and if they needed replacing they would be.
2. Upon collecting the car, the guy in the handover booth spoke with the mechanic and confirmed to me that they would all be replaced at a VAT registered garage near me, he would contact ‘aftersales’ that day and they would be in touch. I have heard nothing since. I accepted this offer for the brakes to be replaced closer to home as a suitable solution for that issue and look forward to your undertaking and instructing me any requirements you have for a local garage to carry out the work. I could have refused to accept the vehicle until they were done but trusted your colleague’s word.
3. The vehicle should have had Gardx applied, however as previously explained the car had not been valeted (it was still filthy and the seats had dust and sticky marks on) so how could it possibly have had gardX applied. Likewise, the bodywork wasn’t particularly well cleaned and again couldn’t have had GardX applied efficiently as it should surely be applied to a clean vehicle. There are also some long scratches on the bodywork which I would’ve expected to have been polished out or repaired, I understand stone chips are not repaired but bodywork scratches over 3 inches in length on an otherwise immaculate example, should surely be repaired?
4. When I called up on Wednesday and spoke to collections, I got through to the same guy and he confirmed he had submitted a ticket and they should be in touch to replace the brakes. Again, I’m still waiting.
5. The service schedule necessitates an oil and spark plug change at 6 years of age which is now, but this wasn’t completed by you despite your website advertising an oil service when it is due. https://www.bigmotoringworld.co.uk/big-quality/
6. I have not had sight of the 200 point vehicle check which was carried out, please could this be shared with me. There should be no GDPR or Data Protection issues as it relates specifically to the vehicle of which I am now the owner, and any of your staff identified on the paper are working as your agents, especially as your sales staff are freely identified on the order forms etc.
7. I am still waiting for the finance on my part-exchange vehicle to be paid off, I have already made an additional payment since the settlement figure was obtained so am now out of pocket.

I have undertaken to have a free brake check conducted on the 1st November at 25781 miles, and the brake measurements are as follows:

Front discs - 33.1mm

Front pads - 11mm (incl backing plate)

Rear Discs - 20.1mm

Rear pads - 8mm (incl backing plate)

 

Audi have confirmed to me the minimum thickness for the discs is:

Front discs - 32mm

Rear discs - 20mm

And obviously pads are always replaced with discs.

Therefore it is clear the discs and pads currently fitted to this vehicle are due replacement, and as I’m sure you’d appreciate would like to get that done ASAP as they’re equally as important to the safety of the vehicle as the tyres are. Not to mention the corrosion on the front discs picked up on the MOT in 2022 which remains present.

Remedies

My expectations to satisfy this complaint are:

1. Brakes are replaced at a VAT registered garage local to me which doesn’t necessitate me to travel to one of your workshops which are almost 100 miles away from me in all directions.
2. Oil, filter and spark plug service to be carried out at a garage local to me.
3. Fund a valet of my vehicle and for the GardX to be applied professionally, or for that product to be refunded in full.
4. Repair the large scratch if it can’t be polished out during the valet at remedy 3.
5. Share the 200 point vehicle check documentation that was carried out before handover of this vehicle.
6. My part-ex finance to be settled by the end of the week and confirmation sent to me by e-mail showing the funds transfer.

I believe these proposed remedies are reasonable in line with your advertised services, and promises and offers made to me during this purchase process.

For absolute clarity, I do not want to return the vehicle as it is low mileage and a very nice vehicle. However, if these issues do not get some rectification in a timely fashion, I am inclined to return this vehicle under the Consumer Rights Act as I do not want a long drawn out argument which runs down the clock of my 30 day return period. I would also argue Big Motoring World have undertaken a misleading action contrary to the 'Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008' in relation to the sale and application of GardX and the promises made in relation to the servicing and brakes where they have not then followed these through in a timely fashion.

I look forward to your prompt response on these matters to get us to a mutually agreeable position.

 

06/11/2024 - I received the following response from BigMW, note they attach a 'template' but refuse to share the vehicle copy...

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Thank you for your email

I can only apologise for the concerns you have reported with your vehicle and I understand how frustrating this is.

In regards to your vehicle brake pads and discs, as previously advised I have been in contact with our Blue Bell Hill Handouts Department to obtain further information from the Sales Representative that you previously had communication with.

Can you advise if you were asked to take your vehicle to a local garage for the work to be carried out?

In regards to your vehicle Guardx I application, I have been advised that our Blue Bell Handsout Department is happy for you to bring your vehicle back to have the seats re-cleaned and the leather guard applied again.

In regards to the Oil and Filter Service, can you please advise if you have any warning lights present on your vehicle that indicate a service is due?

I have attached a copy of our 200-point sample report checklist which is carried out on our vehicles. I am unable to provide your vehicle copy.

I have contacted our Blue Bell Hill Finance Department for an update on your part exchange vehicle payments, I am just awaiting a response from them to be able to provide you with further information.

In regards to the scratch you have reported, can you please provide an image of the scratch, so I can look to review this further for you?

As advised previously as soon as I have further information or if you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kindest Regards

 

I responded almost immediately with the below;

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Thanks for coming back to me. Have you not heard anything back from the handouts department? It’s been a week now and the brakes are grinding every time I apply them.

Yes the person who did my handover told me I could expect quick contact to arrange for the work to be done at a VAT registered local garage however that’s what I’m waiting for, approval to get the work done. I have a number of local garages that can fit me in by the weekend if I get approval. When do you anticipate giving this approval?

GardX - Thank you for the offer, however I don’t think expecting me to drive 140 miles round trip including 2 crossings of the DRC is a reasonable expectation to have the GardX re-applied when it should’ve been done properly the first time (if indeed it even was).

Do you have an alternative offer to resolve this particular issue? Unless you were also planning to cover my expenses and time to have this done?

Yes I had a warning light come up on my dash yesterday for the oil service and as part of the 6 year oil service it is also due spark plugs per the Audi service schedule.

As I previously requested, please share my vehicle copy of the 200 point vehicle check, I see no reason why this document cannot be shared with me as it pertains to the standard of my vehicle immediately before handover.

Find attached a photograph of the scratch to the rear offside quarter panel. I pointed this out at the time of handover and was told “well it is a second hand car sir”. Which I understand, but surely you have standards?

I look forward to your response

 

08/11/2024 - I sent the following chaser after non-contact, note I have previously cc'd their investors and the director after some reviewing of companies house information.

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I was hoping to hear back from you yesterday as surely your handover team are there 7 days a week so it shouldn’t be so difficult to get answers from?

i noticed yesterday that the rear near side quarter panel which has the scratch, the bumper on that side also appears to have been removed and a clip damaged behind the bumper as it doesn’t sit squarely on the body and align with the other panels. This can be seen in the image I shared previously and when the boot is open it is very apparent. Please add this to the list of issues.

Should I not hear any further in regards to beginning to rectify some of these issues I will have no choice but to begin to reject the vehicle. It has been more than the 7 days you quoted to satisfy this complaint and I haven’t had any viable offers from Big Motoring World to resolve any of these issues, let alone the most serious of those being the brakes which I was told at handover, would be resolved the within a day or so.

I have again copied your investors and director as this is clearly not getting the appropriate level of oversight to resolve. Considering your business turns over close to three quarters of a billion pounds a year, the fact you haven’t approved the work to fix these issues is more than disappointing.

I haven’t yet reported any of this to trading standards as I wanted to reach an amicable solution for both parties, however I am beginning to feel like the clock is being run down, and that will not work with me. You have failed to provide me the 200 point check for my vehicle as I have already requested, there is no reason why this cannot be shared. I will consider any and all options afforded to me under consumer protection legislation as necessary to either receive the service I was sold, or a full refund.

Please respond today, 8th November with your plan for a route to satisfaction, ideally approval for the works outlined to be satisfied by a garage local to me at your expense.

The finance has been settled on my previous vehicle so that is one issue satisfied, although I found out about that from my finance company rather than yourselves.

Regards

11/11/2024 - I received the following e-mail this morning;

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Firstly, I can only apologise for the delay in response in getting back to you.

In regards to the concerns you have reported with your vehicle breaks, Guardx application, and Engine Management light, we can offer to get you booked into our Snodland Service Centre to have all of these concerns investigated.

The next availability we have would be from the week beginning the 2nd of December, please advise if you would like to be booked in.

Kindest Regards

And quickly followed up with the below

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This is totally unacceptable! Expecti g me to wait another 3 weeks to have these brakes repaired is extraordinary, and a service - when I was told at handover this would be taken care of within a week.

I expect this work to be carried out at no cost or inconvenience to myself, at a local garage or I will invoke my right to reject this vehicle under the consumer rights act 2015 and expect a full refund.

I am not making an unreasonable request here.

If you're still reading, thanks! 

I have been quoted £1436 to have the brakes replaced all around, I'd get some other quotes before going ahead with the work but that was a starter for 10. A service & spark plug change is likely to be around £350/400 I guess although I haven't had this quoted for yet. 
I really like the car, it is very low mileage for the age and has only 1 previous owner from new, annual services and now I have resolved the MOT errors (miles had been registered in KM's and then gone wrong, DVSA very quick to sort) it was a cheap car. 

Should I reject it under the Consumer Rights Act, or should I just get the work done and file a small claim? I have evidence from Halfords that the brakes need replacing and are within 1mm of the manufacturer's minimum depths. The Audi service schedule demonstrates the service intervals and I have screenshots of the 'advertised' services on their website, which are clearly misleading. 

Or, do I give them another week to come to a resolution? I should add, all previous e-mail correspondence from me has been 'Sent without Prejudice' and I have made it abundantly clear that I am keeping all legal options open. 

I know by pasting the e-mail correspondence above it will be very easy for BigMW to identify this thread, but I don't care - nothing in it is factually incorrect, I am merely seeking advice and outlining the facts as they are known by both parties. 

Thanks in advance.

External Complaints Policy V.2.1 31.05.24 4.pdf.pdf

My engine failed last week and the vehicle was recovered to Sytner and I was supplied with a hire car. Sytner’s initial Investigation found significant metal debris + copper grease along with knocking from both top and bottom of the engine. The service tech described it as a major engine failure in the health check video. We all suspect it’s rod bearings based on the evidence, age and usual failure modes for this engine.

Sytner approached warranty and they’ve then asked for the engine to be stripped and disassembled to determine root cause. This would be at my cost until a claim is approved. Sytner reckon this will take about 20h and I’d estimate it’s £3-4k, at their usual labor rate.

Is this a reasonable diagnostic request? Should I just accept that I’m liable for it until the claim is, hopefully, approved?

For additional clarity, the vehicle has a FBMWSH and has had a continuous comprehensive bmw warranty from new. Even with the warranty, I’ve also spent thousands with Sytner over the 3.5 years I’ve had it and, to my knowledge, it’s never had work anywhere else. The recovered costs from warranty claims have never been more than my annual premiums, so I’ve been paying into the warranty exactly for this kind of failure.

Sytner have never identified any modifications to the vehicle and its history makes it very unlikely that somebody has introduced an unapproved part or software.

My belief is that the only possible root cause that could have produced this failure, and isn’t purely mechanical, is a foreign body/contamination.

Current status is that I’ve refused liability for these costs and asked Sytner to progress a claim to warranty with the report that we have so far.

I’ve suggested that I’ve met my obligations - the engine has clearly failed, my warranty level says the car is covered less exclusions (none of which are relevant to this fault) and the onus is now on BMW warranty to prove they aren’t liable.

Sytner have dragged their feet but I’m hoping they will get onboard with that today. If warranty refuse, I presume the escalation path is through their Customer Service and then FCA ombudsman?

I believe a fair resolution is they accept liability for the costs to drop/strip the engine but are not fully liable to repair until a root cause is identified. In the event they find something that means they aren’t liable for the repair, I will still be in the position that my car is in bits and the car is now less convenient/valuable for salvage. This seems like a fairer resolution when the balance of probability seems to be I have a valid claim and there is nothing to suggest otherwise.

Thanks in advance,

J

if anyone has any queries or questions in relation to how I achieved it, feel free to drop a comment.

purchased a vehicle 10 days ago from big motoring world leeds and took it to a main dealer for service and health check. Turns out there’s water ingress in the headlight due to previous poor repair work in that corner, signs of potential impact. 
The vehicle was bought on finance.

the steps I have taken are that of sending a formal letter of complaint to both BIG MOTORING WORLD  and BLACKHORSE stating when I bought the vehicle, date of inspection, copy of report provided by dealer, video taken by the technician showing the area in question.

after speaking to citizens advice I am well within my rights to return, BIG motoring world over the phone tried to tell me because it’s not mechanical or electrical it’s not something I can return on. I know this is a load of rubbish but what’s the best next steps and quickest/ most efficient way to getting a full refund. 
 

Would appreciate any pointers or advice

I’m reaching out for advice and support regarding a deeply frustrating and stressful situation with Big Motoring World, from whom I purchased a used vehicle in October 2024 for £27,000.

The Issues:

Within weeks of purchase, I experienced 12V battery errors.

Big Motoring World directed me to get the battery replaced at Kwik Fit under their own warranty (which I did), but the error returned days later.

The car was taken to their Snodland service centre multiple times — they recalibrated the battery, ran tests, but never resolved the issue.

An independent inspection later confirmed the vehicle was “not fault-free” and further investigation was required.

Despite this, Big Motoring World denied responsibility, blamed “low usage,” and kept passing me between departments and third-party warranty providers.

 What Happened Next:

I formally rejected the vehicle in writing under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, but they refused to accept the rejection.

I then suffered a complete engine failure on 16 June, while driving with my wife and child on a motorway.
The car stalled, made noises, and became undrivable — it could have cost us our lives.

The local garage diagnosed engine failure with a repair estimate of £8,800.

The car has only done about 1,500 miles since I bought it — it’s clearly a seriously faulty vehicle.

I have since:

Opened a case with The Motor Ombudsman,

Contacted Citizens Advice,

To this day, Big Motoring World continues to deny fault, claim battery and engine issues are unrelated, and refuse to refund or resolve anything. Meanwhile, I am without a working vehicle, and the situation has had a serious impact on my health (I suffer from uveitis and high blood pressure — both worsened by the the stress)

Do you have advice on how best to escalate this or pursue legal action more effectively?

Thanks so much to anyone who reads this. I just don’t want others to go through what I’ve gone through.

I travelled 150 miles to buy this car. 

On the test drive, I noticed the brakes weren’t in good condition. They were noisy, grinding and felt slow in response, and looked visibly rusty. The sales person assured me that it was surface rust and it would clear on the drive home, and that I would have nothing to worry about. 

This wasn’t the case and the brakes are just as bad as they were on day 1. Email 1 was sent on the 13th of July, and there has been over 20 emails sent to them between then and now. These emails have been handled shockingly.

I took the car to Halfords for a brake check and they recommended replacement. Big Motoring World have been refusing to do anything as Halfords only recommend (not require) the replacement, and as they pass the MOT and haven’t failed yet, they won’t replace them despite photo evidence. 

I spoke to RAC legal team and they said that under section 9 of consumer rights act, they are not satisfactory quality and the fact they have passed the MOT is irrelevant, due to the damage that they do have and their inadequate performance. 

Halfords also said that one of the brakes wasn’t fitted properly, and this was on the 2024 MOT prior to Big Motoring World having the car. I am worried that they didn’t fix this fault either, as they are saying they can’t provide proof but ‘of course it was fixed’. 

In November, I also experienced issues with the 12V battery, when the car told me to keep driving to recharge it, and then shortly after to pull over safely as the battery was low. I took it for a health check and it is at 95%. The mechanic told me that the battery was cheap quality, but if it wasn’t that it is likely to be the alternator.

There was also a discrepancy in the service history, similar to what others have said regarding a generic list and asset numbers, with a SEAT logo on the top. 

Big Motoring world refused to supply anything else, and told me to call all of the garages myself to obtain the full history. This is after they claimed that SEAT would hold the full history. When calling them I also found this to be a lie. This isn’t possible as my name is not on their invoices. 

The possible use as a fleet vehicle was also not disclosed at the time of sale. I have requested again for them to help me with retrieving this information while they are investigating my car.

The colour of my coolant also doesn’t match the colour in the handbook, so I am also asking them to check this while it’s there. It is the same coolant as when I bought the car.

At the point of sale, the salesman also assured me with confidence that SEAT would cover the warranty for the degradation of the PHEV battery, and I mustn’t worry about it. When looking into this afterwards, SEAT only cover warranty for the first owner of the vehicle. This information formed a big part in my decision to buy the car, and that turned out to be a lie also. 

I have been trying to get the car booked in at their service centre in Cannock since July for the brakes, and now the other issues with the car too, including the infotainment system glitching, intermittent airbag fault, electronic engine sound fault and PHEV battery health and performance also. 

This is finally booked in for 18th Nov as they have kept pushing back until now. They have also agreed to give me a hire car, due to travelling 150 miles, and booking time off work. 

I have also provided them with a detailed list of what they are required to do during this appointment, as advised by RAC legal. This includes a copy of diagnostic reports.

Do you have any advice for us going forward? Is there anything we need to watch out for, or timeline expectations to stick to? What are next steps if they refuse to do any repairs?

Thank you so much for your time.

I am looking for some advice re a car purchased from BMW. 
 

I bought Audi A3 on 14th September 2025. Car registered in 2021, mileage 27.5k. Price just over £17k. Bought in cash (without finance, without their warranty). 
 

As soon as I got the keys, a warning light appeared on the dashboard. I refused to take the car home and left it at BMW for repair. They claimed it was repaired two/ three days later so I came back to collect the key ( they are based over an hour drive from where I live, 45 km). A few days later the same warning light appeared, I was asked to bring the car again for repair, which I did. They didn't manage to repair it so I had to sort it out myself with an Audi salon ( the car required a software download as it had various fault warning lights, no navigation etc). Audi sorted it out ( around 7th Nov) and BMW settled the bill ( approx £650). At that point the car had been unavailable to me for a few days ( left twice at BMW and once at Audi) which was inconvenience, but I was glad it was finally sorted. 
 

On 1st December ( 2.5 months after the car purchase) the car broke down suddenly in the middle of the street, causing a really bad burning smell and a major safety risk. It was hauled/ recovered into the nearest independent garage ( I paid for this service).

I called BMW, they told me to call their insurance ( the 90 days warranty that comes free with the car purchase). The insurance company confirmed, though, that repairs were not covered at all, so I asked the garage to carry out the repair. They found that the starter motor was burnt out and they replaced it. 
 

Unfortunately, this didn't help and the car was not being able to start. Further investigation confirmed that the engine didn't turn and "vehicle still non- start found". After further investigation, I received a report from the garage confirming that the vehicle requires an engine replacement! The costs payable so far ( diagnostics and burnt starter replacement) are £600 but the engine replacement and labour will be a significant one on top of that.

At this point I decided to speak to BMW again as it is a very serious failure, after only 2.5 months after the purchase. I sent them an email quoting the CRA 2015 and asking them to confirm that all costs relating to the repair will be covered by them. They responded and asked me to send them the garage report. 
 

However, after further consideration, I do not feel ok with having the car repaired, I do not trust the car, I do not feel it is reliable,  I do not feel safe and I would not feel safe driving it. I want to reject the car rather than have it repaired.

The car cost price was significant for me, I was specifically looking for a low mileage car, and relatively new car to avoid any surprises and breakdowns. Engine replacement is a significant issue and I do not want a car that is going to go through such a big repair. 

As mentioned before, I have encountered issues with the car since day one. The engine failure follows earlier faults. These problems required the car to be off the road for several days, causing significant inconvenience. The current engine failure has again left the vehicle unusable. This ongoing pattern of defects clearly shows that the vehicle has not been of satisfactory quality or fit for purpose since the date of sale. 
 

Can you please kindly advise if in this situation, on the basis that the car has suffered a major engine fault, I am entitled to exercise my right to reject the vehicle ( 2.5months after the purchase) rather than having it repaired. I believe that a repair, in this case, would be disproportionate and would cause significant further inconvenience, given the seriousness of the engine failure and the history of prior faults. 
 

Could you please kindly guide me and advise how to handle it? I am ready to fight my case. 

Thanks so much for any advice. 

I bought a car from BigMotoringWorld 5 weeks ago. It wasn't cheaply priced but it appeared in good condition, had only one owner, and was listed with a full service history (6 services for a 2018 car, which I felt was good enough albeit not perfect). 

When I viewed the car I was frustrated that the service history advertised wasn't available to see. The very pushy salesman assured me that I would get it apon payment because they couldn't leave it in the vehicle due to data protection or some such. I was only allowed to view the list of services on their website. 

I duly paid (no finance - I saved up to buy this car) and went to the collection desk to get my keys and service history. Obviously there was much pressure selling at this point and much waiting around. Anyway, I was annoyed apon collection to be told that actually they didn't have the service history but would post it to me. This is where it started. 

Having already paid up I had no choice but to take my car and leave (not forgetting to visit a post office to apply for a log book because BM World suddenly revealed they didn't have the V5 - such a cheek to charge me £300 admin fee and then have me do the admin!).

I then spent the next two weeks chasing every day for my service history. 

I was delighted when a parcel arrived from BM World containing a service book for the car. Alas, incredibly, the book is totally blank showing not one single service record from new. It's the correct book for the car because it has the correct VIN and supplying dealer stamp within but no service records what so ever, not even one.

At this point I realise that it's possible that the previous owner just didn't get the book stamped, but that the service history really did exist so I start calling the garages listed on the BMWorld advert. The 6 claimed services are across three garages:

    - The first four at a garage that has conveniently ceased trading, so no luck there.

   - The fith at a garage who said they'd seen the vehicle on that date but that THEY HAD MOT'D IT ONLY AND THAT THIS DID NOT INCLUDE A SERVICE. The BMWorld advert says against this date "57,000 miles - Inspection service including oil change". So that one is false. Even worse, even if the other records are true then the car did over 30,000 miles at this time without an oil change. It is my belief that someone has added a lie here to bridge and overwise very big service gap so the car could be sold at top price. 

     - The last garage listed I've not concluded yet if it was/wasn't true. 

On the date that the service book arrived (day 14) and I discovered at least partially untrue records, I stopped using the car and wrote to BMWorld via email and said I would like to exercise my short term right to reject because the vehicle is not as advertised. 

I have the following evidence for my claim:

- Screenshots from their website on the day I purchased advertising the Service History.

- Recovered Autotrader advert saying the same (good team at Autotrader, recovered it for me within a few minutes!).

- Cached Google search results showing not only the general service history but specifically including the one which I now know to be false. 

- The original service book for the car, which is blank, sent to me by BMWorld (so ridiculous!!).

- Numerous emails from their team both junior and senior customer people apologising and saying that they will find and provide the history going back now 5 weeks 

 - The list of dates & mileages (which I believe to be at least partially untrue) sent to me by BMWorld but with no actual source information or evidence. 

To date BM World have only delayed and deferred and ignored and obstructed. Being otherwise happy with the car (except some oil consumption that in worried may be a result of the missed servicing but because I've not done enough milage to know how bad that is, I havnt raised it with them), I have twice offered to discuss compensation in lieu of service records which they have ignored. 

I reluctantly issued them via Special Delivery on week 3, a two-week pre-action letter. 

That two weeks has now come to an end and so I need to decide which option to go with next. I don't trust the motor ombudsman so I'm inclined for small claims court.

What I am not going to do is let this go. If I had known the truth I would have just chosen a different car, but they deceived me.

Currently, BMWorld are still saying that they are trying to get my service history, but I really don't think it'll ever arrive. Naturally, I've gone off the car somewhat, infact I hate the bloody thing now!  Id settle for reasonable compensation just so I can move on with my life but really I think they ought to take it back. So far I've had absolutely nothing from them but apologies.  

Any advice gratefully received. 

As a woman, I went alone to Big Motoring World in Camberley to look at part exchanging my car.

Once I tested the car I wanted, the sales began, initially adding extras such as warranty, tyre and alloy protection etc... I said I didn't want any of this, I didn't want their financing etc.

I felt intimated by their sales tactics, like I had to justify when I was choosing to opt out and the sales person kept going back and forth to have a discussion with his manager. 

Because they gave me an initial low value for my part exchange of £3,300 they said, they would do be a favour by increasing my part exchange to £4,400, which would mean that I would be purchasing the tyre and alloy protection for £1k but it would be a win, win because I would not be paying an extra.

If I didn't want the extras then they would only give me £3,300 for my car, if I would include it, as part of the purchase they would give me £4,400 for my car.

I didn't feel comfortable being there and all the the paperwork they got me to sign was just on an ipad that I didn't even get to read, and only emailed to me after.

I paid £99 to reserve and to test drive the car before arriving to the garage which I paid on credit card, and then paid £401 as a deposit for the car via credit card at the garage.

After walking out of there and having 24 hours to process this and searching there reviews online. 

I do not want to go through with the purchase.

I don't trust them.

They verbally stated at the time I would not get my £500 back if I did not go through with this purchase.

Can they really enforce this? 

I appreciate your advice.

Sorry for posting too much detail previously.

Simpler chronological attempt as requested.

Major fault 10 months after used car purchase, maybe result of work on car shortly before sold to me

Vehicle: WR21 VYB (1^st Edition 77kWh VW ID.4, first registered June 2021)

Timeline:

• Nov/Dec 2024: Remedial work at Group 1 Southend involving removing, reinstalling and resealing the engine (before I bought it)
   
• 20^th Dec 2024: I purchased the car from Big Motoring World (Blue Bell Hill). Requested details:
  
  - mileage 28871
  - one previous owner (ex-lease from Arval)
  - paid £21048 by debit card (inc. scratch/dent/tyre/alloy cover, no extra warranty)
  - mostly funded by bank loan being paid off monthly
  
  - went in person to test drive on 15^th Dec and purchase on 20^th Dec
  - dealership about 80 miles from home
  
  - MOT dated 6^th June 2024 carried out by Castle Point Motors Ltd in Benfleet
  - Service history stated it had an inspection service on 11/9/2023 at Group 1 Volkswagen Southend
  --- Group 1 records I’ve since obtained do not list this service
  --- Service history provided did not list recent work/lots of past remedial work
  
  - no letter of rejection as engine fault had emerged within 30 days/6 months
   
• 24^th May 2025: software fault making ACC dangerous
• 18^th/21^st July 2025: Group 1 Colchester fixed software and road tested for £594
  - identified faulty internet connection module, part on back order
  - no other issues flagged
   
• 29^th August 2025: I called Group 1 Colchester to enquire about service history and book service (service cycle is every 2 years regardless of mileage).
  - I was advised no service due for a year as it had been serviced in December 2024.
  - They emailed me a 30 page printout of Group 1 service history notes.
   
• 24^th-25^th September 2025: Group 1 Colchester replaced internet connection module. Covered by Group 1/VW warranty.
  - I was not advised of any issues with the vehicle
  - I was not given any paperwork for the work (told it would follow by email but it never did)
   
• Monday 27^th October 2025: sudden loud engine noise when braking. Limited its use from this point.
   
• Friday 31^st October 2025: took car into Group 1 Colchester for investigation:
   
• Service rep phoned first thing to offer a service, saying no service on record so due, contrary to colleague's advice on 29^th August (I agreed to it)
   
• He phoned 2pm to say engine had leaked all its oil, running would have damaged it, engine would need replacing
• He said it was “as a result of” work completed by Group 1 Southend in December 2024
• He was waiting to hear from them about how they wanted to proceed
• He said a previous vehicle health check had flagged increased engine noise. I said this had never been shared with me. He could not give a date.
   
• He phoned 5pm to say no longer believed Group 1 Southend responsible, they'd disputed it, no support offered
• Parts and labour for repair quoted at just over £8700
• I questioned the change of opinion and the claimed earlier detection of engine noise never shared with me
• He said a manager would look into all this in more detail and call me on Monday (now tomorrow)

I need a functioning car. If I go ahead with the repair and am not offered a courtesy car, I am going to have to hire a car which will add perhaps £1000 to costs (work will not be done for “weeks/months”).

A chronological summary of the Group 1 service log up to 29th August is attached.

#

So...

• Do you think I have reasonable grounds to dispute these charges?
   
• If so, should it be against Group 1, or Big Motoring World? (I was not Group 1's customer in Nov/Dec; I do not know if it was Big Motoring World or the leasing company)
   
• Should I prepare anything ahead of tomorrow’s call with the Group 1 service manager? Should I mention intent to dispute through small claims if we can’t reach a resolution?
   
• Is it safe to go ahead booking repair work in if I put it in writing that I intend to dispute the charges?

WR21 VYB Group 1 service history as of 2025-08-29 chronological summary extracts.pdf

We purchased our vehicle form BM World Cannock on 10-09-25.

The vehicle test drove well and decided to proceed.

I explained to the sales guy that we had just recently experienced a bad experience relating to a warranty and wanted assurances that their vehicle being supplied, if went wrong would be repaired, replaced as we did not want to go through this again.

He assured us everything was covered, if there was any issues we just called BM assist they would deal with any issues and if the car became un road worthy a car of similar size would be provided until our car was rectified. He also expressed that only one car had been replaced in 12 months and was proud of BM Assist and said it is the best warranty on the market.

On 22/10 we have had a fault appear saying engine failure, gear box failure and the vehicle stopped and would not start. I left the vehicle as managed to get it of the road onto a retail park.

I walked home and 45 minutes later returned to see if it would start. As this is a hybrid i was not sure what would happen. The vehicle started but drove terribly but managed to get it home only 400 yards

. i reported the fault to assist and they contacted me back at 8am the next day saying the fault has been reported and they can diagnose the issues in about 4 weeks time! i was not happy so insisted on speaking to someone about this as needed the car.

They called me back with a better date of 2 weeks, again i said this is not good enough and wanted to speak to a manager. The lady then said you need to call the RAC if i want a diagnostic check and then they will respond? this is now over 1 1/2 hours after them calling me.

i said why did you not explain this to me first? I called the RAC they arrived promptly within 30 minutes, diagnosed the car as being un roadworthy and towed it to Assist just 400 yards away? I then called Assist again to be told i need to arrange my own hire vehicle as they had no courtesy cars!

By lunch time i had the correct number and called to arrange as this is the correct procedure not calling assist!! i explained that BM assist could not even look at my car until Wednesday 29th they would only offer a car on a daily basis and up to 5 days? 

i have to call daily 35 minutes each time to re arrange the hire which ends tomorrow. So no vehicle for 24 hours. BM assist have contacted me saying they have a vehicle from Wednesday but depends on if it passes its MOT and when the previous customer delivers it back.

My vehicle report from the RAC shows several faults that needs to be by manufacturer according to the RAC guy. Is BM assist allowed to repair this or is this in accordance with their terms?

Personally after the previous episode with previous finance and things going wrong id rather get our now before this turns nasty again. We purchased a warranty and based on the sales guy we just call and everything is done for us, not what we experienced so far!.

if they repair and its still not correct obviously under consumer act we will refuse and look at reversing the financial agreement.

Can we return this vehicle now due to the warranty issues as we are over the first 30 days, or do we have to wait to see if they repair correctly and are we entitled to a courtesy car for the duration of the repair and also prior as we were left without a vehicle. Please advise urgently guys they seem to be dragging things out for a reason!

I will keep updating as things progress but not getting good vibes from this company.

I have had over 3 months of hell.

I purchased a 2020 Volvo XC60 in July and took comfort from the alleged 200 point check, full Volvo service history and 3 month warranty.

When driving the vehicle home it was apparent that there was a nasty rattle from the engine.

I complained to BMWorld the next day and eventually got them to agree to have it inspected at their approved local garage.

That garage would not put it in writing but told me that they advised BMWORLD that a replacement turbo was needed. BMWorld would not approve the work but offered to have a look at their Snodland service centre.

I got the vehicle recovered there and they fitted a turbo repair kit rather than replacing the turbo.

When I picked the car up the rattle was still there - no change. I

tried to reject the car and sent a letter but BMWorld would not have it. After much more argument, BMWORLD maintained that the vehicle was good enough and I should put up with the rattle. I was actually told by a manager that they don’t mind if I’m embarrassed by it!

As I was of the view that it was a fault that would get worse and possibly have severe consequences, I paid £240 for Volvo main dealer diagnostics - they said the tubo should be replaced as a high priority.

BMWorld still would not change their stance. I decided to get the work done myself and recover the cost by legal action if necessary.

I have now obtained a further diagnosis and cost estimate from a local garage. They also advise that the turbo is faulty and needs replacing and their estimate amounts to c£2500.

I have now placed an order for the parts and will be getting the work done next week. 
 

I understand that a letter before action should be sent before commencing a small claims court claim so will be sending a letter with a 14 day deadline once the work has been done and final costs and expenses are known. 
 

Do you have any comments/suggestions please? I would also like to know the best way to raise the appalling service from BMWorld to try and prevent this nightmare from happening to others. 

https://uk.trustpilot.com/reviews/68f269ab3d1ccae3c146b8a5?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=dlvr.it

REf OS is Customer service rep

In brief, Car purchased 1Sep by debit card.

Collected car 2nd Sep dramas, drove car home engine light on, tyres low, service light notification 12 days until service. Despite 200 point check, full service history.

Filed complaint no response from anyone. despite requesting a manager call me.

4Th Sep chased complaint and also mention that the car was now making scraping noises from the breaks the service is counting down and car is stopping at junctions and wont start, car is dangerous.

Received a reply from OS she listed my concerns and claimed would investigate.

9th Sep I contacted  OS again and listed some more faults on the Big app. OS both emailed and called to arrange the car to be brought into the garage VIP

23rd Sep 14 days wait ! Took car and spoke to staff and technician he wasn't optimistic said car dangerous etc very strange, so I emailed OS again

23rd Sep on the way home to say I wasn't happy that my complaint has not been responded too and the car is dangerous, I noted the 30 day refund consumer 2015 law in the email and that I wanted a refund or replacement car as the car isnt safe. I am still waiting for the reply!  Car was waiting for diagnostics in a que, apparently technical issues,

29Th Sep email the car failed diagnostics test told "need a new BCM before we can carry out any further diagnostics," no cost however I need to authorise it before they can order the part. Me Being naive I just wrote a single sentence ok I give you permission, not knowing it was a trap, I have ADHD and impulsive! Told part would be coming 7th Sep thats 12 days later !! 

I emailed back to say I have have requested a refund and date and reasons and it's not realistic to make me wait so long and the part does not even guaranteed it will be fixed only enables further diagnostics.

Have since been in a daily email battle with various managers rejecting my refund request on the grounds I authorised the part. I emailed and sent by recorded delivery evidence that I requested a refund to OS and also on the Big app. all these emails and the letter have been stonewalled like they dont exist.  They claim no evidence has been provided. I've been requested to collect the car fixed ot not fixed. I have sent consistent responses reiterating the law and standing my ground. I have spoken to citizens advice and lodged complaint 29 sep,

1Oct lodged with ombudsman. yesterday another manager M after requesting I collect the car, now stated update on the repair of my car the part is delayed in france and won't be at the garage until 21 Oct.

I responded with my usual rejection, and they are stonewalling me and now harassing me.

Reiterated we are in dispute and escalated to the ombudsman, requested a refund and details.

I go round and round in circles. It's a psychological tactic to wear me down, please help!

Hope this makes sense.

Sorry in advance if I dont respond quickly to any replies can only reply when back home.

Thank you in advance. 

We purchased a vehicle from Big Motoring World on the 20th July 2025.

£15,200 and paid via bank transfer unfortunately. We didn't pay for warranty or any extras.

On the 23rd July when opening the rear passenger door we noticed a big crack running all the way down the metal on inside of the door. We have taken the vehicle to two garages for inspection and both have confirmed there's clear evidence of previous accident damage which has either been really poorly repaired or not repaired at all and is clearly visible and both offside doors are misaligned. We are awaiting an email copy of one of the inspection reports which we can attach when we receive it. We received a document with the vehicle stating no evidence of accident damage and door trims, seals etc had all passed checks.

We also have a document saying there were two keys provided with the vehicle but we only received one which is badly damaged and taped together.

We have been back to the branch we purchased from and also the big assist garage which deal with the aftercare buy unsurprising failed to get anyone to listen.

We formally rejected the vehicle on the 24th July by email and letter sent recorded delivery to head office address. Obviously they have rejected the rejection on the basis the damage is cosmetic and advised to refer to the motor ombudsman.

I understand the next course of action would be a letter before legal action and from reading other posts we would be claiming for distress and inconvenience along with the costs of the  inspection reports, insurance cancellation fees and time spent going to and from the branches in an attempt to resolve the issue.

I have attached the 4 emails/letters we've sent and also the two replies from Big Motoring World setting out the reasons for rejecting the rejection.

We would like to know if everything is covered in these letters or if we've missed anything obvious that we need to send/include before the the pre legal action letter.

I've attached letters and emails including dates/sent received.

Thanks in advance for your help as it is causing no end of worry and stress.

Car bought in May, half financed, half cash.

I bought BMW one year warranty but cancelled within a few weeks as didn’t feel it was value for money and received a refund.

End of August the stop/start ceased, LED day light stopped working on drivers side.

Contacted MG as car was sold with a manufacturer warranty due to expire end of October. MG has no record of services despite a document BMW provided me with. BMW fixed stop start in early September by replacing car battery but could not do the light.

Car booked in 2 weeks later to replace LED…replacement LED was faulty so still have no running day light on drivers side.

Have been made to travel from Leeds -Sheffield on 2 occasions and not sorted.

It has been  nearly 2 weeks since failure to replace LED and they claim they are still trying to source part as well as find out where my services took place (I was given a garage in Dumfries but they have no record).

I have been in contact with a BMW employee called Ryan who keeps telling me he is looking into it for me.

I have sent a letter of rejection as still in 6 month period since purchase and wanting car to be fixed, pass its MOT and move on.

That’s my story  

I hope you could help me/ guide me please on how to best proceed. 

Jaguar I-Pace  – Warranty & Fault Issues

Purchase & Background

• 19.05.2025 – Bought Jaguar I-Pace (registered 12.08.2020, mileage 37,838, £17,000, 1-year extended warranty £900).
• 10.06.2025 – Full Jaguar service completed and paid by me after car purchase (£279.70) to keep warranty valid (vehicle was overdue service by 9 months). 

Touchscreen Fault

• Shortly after purchase – Middle console touchscreen failed.
• Claim raised with Big Assist Warranties2000.
• Before dealer appointment, screen started working again → appointment cancelled.

Steering Vibrations & Parking Sensor Issues

• 06.07.2025 – Logged vibration issue with BigMW.  Jaguar diagnostic quoted at £250, warranty only covers £100. BigMW instead referred me to their garage in Peterborough (1+ hr away).
• 23.07.2025 (Peterborough, 1st visit)
  • Reported steering vibrations and faulty RHS parking sensor.
  • Mechanic confirmed feeling vibrations on road test
  • Checks done: suspension & steering rack (no faults), software update, steering resistance reset.
  • Outcome: Garage claimed vibrations resolved; parking sensor passed visual checks.
  • Reality: Vibrations persisted, sensor still faulty.
• 27.07.2025 – Reported ongoing issues. Next appointment offered: 22.08.2025.
• 22.08.2025 – 01.09.2025 (Peterborough, 2nd visit)
  • Car kept 10 days.
  • Work done: wheel balancing
  • Outcome: Vibrations and parking sensor faults still present.
• 16.09.2025 (proposed 3rd visit)
  • Offered 3-hour diagnostic with technician road test.
  • I refused as I was not comfortable driving while technician touching  steering wheel while I drove.

Escalation

• By September – 3 trips made to Peterborough (each requiring annual leave).
• I formally requested from BigMW:
  1. Clear plan of action.
  2. Senior technician involvement.
  3. Realistic diagnosis/resolution timeline.
  4. All test results to date and proposed future tests.
  5. Escalation contact.
• Sent 3 emails → all ignored.
• Requested to take car to Jaguar main dealer instead. BigMW refused, saying I’d need to pay diagnostics first, then submit report for review.
• 25.09.2025 – Complaint procedure finally provided by BigMW (after multiple requests).

Current Position

• Mileage: 40,875.
• Issues unresolved: steering vibrations and faulty RHS parking sensor.
• Warranty compliance concerns:
  • Clause 3.1 – Must be serviced in line with manufacturer’s schedule (breached before sale).
  • Clause 3.3.6 – Service intervals must not be exceeded by >21 days or 750 miles (breached before sale).
  • However clause 3.2 seems to put onus on the customer (me):  If the vehicle has no service history, or the service history is incomplete, the vehicle must be serviced after purchase, by a VAT-registered garage in line with the manufacturer’s specifications.
• Considering next steps:
  • Claim for mis-sold warranty (refund via Small Claims Court).
  • Possibly reject the car (difficult maybe as >30 days after purchase).

Additional information:

Date of purchase: 19.05.2025

Make: Jaguar

Model: I- pace

Day registered: 12.08.2020

Mileage on purchase: 37,838

Current mileage: 40,875

Price paid: £17,000 (bank transfer)

1 year extended warranty: £ 900

MOT: 16/04/2025

Garage of purchase: Enfield (93 miles from my home)

In desperate need of advice

I have now been 6 months without a car, borrowing my mums so I can get to work

cannot keep using hers forever, am in no position to purchase another car as I am still paying off the loan for this one.

I have been on maternity leave and it has been incredibly isolating not having a car.

I am now back at work and if it wasn't for my mum I would have had to quit my job. 

Timeline as follows:

August 2023 - Purchased a Kia Sportage 2019 reg from BMW Wimbledon
September 2024 - Car suffered a catastrophic engine failure
March 2025 - Extended warranty claim was rejected for the below reason. 

'The policy only affords coverage for components that are specifically listed under the "What is covered" section of your policy booklet.

On this occasion, Big motoring world have advised this claim is declined due to the conclusion on the engineers report stating this could have been avoided by checking the oil levels regularly on the vehicle.

We can conclude that the engine is no longer serviceable due to damage to the internals and subsequent block damage. The damage has been caused by poor lubrication, induced by the incorrect servicing of the vehicle. The defect would not have been present at inception.'

The servicing prior to me owning the vehicle is a bit all over the place but since owning it I had the service completed on time, if not early and yet I was told it is due to servicing since I have owned the vehicle. 

The service history is as follows: 

Car registered May 2019

1st Service - 01/10/2020 @ 13,667 miles
2nd Service - 16/12/2021 @ 25,540 miles
3rd Service - 17/01/2023 @ 37,695 miles 
4th Service - due May 2023 - missing
5th Service - 12/02/2024 @ 50,348 miles (this one was done by me since owning the vehicle) 
 

Further info

I paid £13,500 for the car and £1599 for 2 years extended warranty. Paid for by part exchange and cash. 

The repairs quoted by Kia are £11,232.87 and the current mileage is 58,742 miles.

I would also like to add that although I have no proof I had topped up the oil early last year, so even with servicing I still had to top it up which I have since been told is unusual for a modern car.

Kia warranty has also been rejected due to service history, however, they previously replaced the glow plugs for me under the warranty so we have raised a complaint with the motoring ombudsman about this as they set a precedence by completing that work but not this.

I can send any documentation if helpful! 

Thanks!

I paid around £3,000 as a deposit for the vehicle, the vehicle was priced at £19,000 and i financed the vehicle through Black Horse. 

- The Vehicle had 53k miles when I purchased. The vehicle had the inspection light come on around 63,000. I had it serviced. 

- The vehicle started making strange noises when driving. I had the noise inspected by an Audi specialist who told me to stop driving it immediately.

I left it sitting on my drive until I managed to get a diagnostics appointment at my nearest Audi main dealership. Which was around 4-6 weeks later. 

Audi said the noise sounds like oil pressure problems and said the vehicles engine needed to be dismantled to get a full diagnostic. 

I then had my car towed out of the Audi garage and parked it on my drive for several weeks before knowing what to do.

I contacted big motoring world who said they couldn’t help as it’s been more than 6 months and that I needed to sort it with the warranty company. 

warranties2000 said that they can’t help me unless I get the diagnostics on the car done. Which was going to cost over £1000. 

I then contacted my finance company and made a complaint with all of the information I had. they said the complaint can take up to 8 weeks.

I waited.  

the finance company came back to us with an answer and said. 
“ I’m not upholding your complaint because we have no evidence that the fault was present or developing at the point of sale.”

- With this we didn’t know what to do and waited a couple more months until we found an engine rebuild garage recommended to us who said they can investigate further at a cost of £1200 and can deal with the warranty company and can rebuild our engine. 

We paid £160 to have the car collected and taken to the garage. 
The garage dismantled my car and found the fault. 

The Garages Verdict - 

Upon initial inspection, we found that the oil pump was faulty and to fully evaluate further required an engine strip down as this is the only way an accurate diagnosis of the failure could be evaluated.

Therefore, we stripped the whole engine down and noticed that the cause of the damage to the engine was as a result of the oil pump not supplying oil to the bottom end of the engine therefore making it run dry.

Because of the engine running dry, it will have caused further damage to the crankshaft and the liners.

I have worked on these types of vehicles for many years and it is in my professional opinion that the failure of this engine was initially caused by a failure of the oil pump.

Finally, it would be impossible to evaluate a sealed engine of this type and the subsequent failure without stripping the engine down and evaluating the internals.

We took this to the warranty company. 
and the warranty company refused our claim and rejected it. 
This was there reason. - 

Having had the opportunity of examining your file, we regret to inform you that we are unable to offer assistance on this occasion due to the following: 

The policy only affords coverage for components that are specifically listed under the "What is covered" section of your policy booklet.

On this occasion, the claim has been rejected due to the engineer's report which ahs confirmed that at the time of our inspection the engine had been removed and dismantled. The conrods did not appear to be bent. The piston rings were slightly worn and had a carbon build up. There was a vertical score mark in cylinder number 4 and cylinder number 4, one of the inlet valves was discoloured. 

There was scoring to the crankshaft bearings and the crankshaft journals with heavy scoring to the side of the journals and the main bearings, caused by the thrust washer. There was also excessive play to the oil pump drive gear. The faults would not have been developing at the point of policy inception. We have not seen any sudden mechanical breakage or been presented with such condition to consider. The issues identified appear to be general wear and deterioration related.

Therefore as the problems you have experienced are not detailed within your coverage we are unable to assist with the repair costs incurred.

I am now stuck on what to do and are pleading for advice on this matter on how to proceed next. 

The garage is now saying they need an answer on what to do with our vehicle.

I simply cannot afford the repair costs. 

It took approximately three months for investigations on the claim to take place. These included investigations at our cost with Jaguar Land rover and also investigation by their independent contractor.

After much chasing the warranty company rejected our claim. They sent us the report from their independent contractor at my husband's request. Within 5 minutes they recalled this report and sent another report through within another 10 minutes. 
 

The report initially sent to us stated in two different places that the fault would have been there at the time we purchased the car. The revised report stated it wouldn't have been. It was clearly rewritten in a hurry as the second reports edits meant that it wasn't written in full sentences! 
 

BMW have quoted the second report to us and told us to appeal the warranty company. 

I depend on this car to get my children to school 25 miles away, one of whom is disabled. We are absolutely devastated. 

The initial price of the car was £18,000.

Initial mileage approximately 50,000. We've since covered approximately 10,000 miles. The car is a 2018 model. The car was purchased on finance and we spent £2,500 on the extended warranty. 

I am struggling to unpick this all as the stress it making my husband and I really unwell.

I'm hoping I've included all the correct information to advise. Apologies if not, my head is spinning.

I purchased a used 2019 plate Toyota Rav4, YHZ 3631 on the 10^th June 2025 with 40,395 miles on the clock for £18,500 with GardX GX1 for £600 and a £300 buyers fee – totaling £19400.

3 days later on the 13^th June 2025 there was a full ABS failure at 40,481 miles. The car was not driven until Monday 16^th June where it was booked into my local Toyota Dealership – as the car had a full service history I thought it best to use them to continue this.

After dealing with the Big Motoring World “Big Assist” team, they agreed to carry out a repair at the Toyota dealership where they replaced a faulty ABS sensor. The car was collected on the 18^th June 2025 and I thought all was well.

 On Saturday 12^th July 2025 there was another full ABS failure on the car, I managed to drive it home and then booked it back in with the Toyota dealership (as they had previously repaired it) on the 16^th July 2025. They had an idea of what might be the problem but needed to order tools/equipment in to confirm their suspicions. The tools arrived on Friday 18^th July 2025.

Monday 21^st July the Toyota Dealership advised that the master cylinder and booster had failed and duly forwarded the repair bill to Big Motoring World. During the following week I emailed/called for an update and was told “it was still under review” and they couldn’t tell me when it would be complete. I was also told I did not qualify for a hire car as it was under review. I requested the person dealing with it call me back with an update – no phone call was forthcoming.

Wednesday 23^rd June I called Big Motoring World for an update and was told over the phone a repair had been agreed, and it was in the final stages of review. But a couple of hours later I got an email to tell me nothing had been agreed. The Toyota Dealership knew nothing and had not been contacted.

Thursday 24^th July I call Big Motoring World and requested I speak to a manager – I was passed to a senior customer service advisor and after some conversation I managed to secure a hire car for 1 week even though the review was still being processed.

Between the 25th July and the 1^st August I had no contact from Big Motoring World until I received an email on the Friday 1^st. The email stated that Big Motoring World would not be fulfilling the repair through the Toyota Dealership. The bill was quite high (I believe over £3000) and they wanted me to take the car to their own workshop to fit aftermarket parts.

It was at this point I rejected the repair and the vehicle itself. The car was purchased with a full Toyota service history, one of the reasons I bought the car in the first place and the reason I took the car to the Toyota Dealership for repair – so I could keep the Toyota service history. Sadly, I didn’t get a chance to have the car serviced by Toyota to activate any service warranty. Seeing as Toyota had repaired the ABS failure once I assumed the most sensible course of action would be to get Toyota to fix it again. If I did agree the Big Motoring world repair, it would not be covered by any Toyota warranties.

They wanted me to take the car to their own workshop – I told them it was not possible as the car has no brakes, and I would not be covered by my insurance, and it was up to them to collect it from the Toyota Dealership.

Following my rejection of the vehicle/repair I was told the hire car would not be available to me, so it was handed back on the 1^st August. Big Motoring World also advised me they would not be giving me a full refund on the vehicle and asked me for the current mileage as they would be making a mileage deduction on the refund price as it was outside of the 30-day rejection period as stated in the Consumer Rights Act 2015. I replied and argued the fact that because of the first repair and subsequent failure of the repair at 34 days of ownership (even though the car had already been off the road for 5 days with the first repair) it would be a little churlish to argue over a few days.

I had no further contact or updates from Big Motoring World since then. Today Wednesday 6^th August I called them and ask to speak to a manager, they refused to pass me over to one. The best they could do was request a call back “but it might not be today” – I angrily but begrudgingly accepted.

After I had calmed down, I called them back and asked them to speak to the department dealing with the complaint/refund, they tried to put me though but couldn’t get through apparently. I said I would wait on the line, but I was told that was not possible. I asked again to speak to a manager and was again told it was not possible. I asked for clarification on the process and was told it would take 3-5 days. I reiterated my absolute disgust at their total lack of communication and poor customer service. I am resigned to the fact that I will have to wait again for a decision to be made – which leaves me still without a car and still without a refund.

Big Motoring World customer service is nonexistent and appalling, they rarely return phone calls and emails and not once have advised me of the processes and procedures involved in any of this. Most, if not all of the contact has been made by me. Even their senior customer service advisors have failed in that regard – I have been left in the dark and with no car and no refund and no idea of what is going on.

 As of today 8^th August, the car is still with the Toyota Dealership, and I still don’t know where I stand. I sent them an email at 9am this morning, chasing for an update on my refund and complaint, and yet, have had no reply.

1^st ABS Failure 3 days of ownership – 5 days without a car.

2^nd ABS Failure 27 days after the first failure

14 days to “review” Toyota repair bill

So far 7 days to review my complaint/rejection of the vehicle.

So far have I have driven the car for 27 days.

The car has been off the road/not drivable for 30 days (as of 8^th August)

Disgusting behaviour by Big Motoring World.

I had the car a week and decided to contact our local Mercedes dealership to enquire about a service plan. I was shocked to find out that it had a full service history at merc and this was going to be the 5th service. They informed me the car had been serviced every 15000 miles. The car is only 2 and a half years old! Absolute shock as the car only had 17500 miles on it when bought from BMW. It has at least 60000 miles on and hadn’t been serviced in a year, so could have in excess of 80000 miles.

Their copy of the service history made no sense and was totally false showing the car had been serviced twice with incorrect mileage shown. They had also put the car through its first MOT early and this was shown on the copy of the service history.

We have kept things civil until we have now received a full refund but now thought we would post to make people aware. After speaking to a lot of people at merc and other garages it seems with the right software the digital displays on new cars can be changed relatively easily. So if possible try and check the service history yourself - as big motoring world Sheffield should have done!