Buying a yaris - seller withheld fault

Dr Nic

Hi Guys,
Looking to buy a Yaris. Took it to my mechanic this am who says it seems a fine car apart from a blatant power steering fault and another small issue.

When the seller heard this, they said 'Oh that' etc etc

Basically they knew and didnt tell us.
Now they said they will pay to have our mechanic fix it. And then they want to deal with us.

Im wondering whether its worth it?
Is there more, that even my mechanic hasnt seen?
Opinions?
Thanks!

ABajaninCork

I wouldn't bother. If the seller can hide something as fundamental as that, then what else are they hiding?

Plenty of other Yaris to buy. I'd move on...

Leonard Hofstadter

Run away, very fast!

Dr Nic

Thats what im thinking too but my GF wants to buy if the mechanic gives it the thumbs up...
I cant believe it. Of all the cars we've looked at, she wants to buy this???

I mean we offered 15% less than they're asking price last night pending inspection by the mechanic, and they immediately accepted!!! WTF??

ABajaninCork

BIG RED FLAG!!! OP - DO NOT BUY IT!!!!!

Bigus

captainspeed wrote: »

Run away, very fast!

On what logic ?

Car has been inspected and discount for faults agreed so the unknown s are known At this stage,
Unless its a very fresh dear Yaris go for it.
What ball park price are we talking ?

Dr Nic

Well Bigus, that is her point of view. Which i couldnt exactly disagree with.

I wouldnt be buying the car on a point of principle. They told us a half truth.

Its an 03 going for 2600 with 100k kilometers. And my mechanic did say it was fine other than the power steering...

Its a great price. Maybe too good!?! I would definitely let it go except for the fact that we are exasperated from looking

Any other opinions?

Bigus

It's about right money for what it is, safe enough at that money, once it says Yaris on the back.

Dr Nic

Well from 2 weeks of looking 03 yaris's go for >3000eur. Fecking expensive things...

Bigus

Dr Nic wrote: »

Well from 2 weeks of looking 03 yaris's go for >3000eur. Fecking expensive things...

Buy it drive for a year and sell it for 2750 in a years time.

KM88

Dr Nic wrote: »

Thats what im thinking too but my GF wants to buy if the mechanic gives it the thumbs up...
I cant believe it. Of all the cars we've looked at, she wants to buy this???

I mean we offered 15% less than they're asking price last night pending inspection by the mechanic, and they immediately accepted!!! WTF??

You're not being very logical here.

I presume you offered 15% less thinking that if you got it for that price it would be a bargain. Your mechanic spotted a fault and the seller agreed to have it fixed at his cost.

Maybe they're as sick of trying to sell as you are of trying to buy and that's why they accepted your "15% less" offer.

Even if you can't trust your own judgement, trust your GF and your mechanic.

Anan1

Dr Nic wrote: »

Thats what im thinking too but my GF wants to buy if the mechanic gives it the thumbs up...
I cant believe it. Of all the cars we've looked at, she wants to buy this???

I mean we offered 15% less than they're asking price last night pending inspection by the mechanic, and they immediately accepted!!! WTF??

I understand your annoyance, but you're buying the car - not the owner. If it's a good car and well priced, and if everything checks out then I don't see why not.

Dr Nic

Well my only objection is on principle. I trust my mechanic, and he has said its a good car...

But there is something bugging me about it!!

I just want a car for her at this stage. I'll give her mine for free!!

Anan1

Dr Nic wrote: »

Well my only objection is on principle. I trust my mechanic, and he has said its a good car...

But there is something bugging me about it!!

I just want a car for her at this stage. I'll give her mine for free!!

Who's buying this car, you or your GF?

Dr Nic

Her, but my life is hell because of it. And its only going to get worse if the thing breaks down. We cant buy a lemon, or else im going to the cliffs...

fasttalkerchat

Just because the seller isn't genuine, doesn't mean the car isn't. If you can knock another few quid off the price and the mechanic gives the thumbs up you could have a good deal.

On the other hand, its a Yaris, There are plenty of them out there!

Jimbob 83

OP smacks of timewaster tbh.

Buy or stop wasting the sellers time, they have been more than reasonable.

Anan1

Dr Nic wrote: »

Her, but my life is hell because of it. And its only going to get worse if the thing breaks down. We cant buy a lemon, or else im going to the cliffs...

Explain your reservations and then leave the decision to her.

Pov06

The car was checked out by your mechanic and there are only minor problems which the seller has agreed to pay for to get fixed by your mechanic.

What better do you want? It's a very reasonable offer and not many other sellers out there would be willing to do this. In fact the seller seems even more genuine if he agrees to fix it.

Just because they said "Oh that", it doesn't mean they're lying. Maybe it was a minor problem for them and they didn't bother fixing it. (e.g a simple power steering fluid leak - no biggie, just top it up and continue driving if you're short of money).

Dr Nic

Jimbob 83 wrote: »

OP smacks of timewaster tbh.

Buy or stop wasting the sellers time, they have been more than reasonable.

WTF?
We had 2900eur in cash in an envelope this morn to give to them. If you've nothing useful to say then...

Jimbob 83

Dr Nic wrote: »

WTF?
We had 2900eur in cash in an envelope this morn to give to them. If you've nothing useful to say then...

Well done, have you bought it yet ?

I cannot see why you wouldn't it's been diagnosed as straight seller was forthright and accomadating, you got lucky

Dr Nic

Thanks Guys,
We'll see what tomorrow brings...

Dirkster

I started out on my mothers 03 yaris and that thing was and still is bullet proof. I drove the ring out of that thing for 3 years and it passed 3 NCT's over the past 5 years without needing a single thing done to it.

OldmanMondeo

Bigus wrote: »

On what logic ?

Car has been inspected and discount for faults agreed so the unknown s are known At this stage,
Unless its a very fresh dear Yaris go for it.
What ball park price are we talking ?

Do you know how much a reconditioned rack and pump cost? Plus labour?

OP, forget that car, plenty of Yaris about. You look hard enough you will be a good one.

Dr Nic

Arrg - cant decide. Little things that the seller said to me are playing on my mind. The sellers dad told me he was trying to get rid of it ever since they bought it. Dont know why. Dammit :-(

Anan1

Dr Nic wrote: »

Arrg - cant decide. Little things that the seller said to me are playing on my mind. The sellers dad told me he was trying to get rid of it ever since they bought it. Dont know why. Dammit :-(

Prejudices are a liability when buying a car, but instincts can sometimes be an asset.

Jimbob 83

Even a rack is only a couple hundred quid if it does go wrong, replaced mine in my Octavia after replacing pump fixed nothing, it's people using the wrong fluid that causes it and hitting kerbings hard etc.

But seriously if you let the seller fix the car using a mechanic you picked out and then don't buy well, that's not nice and after all it's a 2 grand car and the milage/price is good

Anan1

Jimbob 83 wrote: »

Even a rack is only a couple hundred quid if it does go wrong, replaced mine in my Octavia after replacing pump fixed nothing, it's people using the wrong fluid that causes it and hitting kerbings hard etc.

But seriously if you let the seller fix the car using a mechanic you picked out and then don't buy well, that's not nice and after all it's a 2 grand car and the milage/price is good

You're kind of bullying the OP a bit now.

Jimbob 83

Next i will be clamping him, atleast you will be with me on that one bud

Marcin_diy

Yaris are popular and good cars. Many people chasing for a 2nd hand yaris. If seller tried to hide fault, and then agreed to lower price and give money to your mechanic to fix .... it smells a dead fish for me. this car if good should be sold in a day or two.

colm_mcm

Is the car a Japanese import? You mention kilometres.

Note that an irish/uk spec yaris can set its speedo to miles or kms. But the odometer always reads in miles. So if it's an 03 with 100000 on it and it's not jap import, then it's 100000 miles, not 100000km

knotknowbody

To be honest I would walk away if the seller was not 100% straight with me, I've only ever bought cars privately, I call seller and ask them about car, I go look at car chat to seller take car for a drive, if car is not as described on phone or I get a feeling the seller is hiding something I walk away, if I see a fault the seller knew about but didn't tell me about I walk away, if I'm not happy with the car for any reason or even no reason other than a feeling or gut instinct I walk away, the sellers father saying they have been trying to get rid since they got it would be a red flag for me.

I would be very mechanically competent so always would buy car without mechanics advise or getting him to look at it, perhaps for this reason I am more cautious.

I've bought five cars in the last eighteen months for family members the last one six months ago, all are flying and no problems, sometimes it pays in the long run to be a bit cautious when buying, one of them took me two months to find but then another took 3 days and was the first one I went to look at.

I'm not trying to dissuade the OP from buying here but money is hard to come by and €2600 is a lot of it, he should not give it away unless he is 100% happy with what he is getting, there are plenty of straight cars out there, if the OP can wait one will come along usually when your just about to give up hope.

ABajaninCork

E2600 is quite a lot of money for a 9 yo car with 100k miles...

Just saying.

kerten

ABajaninCork wrote: »

E2600 is quite a lot of money for a 9 yo car with 100k miles...

Just saying.

I agree with statement in general but yarises are so popular in used car market. I have one. It is a capable design for its age and super cheap to run in meaning of insurance/petrol/tax/maintenance.

Would I buy one again ? No because it is draining life out of me:mad:

Do I wanna sell it ? No because anything is either more expensive to run/less reliable or less capable/tin can:D

I can't blame someone buying or hating it

Bigus

OldmanMondeo wrote: »

Do you know how much a reconditioned rack and pump cost? Plus labour?

OP, forget that car, plenty of Yaris about. You look hard enough you will be a good one.

How do you deduce it would need a pump and a rack from what the op said ? For all we know it might need

60 cent worth of fluid

or a pipe

or a belt ffs

Pottler

Buy the feckin thing, ffs, it's a Yaris, it's cheap, how far wrong can you go??

dgt

OP I'd be inclined to look at another one. Plenty of them out there.

Beware of crashed repaired ones