I bought a used Honda Civic with a full service history in January of this year for £7500. The car recently (whilst on holiday) developed a fault which required the vehicle to be abandoned and towed to a Honda dealership.

The fault was investigated (by a Honda mechanic at the dealership) and found to be a lack of oil in the gearbox as a result of service or maintenance of the vehicle which has led to complete failure of the gearbox. As a result I am faced with a very large bill (between £5000 - 6000) for replacement of this gearbox. I have contacted the dealer about this and have been told that this is simply wear and tear, which I do not accept.

Could anyone please give me advice on my next steps - I have drafted a letter to the dealer but I am unsure if this problem is due to fitness for purpose, of satisfactory quality or as described (or none of these).