Complaints over second-hand cars and car parts have once again topped the list of issues dealt with by the official consumer watchdog.

According to the latest data from Consumer Direct, around one in five people who purchased a used car from an independent trader over the course of 2009 experienced problems with it within a few weeks or months of the sale.

More specifically, problems with key car parts, such as brakes, engine or the clutch were seen to be the most frequently raised issues in 2010, far surpassing consumer complaints over faulty electrical goods or mobile phone service agreements.

With this now the fourth year in a row that gripes over second-hand cars have topped the list of sorts of complaints dealt with by Consumer Direct, the Retail Motor Industry has urged buyers to make sure they only deal with reputable dealers, and particularly with those that are members of a trade association.

The trade body’s Sue Robinson told the BBC, however, that a significant proportion of complaints are a result of a "breakdown in communication" between customers and traders.

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