A Vilnius resident who paid 7,800 euros for a Toyota Avensis has turned to the court to cancel the purchase contract after finding that fixing the vehicle’s hidden defects would cost more than the car itself, according to Tv3.
Laura purchased the vehicle on December 5, 2024, but soon discovered it suffered from multiple unmentioned problems that made driving unsafe. After driving the car for barely a few days and covering less than 200 kilometers, she noticed an initial vibration that led her to order an inspection at an official automotive service and later a specialized auto repair shop, according to Tv3.
Specialists determined that repairing the vehicle’s defects would cost 8,225 euros, with 6,904 euros allocated for parts and 1,321 euros for labor.
The inspection uncovered poor wiper conditions, a weak battery, minimal engine oil, a damaged air conditioning radiator, an improperly secured front license plate, worn winter tire tread, oil leaks from the gearbox, missing engine protection, a broken rear underbody guard, and gearbox transmission difficulties possibly stemming from a clutch failure, Tv3 reported.
“First, a vibration in the car appeared, gearbox operating defects surfaced, it turned out that after driving a short distance engine oil was consumed disproportionately, and further faults were identified,” Laura told Tv3 regarding the initial breakdown.
Laura said that the contract only listed a few minor issues, such as a rusting left front fender, loose underbody protection, a corroded battery, and a DPF filter error. She asked the selling company to resolve the dispute, but their representatives refused to cooperate, prompting her court action to cancel the contract, recover the 7,800-euro purchase price, and recoup 229 euros spent on diagnostic expenses, according to Tv3.
The defendant company asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that the car held a valid technical inspection from October 25, 2023, through November 9, 2025, and that Laura’s son had inspected the vehicle at a repair shop prior to the purchase.
The defense said that the sale price was reduced by 300 euros—from 8.1 tūkst. to 7,800 euros—after the buyer’s son’s specialists identified a particulate filter pressure issue and a displacement valve problem, according to Tv3.
The defendant argued that other discovered issues, such as weak wipers and a worn radiator, are normal signs of a used vehicle and emerged only after the buyer took possession. Despite these arguments, the court fully granted the buyer’s lawsuit, ordering the termination of the purchase contract and applying restitution, Tv3 reported.
Under the court’s decision, Laura must return the Toyota Avensis to the defendant, while the company must pay back the 7,800 euros alongside 229 euros in defect-assessment costs and 2,181 euros in litigation expenses, according to Tv3.
