Buying a used car in Ireland guide

on_the_roots · 10-05-2021 5:15pm

You guys think that "rule" of 50% of the initial price after 3 years is realistic?

Looking for an Audi A6 2.0 TDI S-Line 2018, there is nothing decent in ROI for less than 32k, when a brand new costs around 53k.

grogi · 10-05-2021 5:44pm

on_the_roots wrote: »

You guys think that "rule" of 50% of the initial price after 3 years is realistic?

Looking for an Audi A6 2.0 TDI S-Line 2018, there is nothing decent in ROI for less than 32k, when a brand new costs around 53k.

Used to be 50% 5 years ago and even less before that but it's more like 60% these days.

For my own needs I estimate the value loss as 16%/year, regardless of age these days.

dinneenp · 10-05-2021 5:59pm

Hi,
Have a 2009 Saab, will change this year to (probably) a Skoda Octavia, budget about €10-€13k, ideally 2016 or newer.
When buying 2nd hand obviously look for service book and that car get good care. But what's the max amount of kms that I should be looking at?
Thanks,
Pa.

Itainire · 10-05-2021 8:17pm

dinneenp wrote: »

Hi,
Have a 2009 Saab, will change this year to (probably) a Skoda Octavia, budget about €10-€13k, ideally 2016 or newer.
When buying 2nd hand obviously look for service book and that car get good care. But what's the max amount of kms that I should be looking at?
Thanks,
Pa.

This is a tricky one.. The average Kms done per year I think is something like 12k, let's say 15k so you should be looking at a max 60-70k kms. I have noticed tough that 2nd hand cars only a few years old are often cars that you used to be of rental companies so odds are they might have more Kms as people used them for travel around Ireland - for work etc.
In general I would say for that budget don't take anything with more than 110k km in my humble opinion

20-05-2021 9:37am

Going to look at a 14 A4 this weekend. It's a decent drive away from me so can't get a mechanic to come look. The car is due an NCT shortly if I ask for it to be put through and it passes is that sufficient as it has full main dealer service history and it's aone owner car from new.

colm_mcm · 20-05-2021 9:44am

Is it being sold by a real dealer?

An NCT would certainly weed out any obvious roadwortiness issues, but is not a clean bill of health for the car. I.e the car could have serious mechanical or electrical faults and still pass an NCT.

Post a link to the ad if you can.

fryup · 20-05-2021 10:37am

@zylias - do an online history check for peace of mind

20-05-2021 11:06am

@Colm it's a private sale. I can PM you the advert if you like? Seller seems genuine enough I'll be going to take a look at it before buying and he has full Audi history on it and timing belt completed by Audi dealer as well

bazz26 · 20-05-2021 12:08pm

Why are they not putting it through the NCT if it's due soon? Surely a fresh NCT makes it more valuable and sellable?

choheinzz · 25-05-2021 1:04pm

I'm looking at taking a mechanic along to help inspect a used car that I want to buy. Someone suggested this service - https://www.autoguru.ie/
Anyone has experience using them before buying a used car? Any insights would be greatly appreciated! Thanks

User1998 · 25-05-2021 1:23pm

€99 and they don’t even do a diagnostic scan and only drive the car in first and second gear. I’d hope your going for the €149 one

choheinzz · 25-05-2021 1:41pm

User1998 wrote: »

€99 and they don’t even do a diagnostic scan and only drive the car in first and second gear. I’d hope your going for the €149 one

I'm not sure which one to go for. Moreover, I'm looking to buy an automatic one so the gear inspection covered in the plan may not be of much value. Given this, would going for either 99 or 149 euro service help? Sorry if this sounds like a basic question. I'm very new to driving and don't have much support by way of people who can help, so relying on online sources/forums like this one. Thanks

User1998 · 25-05-2021 5:29pm

The €99 one seems useless. I would imagine the €149 one is fairly comprehensive. There are other companies that do pre purchase inspections also, maybe shop around first

into_the_wild · 25-05-2021 8:41pm

Any recommended decent dealers out there for 2nd hand hybrids? I've heard some horror stories for a few of them so don't want to take any chances.

dubliniift · 25-05-2021 10:41pm

into_the_wild wrote: »

Any recommended decent dealers out there for 2nd hand hybrids? I've heard some horror stories for a few of them so don't want to take any chances.

I'm looking for same I e the dealer..

What are horror stories? Helps to know what to watch our for.

into_the_wild · 26-05-2021 10:16am

dubliniift wrote: »

I'm looking for same I e the dealer..

What are horror stories? Helps to know what to watch our for.

Just a few things like tyres not marked as 'E' for european standards, car breaking down after a few days. Some dealers can be very proactive and nice during the sale but as soon as you buy the car, they tend to be messy to deal with hence keep an eye on google reviews etc as well.

yoshiktk · 28-05-2021 6:26am

choheinzz wrote: »

I'm not sure which one to go for. Moreover, I'm looking to buy an automatic one so the gear inspection covered in the plan may not be of much value. Given this, would going for either 99 or 149 euro service help? Sorry if this sounds like a basic question. I'm very new to driving and don't have much support by way of people who can help, so relying on online sources/forums like this one. Thanks

Try this guy:
https://www.facebook.com/Marcin.Nowak.motoexpert
Ill get him when Ill be looking for my next one, most of people are very happy with his help.

02-06-2021 8:42pm

For anyone that finds a car they are seriously interested in and it's a private sale ask can you see a recent health check from a main dealer or request that you pay for one to be done if you are serious about the car €150 could save you a pretty penny in the long run. I was able to check the health check from a service done at the start of the year along with a fresh NCT I felt that was enough.

Secondly, take a good solid 15 minute walk around inspecting the car and take as many pictures as you can. I checked over the car a few days before I bought it and then again when I bought it and genuinely I couldn't see a mark that concerned me (the odd stone chip or scratch on an 8 year old car wouldn't bother me) but I missed what now looks to be a touch up job completed on a scuff on the wheel arch that was never repaired so the paint is coming off.

Not the biggest deal in the world but it's going to cost €500 for it to be fixed.

Moral of the story is, don't trust anything a private seller or a dealer is telling you, you really need to get as much evidence that they can prove the car is in good working order and there's no issues as not being able to tell that a panel was touched up has cost me.

on_the_roots · 03-06-2021 4:48pm

For those of you about to close a deal in a car and want to get an online history check, I still have one Carcheck.ie available in my account that is going to expire on 8 Jun. I'm giving it away.

Just send a PM with the reg. number of the car and I will send you the full report.

Muahahaha · 17-08-2021 7:07pm

Just wondering how people see the used car market going over the next 12 months. It seems prices have increased by up to 40% due to Brexit/lack of supply. I was intending on buying a car last winter but didnt, seems to have been a big mistake as looking at the market now stuff that would have been 3k is now asking 5k upwards. Was looking at DD at even something like a 2013 Pugeot 107 or Dacia Sanderos are asking 5k which seems crazy.

Are these price rises just the new reality and here to stay or will things settle down in 12 months time as more supply comes online?

nurik922 · 25-08-2021 1:45am

Bought a car advertised as being sold by private seller. Checked online and history says it is a dealer and car was sold to dealer in July 2021 i.e. last month

Any idea why dealer would present himself as a private seller?

Harcrid · 25-08-2021 2:35pm

Main reason is typically to avoid having to give any warranty.

HBC08 · 25-08-2021 2:47pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117768492#Comment_117768492

Unfortunately I think it is the new reality and lots of people,myself included could see it coming a mile away.Lots of contributing factors but mainly lack of second hand supply because of brexit.

We will never have that kind of supply again so demands goes up,prices,quality and choice will not improve in the short to medium term( I suspect not in the long term either)

Muahahaha · 25-08-2021 2:59pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117802190#Comment_117802190

yeah looking at the situation Im not optimistic that prices will come down either, it looks like higher prices are here to stay. Brexit has just killed supply because of the VAT problem

L-M · 27-08-2021 7:58pm

Reality of the situation is the only reason we care about what we pay for a car today is because of the value tomorrow.

If you could have bought the 131 Dacia last December for 5000 and today because of over supply tomorrow it was worth 3000, would you care? Because if you buy today and its worth 6000 and in 6 months its still worth 6000 because of lack of supply.

Nothing is going to change in the foreseeable. Buy your car and forget about the rest.

Doublebusy · 01-09-2021 9:16pm

I was asked a question by someone yesterday and i was clueless as i bought my cars in cash over the years - basically they wanted to know could someone on a long term disability social welfare payment be successful in applying to buy a car from a garage with hp or finance. I will be seeing them again at the weekend and if i get an answer here anyway helpful ill pass it on. Cheers

murfilein · 02-09-2021 3:16pm

guys

starting to look at used cars to buy. have a 2003 micra which was been very very good to me over the last 8 years - only 1 single visit to the garage due to a defect (wheel bearings were done). other than that its driving perfectly fine even today. had to get a sensor replaced a couple weeks back because the car would occasionally just shut off when i accelerated wrong and the rpm dropped a bit too much, but after the replacement its fine again. this is a fantastic car.

but if i were to buy a new one today... i'm looking to buy a car the size of a golf/i30/ceed, something like that. a nice compact family car that has more space than a micra.

the thing i value most i guess is reliability.

the ones i specifically like are the i30 and ceed. what about mazda 3? my local mechanic said that he has more mazdas in than hyundais or kias.

i drove a opel astra once - i believe a 2013 model, which was cool, but i didnt like the windows were so incredibly tiny compared to my micra. i could barely see anything to the sides and back which was very weird.

i believe golf are essentially the same as i30/ceed/astra but more expensive, no?

which model would be a decent buy for around 15-20k euros max? i dont need the most high end features - android auto or at least bluetooth and a reversing camera would be great though.

engine wise... dont really care, my 0.9l micra is basically enough. but if the engine could get me to 120 quick enough without it getting close to 4000 rpm that would be nice.

kitchenchair · 07-09-2021 9:58am

could anyone provide any quick tips on what to look out for as major red flags when looking at cars ? Is it a good thing or bad thing if the clutch has just been done ? In other words is the fact that it needed a new clutch a potential for later problems ? What about timing belt ? How crucial is it that that is newly upgraded ?

Any other items to look out for that would suggest potential future problems ?

djan · 07-09-2021 10:19am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117857060#Comment_117857060

Clutch being done would be a positive, as its a relatively consumable part.

Timing belts/chains are crucial to the car as if they go they will usually take the engine with them. Timing belts are changed regularly at either km driven or time intervals. Replacement cost depends on car but is usually around 400.

Chains are often claimed to be for life of vehicle but can go earlier, very model specific.

Good thing to look out for is a regular service history and if not then account for it in a discounted price. Check tyre quality and thread depth as can be expensive to replace too.

kitchenchair · 10-09-2021 8:32am

does anyone have any comments on this car ? Does it seem a bit high price for a 2010? Iv noticed Volvos tend to be higher though. I have enquired and it has a regular service history but is due another service as the last one was Nov 2019. Any insights ?

i really like Volvos but I have a friend who has said stay well clear of them.

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/volvoc30/29033986

bazz26 · 10-09-2021 9:47am

Strange that the car hasn't been serviced in nearly 2 years and yet seller didn't see the benefit in getting it serviced before attempting to sell it. Might give an insight into how the car was looked after by it's current keeper. Those PSA 1.6d engines can be very unforgiving around lack of maintenance so that would be a risky proposition imo given the strong money they are asking for it. Those C30s have a very small market too given they are exclusively a 4 seater and rather small inside so I'm not convinced it's worth that sort of money at that age.

internet_user · 13-09-2021 9:58am

Hi all, I saw a 2016 Passat on DoneDeal and noticed that there is an extra Passat logo just below the Passat badge on the boot. On any other 2016 passat I’ve saw, there is no passat logo located here, anyone able to shed some info on this?

bazz26 · 13-09-2021 12:48pm

The previously owner it probably stuck it on to make it look similar to the facelift model, same way they put that shark fin GPS aerial on the roof despite the car not having any built-in sat nav. Why you would want to do that is really a question for the previous owner to explain.

Muahahaha · 12-10-2021 8:56pm

When buying a car with no tax is it the case the Motor Tax office will backdate the tax to when it was last paid if the owner didnt declare it off the road? i.e does the tax debt transfer to the new owner?

Also if the owner did declare it off the road what proof of this can I ask for, is it a certificate of some sort or will an email confirmation suffice?

bazz26 · 12-10-2021 11:40pm

You only become liable for motor tax from the beginning of the month that ownership transfers to you. So if you became the new owner on Oct 31 then you are still liable for motor tax from the beginning of October. Any tax arrears the previous owner had disappear when ownership changes, they are not transferred to the new owner.

Muahahaha · 13-10-2021 12:28am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118011897#Comment_118011897

Thanks bazz thats great and puts my mind at ease in case the seller didnt declare it off the road.

Just out of interest do the motor tax office still chase the old owner for arrears belonging to them or do they just drop it when ownership is changed? I mean this in the case of them not taxing it but also not declaring it off the road. I had thought the whole idea of declaring it off the road was to prevent people not paying their tax but if it disappears when they sell it anyway I guess it still goes on.

yoshiktk · 13-10-2021 1:52pm

Just a quick one.

Are all Mazda 2.2 diesel prone to fault? I'm looking at Mazda 6 2010 at the moment, had one before from previous gen petrol, love it but now need a diesel one.

Thanks

PoisonIvyBelle · 14-10-2021 9:52pm

Hi, was wondering if anyone has used this service or if you can recommend anyone similar?

https://www.carinspectionsireland.ie/

I'm looking at some private sellers on a 4k budget for a first car, knowing feck all about cars myself, so I really need someone professional to check it out. I also saw this guy https://www.facebook.com/Marcin.Nowak.motoexpert mentioned earlier here in this thread but I can only see a personal Facebook page for him and no business reviews.

lintdrummer · 21-10-2021 9:54pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118021305#Comment_118021305

Just to hijack your post I was looking at

https://www.autoguru.ie/

Anybody used them before? The service looks reasonable for the price. They lift the car, go through a 100 point check, do diagnostic and test drive.

PoisonIvyBelle · 23-10-2021 2:34am

No worries, I got sorted with a friend in the end!

sk8board · 06-11-2021 2:34pm

Carzone listings dipped below 27k this weekend, down from about 40-45k in a normal market, which is where it was 10-12 months ago.

hard to see that rebound into the end of the year from dealers building up Jan stock; the cars have to come from somewhere

mrman123 · 07-11-2021 1:25am

Hello all,

First time buying a newish car, was looking at a 161 astra with low enough milage c115k for under 9grand but the history check has shown a few things I'm a bit suspect about.

Heavy mileage in first 2 years 60k or so

5 owners, 4 of these trade and one private, the current seller is down as private on donedeal but history check lists them as trade.

Also, two of these trade owners held the car for only 2 months each.

I'll probably bail on this as doesn't feel right but anyone has any insight on this kinda thing? I have no clue about cars tbh.

djan · 08-11-2021 12:04pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118129999#Comment_118129999

Mileage patterns vary hugely by owners and their circumstances so can't really read too much into it. Make sure service history is provided and if not walk away unless a heavy discount.

Often, trade sellers will usually only own the car for a short period as it's essentially just waiting to be sold on. Many actual trade sellers will sell on donedeal as private sales in order to not have to provide any warranty. Should be getting private sale pricing to account for that.

28-11-2021 5:12pm

Great thread. First time buyer here. I'm looking to spend between €3-5k for something for myself, like a Nissan Micra or similar size. Is it realistic to expect I could get one less than 5 years old and low mileage? I'm looking at an automatic. What other small engined automatics are out there? Thanks for any tips or replies.

User1998 · 02-12-2021 4:12pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118235920#Comment_118235920

No you won’t get a 5 year old low mileage automatic Micra for €3k to €5k. With that budget you will get a 9 year old car

nogiggity · 06-12-2021 7:41pm

Looking for some advice on this.

I know we are in a bubble atm for buying used cars but I wanted to get a general consensus for my situation.

I've had my heart set on a Ford Focus 1.0 Ecoboost 125 and found one that ticks all the boxes and then some.

I am by no means an enthusiast(more just picky) but I know what I like and its not common that I find one .

Sep 2012, 88.5k miles

Lovely spec and extras.

Listed as £5,950.

Ive worked out that it will set me back about €8,300 after import (VRT and NOX), but I might be able to haggle down to about €7800 or slightly less.

Worth noting that I have a functional banger that's not pretty and smells has a faint smell of diesel in the cabin 9just from age) but gets me from A to B but will likely become past the point of rescue at some stage in the not too distant future (08 Focus TDCI 170k miles that's overdue a timing belt).

Also, I currently only commute about the town and a weekly short road trip.

I know its not the cheapest time to buy but I worry I wont find a car with these specs in another blue moon and I have the dough there.

Haven't really spent much at all in the past few years and wouldn't mind treating myself( I never do!).

Am I mental spending this kinda money on this kinda car atm?

long_b · 11-12-2021 3:28pm

Budget of €4-5K for reliable family car.

How come people aren't buying the older luxury cars that seem like a great bargain ?

Eg I'm seeing a 2L 2010 Audi A4 for 5K, yearly tax coming out at about €200 ?

Educate me please !

bazz26 · 11-12-2021 4:04pm

An A4 is not a luxury car in the true sense of luxury but it is a mid sized premium branded car. A nearly 12 year old A4 with big miles on the clock for 5k is hardly the bargain of the century if there are a few large maintenance or servicing bills looming around the corner. A new clutch/flywheel and timing belt/water pump due for example would add up to a fairly hefty bill . Same as many car of that age really. You may see alot of these cars for sale where the current owner doesn't want to spend that sort of money into them and just wants to move up the years to something else instead.

And most people don't buy true old luxury cars because they are afraid of the repair costs if something goes wrong. People forget that these luxury cars cost the bones of 100k when they were brand new and still cost big money to put right if something goes wrong despite costing small money to buy when they get old.

long_b · 14-12-2021 8:18pm

Buying a car from a dealer for about €4K. Car I'm interested in only has NCT until May

Could the dealer do a fresh 2 year NCT if I were to make it a condition for sale ?

User1998 · 16-12-2021 12:27am

Sure as long as you can negotiate it and the car is under 10 years old

Buying a used car in Ireland guide

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