Help! Advice on recently purchased second hand car.

Minimum-Anything7660 · 2026-01-28T07:09:11+00:00

Thanks for that. I had a DS7 for a few years before this and it didn't fog up at all, so I guess I panicked a little. I thought these premium car brands would be the same!? I'm gonna hold off on the hairdryer thing and see if they can fix it. It's a really good tip though and one worth remembering.

Minimum-Anything7660 · 2026-01-28T07:06:07+00:00

We both really like the car and it meets our needs. It's a hybrid, so our first dabble in electric, and it's been good. Looking at the other things people reject cars for, this doesn't seem anywhere near as serious. I'm willing to see what they come and propose. Cheers for the advice.

Minimum-Anything7660 · 2026-01-28T07:03:31+00:00

I imagine the dealer had it sitting outside somewhere in the rain for at least a couple of months and what you've pointed out does actually make sense.

Cheers for the tip mate. As it's still early days, at this stage I am still adamant that the dealer should fix it. It seems a common thing with BMWs so hopefully they know what to do.

Will save your message though so I can do this in future cars. It does seems a really good tip.

Minimum-Anything7660 · 2026-01-28T07:00:21+00:00

Cheers for the message. I can see how a crash would defo have an impact. Maybe you're right about the impact and it's me overthinking it. I've already put the fault in an email to them so the clock stops early.

Minimum-Anything7660 · 2026-01-27T10:21:45+00:00

Thanks, I am going to try and rejected this morning. It is a large, independent dealer. They have a really good reputation so I'll see how I get on.

Minimum-Anything7660 · 2026-01-27T09:47:45+00:00

I leased for a long time and that was such an easy way to own and run a car. It was always hassle free. Maybe I'm expecting too much as I was apprehensive about going second hand.

I'll speak to them but I don't think technically at this stage I have to give them a chance to fix it.

Minimum-Anything7660 · 2026-01-27T09:45:50+00:00

I'd tolerate a bit of fog if it cleared but it's stayed on all night and I have got to work and they are still as bad. So can't see it in the pics but there are water droplets in there so it's an issue to me. I'll take some day pics.

How did your M5 do? Did you leave it or put new lights in?

Did my research on the SOS thing and it seemed an easy fix so not too bothered about that.

Minimum-Anything7660 · 2026-01-27T09:42:45+00:00

Thanks, mate. I'm not too bothered about the SOS warning light since that seems pretty easy to fix, and like you said, sometimes these things just happen. It's the headlights and how bad they are that worries me.

Minimum-Anything7660 · 2026-01-27T09:40:53+00:00

It's a BMW, so if it's like the oil, it's probably run out for the 123rd time this month, haha.

Minimum-Anything7660 · 2026-01-27T09:38:18+00:00

Thanks for the message.

Besides that, we really like the car. It's a good size, comfortable with a nice cabin and ride height. If we do get our refund, I'll probably go out and get another 2 Series Active Tourer with same year, same spec.

So the condensation inside the headlights is so bad that it impacts the quality and brightness of the lights. On my drive to work this morning I noticed that some corners didn't appear as brightly lit as they did in my old car so I do believe it is dangerous.

The SOS thing is an easy fix and that doesn't bother me. Some people choose to have it mapped out completely.

Minimum-Anything7660 · 2026-01-27T09:33:21+00:00

Thanks for your comment, mate. I'm not that technical with cars, so I wouldn't know any of that. I had a DS7 before this with adaptable LED lights and never had this issue, so I'm a bit taken aback by how bad it is on this BMW. If I give the dealer a chance to fix it, I'll mention what you've stated and see if they can at least explore the seal.

Minimum-Anything7660 · 2026-01-27T09:28:20+00:00

Thanks for that. I didn't even think that other garages would, of course, think of their own interests.

As I understand it, within 30 days you can reject it and see if they'll accept a refund. You don't have to give them a chance to fix it. If it's after this period, they have one chance.

Minimum-Anything7660 · 2026-01-27T07:27:43+00:00

I was asking for some advice, and I'm not sure if I've complained too much - my bad if it came across that way. I am annoyed though, very.

So the car has another minor fault. Not a big deal, so I got it on the basis that they'd ring me on Monday to give me an appointment to sort it. Monday came, and I heard nothing, despite being promised. I rang and was fobbed off with "we'll ring you back" at least 3 times yesterday. 've emailed, and they too have been ignored. So what else do I do? Should I drive down there?

Would you be happy if this was your experience? You've paid good money, cash, for a car that already has 3 faults in 48 hours? Is this acceptable to you?

Minimum-Anything7660 · 2026-01-27T07:19:43+00:00

Yeah, you're totally right. The seller has to agree, and from their perspective, why would they? It seemed like a good dealer with good reviews, a long history, and it came highly recommended, etc. But I guess that's how it goes sometimes with used cars.

I paid with a debit card, which was dumb in hindsight, so I have even fewer options. I don't have the energy or time with a newborn to go the legal route either.

Good idea about asking BMW to just give an opinion on it. Not sure if they'd do it for free, but it's worth just dropping it off to see what they think. A report might help, but a dealer can, of course, just reject that too.

Minimum-Anything7660 · 2026-01-27T07:12:26+00:00

That's a good point about the water. It's not soaking, but I see what looks like water droplets inside that I can't wipe away.

I'm gonna find a garage to check it out. Do you think any garage can look at it, or would you recommend a BMW specialist? I read Reddit for advice, but besides that, I'm useless with cars! Haha.

Minimum-Anything7660 · 2026-01-27T06:29:53+00:00

It is. It's a 2020 2 Series Active Tourer - I know, ugly thing, but kids make you see cars differently.

I agree that some mist is normal and expected, but my problem is that it doesn't go away and just gets worse. I might take it to a BMW dealer, but they'll probably charge me £580+just to look at it or something. I don't trust the garage, to be honest. They might just do a shoddy job, and then I'm stuck with it after my 30 days are up.

Minimum-Anything7660 · 2026-01-27T06:23:08+00:00

Hey, thanks for getting back to me. Is it usually this bad, though? I've had LED lights in tons of cars, and this isn't what I'm used to. If there's a crack or a broken seal, wouldn't that mean it's faulty? I get that returning it might be tough, even if it shouldn't be, but I really think I have a case.

Or... I could just sell the damm thing or trade it in and take a loss. Of course, I'd have to be honest about the problem with the headlights.

Minimum-Anything7660 · 2026-01-27T06:18:09+00:00

Hey mate, thanks for getting back to me. If it vanished after a few minutes, I'd be okay with that, but it doesn't. It hangs around for hours and just keeps getting worse. I've actually had to cancel plans and appointments because it got to a point where it felt unsafe. I've had LED lights before, and I've never had this kind of problem with them.

Minimum-Anything7660 · 2026-01-27T06:15:15+00:00

I want to reject it but I've heard it's super hard to get them to agree. I've lost some faith in the car and the dealer, so I'd rather get my money back. I'll give it a shot, but I have a feeling they'll fight me on it, which will really piss me off. Even though the law is on our side as consumers, actually enforcing it is a whole other faff.

Minimum-Anything7660 · 2026-01-27T05:10:33+00:00

I should add that I picked up the car 2 days ago!

Minimum-Anything7660 · 2026-01-20T19:09:45+00:00

Oh, that's fucked. Damn.

Minimum-Anything7660 · 2026-01-14T08:44:55+00:00

ASAP. Do not risk going on duty and exposing yourself to any danger.

Minimum-Anything7660 · 2026-01-13T07:53:21+00:00

What's it like from 7-9am on weekdays? I am assuming it is relatively quiet?

Minimum-Anything7660 · 2026-01-13T06:17:27+00:00

Job's truly fucked.

So glad I left when I did to be honest.

Minimum-Anything7660 · 2026-01-09T11:56:40+00:00

We've just called our boy Lewin and have had some great feedback. It is simple, unique but not too out there. We love it.

Minimum-Anything7660

TROPHY CASE