How long do I have to reject a faulty used car?

A dealer’s faulty car can be rejected within 30 days from the day after it is yours and delivered. The Act sets no later deadline; in England and Wales a court claim has six years from the date it arose.

Last reviewed 6 October 2026. The official sources it draws on, and the date each was read, are listed at the foot of the page.

The timeline

Remedies against a dealer, by time since the car became yours and was delivered
Period	What you can do	Who has to show what
The first 30 days	Reject the car for a refund (the short-term right to reject).	You show the car was not of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose or as described when sold (nidirect). The six-month presumption below does not cover this route (section 19(14)).
Within six months of delivery	Require a repair or replacement; if that fails, a price reduction or the final right to reject.	A fault that appears is taken to have been there on delivery unless the dealer shows otherwise (section 19(14) and (15)).
After six months	The same routes remain open: the Act sets no deadline, but a court claim in England and Wales must be brought within six years (Limitation Act 1980, section 5).	You must show the fault, or an underlying fault, was there at delivery (nidirect).

How the 30 days are counted

Section 22(3) of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 sets the time limit at the end of 30 days beginning with the first day after three things have all happened: ownership has passed to you (possession, on hire purchase or a conditional sale), the car has been delivered, and any installation the contract requires has been notified as done. A deposit paid weeks earlier does not start the clock.

If you ask for or agree to a repair or replacement, the clock stops for the waiting period, which runs from the day you ask or agree until the day you receive the goods. If the goods you then get still do not conform, the time limit is 7 days after the waiting period ends or the original limit extended by the waiting period, whichever is later (section 22(6) to (8)).

After the 30 days

Section 24 allows a price reduction or the final right to reject, not both, after one repair or one replacement has failed, where neither can be required, or where the trader has not done what you required within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience. Neither section 20 nor section 24 sets a time limit for the final right to reject.

The longer you wait, the more a deduction for use can reduce a refund, and for a motor vehicle that deduction can apply even inside the first six months (section 24(8) to (10)), unless the vehicle was built or adapted for use by one disabled person at a time (section 24(13)). Do not leave it for long: GOV.UK names Citizens Advice in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland in Scotland and Consumerline in Northern Ireland as the places to get advice.

A court claim has its own time limit

The Consumer Rights Act sets no deadline for the later remedies, but a claim in court is a separate matter. Section 5 of the Limitation Act 1980 bars an action founded on simple contract six years after the date on which the cause of action accrued. That section applies in England and Wales; Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own time limits, which this answer does not give.

Sources

Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 22 (time limit for short-term right to reject)Read on 6 October 2026. The 30 days, when they start, and how a repair or replacement stops the clock and extends the limit.
Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 19 (consumer’s rights to enforce terms about goods)Read on 6 October 2026. The ladder of remedies and the six-month presumption in subsections (14) and (15).
Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 24 (right to price reduction or final right to reject)Read on 6 October 2026. When a price reduction or the final right to reject arises, the deduction for use and the motor-vehicle exception; no time limit is stated.
Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 20 (right to reject)Read on 6 October 2026. The right to reject and the refund; no time limit is stated for the final right.
nidirect: Buying goods and servicesRead on 6 October 2026. After six months you must prove the fault was there at the time of buying or delivery, and an underlying or hidden fault is enough.
nidirect: Buying a new or used carRead on 6 October 2026. Within 30 days you must show the vehicle was not of satisfactory quality at the time of sale.
GOV.UK: Consumer rightsRead on 6 October 2026. Where to get advice: Citizens Advice, Advice Direct Scotland and Consumerline.
Limitation Act 1980, section 5 (time limit for actions founded on simple contract)Read on 6 October 2026. An action founded on simple contract may not be brought after six years from the date the cause of action accrued; the section is marked as extending to England and Wales.
Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973, section 6 (extinction of obligations by prescriptive periods)Read on 6 October 2026. Scotland has its own rules on how long a claim can be made; this answer gives no Scottish period.
Limitation (Northern Ireland) Order 1989, article 4 (time limit for actions founded on contract)Read on 6 October 2026. Northern Ireland has its own limitation law; this answer gives no Northern Ireland period.

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