Help buying used

OVERTONE69

Hey there. Bit of a noob when it comes to cars but here goes.


Got abot 4g to spend on second car.
Decided on fiesta or focus. Diesel for edfeciency.

Found a beaut. 1.8 tdci 2002 but 90000 miles.

Now from what I've heard, a diesel will go for a lot more than that. But how do I tell if it's been looked after. It's a private sale. Or even if it was a dealer, how would I know it's going to last.

I know they say bring a mech with you but I don't reAlly know any.

Any advice to shed on situation?

Midnight_EG

Full Service History is something you should ask about, if it has one then you know it's been looked after mechanically.

Ask for NCT certificates if the owner(s) has kept them, it'll let you know if it failed on anything previously and then you can check that part(s).

AA will provide a car-check service....I think, if not go on to www.cartell.ie and get a report.


90k miles on an 02 is very little also! I've a 95 with 110k on the clock.... usual average is 15k miles a year, so yours is fine!

ha-ya-said-what

If you don't know a mechanic to take with you & you really want to know is it mechanically sound arrange with the seller for permission to take it into a garage.

Do not use the AA or the likes of those ones advertising pre-sale check overs, they just rob ya. You'll get it checked out in a garage for anything from €60-€120 depending on where you take it, they'll run you through everything there & then with you & give you estimates on the work needed & tell you all the pros/cons of the car.

Always ask to see the log book as well for all the details on previous owners & to see was it an import, can't beat the "one careful lady owner from new" alot of eejits try claiming they've had the car from new & don't have a service history, then ya look at the logbook could be a 05 car but wouldn't have been registered in the republic until 08 or that

rebel.ranter

Whatever about the AA pre-checks being expensive "rob ya" at least you can be relatively sure that they are independent, consistent & thorough. It's what they do.
Bringing it to a mechanic near the point of sale can be hit & miss, it is likely that the mechanic gets business from the sales garage & can sometimes "cloud" their judgment. I have seen this happen. It's best if you have an independent mechanic that you have used regularly in the past to inspect it. Just bear in mind that you'll be dragging him away from his normal job & he would expect to be recompensed accordingly.

There are plenty of online vehicle checks that you can do to vrify whether the car has outstanding finance or if it has been imported, how many previous owners, etc.:
http://www.cartell.ie
http://www.mywheels.ie
so you don't have to rely on the vendor to tell you if it is imported.

Also I wouldn't rely on a service booklet as proof of a service history. You can buy a fully stamped up book personalised toy your vehicle online.
Example here:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Genuine-Ford-Service-Book-New-Unused-All-Models_W0QQitemZ370348591725QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM?hash=item563a7f0a6d

A better approach is to ring the main dealer or mechanic where the car was serviced. There may be a number plate surround or sticker in the rear window or a service reminder by the sun visor showing who services the car.

100k miles are not a problem if the car has been maintained properly & not been abused. One thing that bothers me about modern service intervals, particularly turbo diesel service intervals is that they are very long. That means a problem can fester for a long time & the oil is expected to work hard. So even if it has a full verified service history that doesn't mean you're out of the woods yet.

OVERTONE69

I haven used any mechanics in the past. I got my car from my uncle when he died any it had 12000 miles on it. I learned how to drive with it. Got my full licence.
And now it'll do the same for my brother.

Bottom line I don't know any mechanics let alone ones I can trust. I'm going by one that a friend recommended because I really don't see how I can get out of this without one.

But how much are we talkin just to bring him? How do I approach him on the matter?

746watts

OVERTONE69 wrote: »

Bottom line I don't know any mechanics let alone ones I can trust. I'm going by one that a friend recommended because I really don't see how I can get out of this without one.

But how much are we talkin just to bring him? How do I approach him on the matter?

Just ask him if he's free for 2 hours to have a look at it, have a listen to the motor, test drive. A good mechanic will spot anything a miss. Plus he/she will be happy to earn a few extra quid I'd imagine.

I've brought one along when I was going to buy an 8 year old jeep a few years ago, he spotted a front diff bearing was loud (and not a wheel bearing the seller thought it was), got a few hundred euro extra off haggle price, diff bearing was €146 plus 2 hours labour. Offered him €80 for 1 hour of his time, he took €50.

bazz26

90k miles is below average for an 8 year old diesel car. Make sure it has a some sort of service history to back that mileage up. Ring the garages on the service history to verify the mileage and while mileage is not an accurate indication of use, it should reflect on the price.