Surge in used car gripes

Second-hand cars are the most complained-about purchases in the UK, according to new Government figures. The Office of Fair Trading’s free helpline, Consumer Direct, received 55,202 complaints from buyers last year – a rise of nearly 20 per cent.

Of these, 41,880 were from owners who bought their vehicle from an independent garage. Repairs and servicing also made it into the top 10 of shame, with 15,253 people complaining about work at non-franchised outlets – up 11 per cent on 2006.

Consumer Direct claims nearly one-tenth of the callers who resolved their complaint got at least £1,000 in compensation via refunds, repairs or replacements.