SJH Used Cars

I bought a Mercedes 2014 A180 in October 2024. I had persistent issues with it since purchase - many of which SJH looked at for me and said they fixed or paid my mechanic to fix.  On 5 December last year I dropped the car off with them and sent the attached list of issues (see screenshot of text message sent) with the assurance it would be sorted. I subsequently picked it up on 16 December. By 20 April the car had started smoking from the engine when driven.  Since then car has been undrivable due to an oil leak. My mechanic has been booked up so its been awaiting diagnostic. This took place today, and its been discovered that the said oil leak that was detailed on 5 December had not been investigated or fixed.  My mechanic, spoke on the phone to the salesman on 27 November (see screenshot) and detailed all the issues that needed resolving and investigating prior to the car being dropped off on 5 December. He is the same mechanic who has completed the diagnostic today and he has stated the leak he can see now is the same leak that was present back then.  As per the message I sent to follow up the call on 5 Decmeber, the oil leak was supposed to have been investigated. However it now appears that the leak was never investigated, only the engine cleaned.  During the diagnostic, it transpires the oil leak is from the turbo which has now failed completely and needs a full replacement.  I have contacted SJH and they have refused to sort this issue! Despite the consumer act stating it should be covered. AVOID THIS COMPANY LIKE THE PLAGUE!!!

Avoid this place like the plague. February last year I financed a 2010 Blue Vauxhall Meriva from SJH Used Cars and from day one there have been problems. I've meant to make this review for a while based on my poor experience but I've had an exetremly busy year and thought I would hold off until I am able to get the car serviced and for it's MOT. I took the car in today for it's MOT and it has cost me £520. This is more than I have ever had to spend on servicing a vehicle in the first year of owning it. Obviously when buying a used car I expected the car to not be 100% perfect but what I was sold was shocking. Once we had signed the agreement we noticed that the rear car light was damaged and that the handle for the left interior door was broken (still is to this day), I was assured by the man who sold me the car that they would send parts out to me. These problems were not followed up until I chased up the company. But as the next few weeks went on we noticed more things for example a recliner handle for one of the back seats was broken off and left in one of the glove boxes, none of the back interior lights in the car worked and the further you would look the more issues you would find and so many lazy fixes too. Some of these issues were fixed but some of them completely dismissed. More problems have arisen since like the back windshield wiper breaking, door alarms constantly going off randomly whilst driving, and check engine lights and other error messages coming on. One of the reasons the car failed the MOT was because of a pipe on the windshield washers on the drivers side not working, this had been broken since day one. Obviously I am unhappy with the car I have financed, but I am even more unhappy with how I have been spoken to and treated by Shaun, the owner of the company. To my knowledge there was a 3 month period after purchasing the car that if there were any problems I could return this back to the dealership to repair. I do not live local to the area and the company made no effort to try and accommodate to my needs like allowing me to take the car to a local garage and invoice the dealership, etc. if anything I felt like I had to work around them, I would take the car there and Shaun would tell me I didn't list things or that he didn't see a problem and be rude to me over text. I would also like to add that I never met this man as he was always either not working that day or he was on holiday. This period where the Dealership is responsible for fixing any problems was basically written off due to me not being able to get to the dealership due to the distance and work, Shaun & co not fixing the problems they said they would or not being able to contact anyone as the main contact on google at the time was Shaun and as I mentioned he was on holiday multiple times. Another example of his rudeness was when I had been traveling all day so I sent a text late at night for him to see when he gets up in the morning to remind him I'd be dropping the car off. When I dropped the car off to the dealership to one of his other workers I sent him a text just to let him know and He responded saying "Sorry I wasn't awake at 1:40am, I get in at 9am when I can although I do have kids so they are normally priority in the morning". I'm sorry but I didn't warrant that response, We had previously agreed on a call that I would be dropping the car off on this date as I was on my way to bristol airport to go on holiday, and suddenly his attitude had changed. This is no way to speak to a customer. When I contacted the finance company about the issues I had been having with the car they contacted Shaun and he told them that he would accept the car back if I paid £500. When I chased him up about this he avoided the question multiple times, made me wait two weeks when he was on holiday. I contacted him when he told me he would be back and he told me it was the next day. I called him the next day and it sounded as if I had just woken him up and he was very dismissive. This was the companies main point of contact on google. He then messages me saying that they won't accept the car as I had damaged the back. This is an understandable response, However he made me wait two weeks and made me have to keep pestering him for a response and was not direct. The last interaction I had with shaun was in May last year, he said he would send out a new speaker for the car as it was faulty. I'm still waiting on that speaker. Some of the reviews for this place are good but there are multiple reviews of people who have had similar experiences to mine, especially on the site Regit. My overall experience has been very unprofessional and very disapointing. I have added screenshots of our full chat log for reference if You would like to read them. I've bought cars from different dealerships in the past and I would advise everyone to shop elsewhere from a genuine dealership that actually care about their customers and providing a good service.

DO NOT BUY FROM THESE!!! Review needs a ZERO STAR Option!! Bought a car online.. had it delivered.. due to further surgery I was delayed by another 12 weeks at least from driving.. when I did start driving. Started noticing problems.. had no response from the dealers at all.. taken up with finance company.. I had to pay for an independant inspection.. car was proven to be sold in an unfit for purpose condition! Dealer refused to even look at the car.. saying I had modified the car myself and caused the problems!! How can they say that without even looking at it.. this has been going on for about 6 months.. car has been laid up unused for a good 5 months... finance company are still dealing with it.. DO NOT SPEND YOUR MONEY HERE BUYING DODGY. UNSAFE CARS FROM THESE ROBBING B@RSTARDS!!

If I could give a 0 Review I would, I Bought a car for £12995, I looked at the reviews from SJH and went for it, 3 months later complete disaster. Days after getting the car the battery went dead, and the reversing camera stopped working, this is still on going, the drivers door dropped badly. Two months in, very little mileage done, took it to a garage to be assessed for concerning whining problems, to find the rear tyre was badly cracked ,Second tyre delaminating, and advised discs pads had around 500 miles roughly and to replace them. I took it to another garage where they said the same thing. I wanted the car perfect and paid for it, The car was still making slight whining noises. February called AA , they came out and said possible gearbox. I took it to a gearbox specialist, where it was diagnosed gearbox failure, and cost of rebuild £5,000. Shaun, the owner, 2 days later said it was out of warranty and didn’t know where to go with it. The warranty only covers £500 and is third party not with them. This was not explained correctly to me when purchasing the car be very careful I have rang and sent messages . No response, I have never been treated like this before buying a car it’s shocking. The car was not fit for purpose from day 1, the car should not have passed the m.o.t It’s not a show room as advertised on there website. I should have and wish I had walked away. 15.7.23 Update to Sjh comments underneath. Shaun has now paid a contribution of £ 2000 out of the total price £4400 I will put this down to a very costly experience. In total the car cost me £3000 out of my own pocket to put it back on the road.

Please please please do not buy from this dealership. Sold me a car that broke within 24 hours. They took it back to the garage to “fix it”. Again, within 24 hours, faulty. Took it back “fixed it” - halfway home, engine light on. Back to the garage for more of their “fixing” - still not fixed. Then we are told that we damaged it and they would not be repairing it or accepting the return of the car. DO NOT BUY FROM HERE. Please, save yourself the stress and the money. **edited to add: after asking me to message them, presumably so it was private and not on ratings, they have ignored messages and not offered any way forward.