OPTING for a used car that still has its manufacturer warranty can offer a degree of protection, but even with a full service history, getting the work covered isn’t always the easiest, as reader Paul Thomas from West Wickham, Kent, discovered.
Paul was in the market for a Mercedes C-Class, and he eventually settled on a 2014 C 180 AMG Sport estate from Horsepower, an independent dealer in nearby Tonbridge.
Soon after he bought the car in November 2016, Paul experienced an “odd smell of petrol” in the cabin, but a dealer investigation didn’t find anything. However, the inspection did uncover improper repairs to the car’s wiring loom.
Shortly after, the car suffered a complete electrical failure, so Paul immediately contacted Horsepower. He said: “It told me it hadn’t done…