Paul Mulford of Boundary Road, Norwich, who traded as Auto Park Norwich, was sentenced at Norwich Magistrates’ Court on Thursday following a Trading Standards investigation.
The 65-year-old was ordered to pay a £500 fine, a £200 victim surcharge, and £5,000 in prosecution costs after being found guilty of supplying a dangerous vehicle in breach of the General Product Safety Regulations.
Margaret Dewsbury, cabinet member for communities and partnerships at Norfolk County Council, said: “We were pleased to see the court dealing with Mr Mulford.
“We receive a high number of complaints about second-hand car sales and it is a problem both in Norfolk and nationally.”
Trading Standards officers visited Auto Park Norwich in 2024 alongside a specialist vehicle examiner as part of an operation targeting unsafe vehicles.
The business had been flagged due to repeated complaints about vehicles sold from the premises.
During the investigation, Mulford admitted that he had not carried out adequate checks before listing vehicles for sale either online or on the forecourt.
Cllr Dewsbury added: “We regularly work with communities to ensure that where unroadworthy vehicles have been sold, we take firm action to help ensure the future safety of our road users.
“We would encourage people to raise any concerns about second-hand car sales via the Citizens’ Advice Consumer Helpline.”
District Judge Bone, who presided over the trial on December 15, commended Norfolk County Council’s Trading Standards team for their thorough investigation.
It comes after a probe in July last year found that five out of 10 cars surveyed across two dealerships in Norfolk were found to not be road legal.
People can report concerns about unsafe second-hand car sales via the Citizen’s Advice Consumer Helpline.