🚙 Letter cancelling a car sale for a hidden defect

A serious defect that predates the sale and was undetectable at the time of purchase can justify cancelling the sale of a vehicle, whether it was bought from a private individual or a professional. First have a diagnosis carried out by an independent garage: it will be the key document in your case.

💡 Good to know: Article 1641 of the French Civil Code requires the seller to guarantee against hidden defects in the vehicle sold. Article 1644 lets you choose between returning the vehicle for a refund, or keeping it in exchange for a price reduction. You have 2 years from the discovery of the defect to act. If you bought the vehicle from a professional seller, the statutory conformity warranty (Articles L217-3 and following of the French Consumer Code) is often easier to invoke: it lasts 2 years from delivery and, for a used vehicle, any defect appearing within 12 months is presumed to have existed at the time of sale, without you having to prove it. Before going to court for a claim of €5,000 or less, an attempt at conciliation (with a conciliateur de justice, free of charge), mediation or participatory procedure is in principle mandatory, otherwise the claim may be declared inadmissible (Article 750-1 of the French Code of Civil Procedure).

🇫🇷 Category: Vehicles · The letter is generated in formal French — exactly what a French recipient expects.

📝 Fill in your details

Your full name *

Your street address *

Your postcode and city *

Email or phone (optional)

Seller's name (private individual or dealer) *

Recipient's street address

Recipient's postcode and city

Vehicle (make, model, registration) *

Date of the sale *

Purchase price *

Defect found (and any diagnosis) *

What you are asking for *

City where you sign

Does this letter need to go by registered post? Our free guide to sending it yourself →

📌 The letter below is generated in French — that's what French organisations expect. The form tells you exactly what to put in each field.

[Vos nom et prénom]

[Destinataire]

Objet : Garantie des vices cachés — véhicule [véhicule] vendu le [date de la vente]

Lettre recommandée avec accusé de réception

Madame, Monsieur, Je vous ai acheté, le [date de la vente], le véhicule suivant : [véhicule], au prix de [prix d'achat]. Depuis, j'ai découvert le défaut suivant, qui n'était ni apparent ni signalé au moment de la vente : [description du vice]. Ce défaut, antérieur à la vente, rend le véhicule impropre à l'usage auquel il est destiné. Il relève de la garantie des vices cachés prévue par l'article 1641 du Code civil, applicable que le vendeur soit un particulier ou un professionnel. En application de l'article 1644 du Code civil, je choisis la solution suivante : [annulation de la vente ou réduction du prix]. Je vous demande d'y donner suite dans un délai de 15 jours à compter de la réception de la présente. À défaut d'accord amiable dans ce délai, je ferai établir une expertise du véhicule et, après tentative de conciliation, je saisirai la juridiction compétente. Je vous prie d'agréer, Madame, Monsieur, l'expression de mes salutations distinguées.

[Signature]