Car dealership fined for selling cars with unresolved safety recalls

- Car dealer fined for hiding safety recalls

- Seven unsafe cars sold

- Director ignored advice from 2020

Luton-based car dealership Jan Autos has been fined more than £16,000 for selling vehicles without informing buyers of serious outstanding safety recalls.

Jan Autos Limited, based on Leagrave Road, and its director Muhammad Amin of Dunstable, were found guilty at trial on 16 June of failing to notify customers about unresolved manufacturer safety recalls.

The court heard that Luton Trading Standards had issued advice to the business as early as 2020, warning them to improve its practices.

Despite this, between January and July 2022, seven vehicles were identified as having undisclosed recalls - some of which were sold before the necessary work was carried out. Any checks undertaken by the company were deemed inadequate.

The company was fined £14,000, with an additional £190 victim surcharge and £1,363 in costs. Amin was personally fined £1,100 and ordered to pay a £110 victim surcharge, bringing the total financial penalty to £16,763.

Vehicles subject to recalls must be repaired before being sold, or, if sold before repair, buyers must be clearly informed of any outstanding issues in the vehicle advert.

Councillor Maria Lovell, portfolio holder for trading standards, said: “Such negligent and reckless car traders are simply unacceptable. In this case, the trader ignored our efforts to change their behaviour and received a large fine as a result.

“We’re pleased with the outcome and hope this will deter other businesses from deceiving customers and denying them their statutory rights.”