Used-car warranty: what changes depending on who sells to you
Buying from a professional brings years of legal warranty; buying from a private seller, something quite different. What each scenario covers.
The word “warranty” means very different things depending on who sells you the car, and mixing them up is a classic source of grief in the used market.
Buying from a professional
Consumer law gives you a legal conformity warranty — three years on goods, though for used vehicles the professional seller may agree it down to a minimum of one year; read the exact terms in the contract. It covers lack of conformity: faults and defects the car already had, not normal wear or misuse.
Buying from a private seller
No consumer warranty. There's the Civil Code: the seller answers for HIDDEN DEFECTS — serious, pre-existing and not visible on a normal examination — for six months. Claiming requires proving the defect existed at sale, which in practice means expert reports. Real protection, but costly to exercise.
The magic clauses that aren't
“Sold as seen” doesn't erase hidden-defect liability. Neither does a low price. What does help an honest seller is listing known faults in writing: what's declared isn't hidden.
The practical consequence
Private prices are better partly BECAUSE protection is weaker: you're being paid to carry that risk. Reduce it with the pre-checks — DGT report, inspection history, mechanical inspection — and a contract reflecting the car's real state.