Used car warranty

OnTheCounter

I am thinking of buying a cheap car that would be a bit of a runabout.

Preferably I would like to get something about e2,000 but having had a bit of a look around what is on offer at that price range looks like it could cost me double the price in repairs in a years time.

I am considering stretching to e4,000 for something like a 2004 ford focus from a dealer.

What sort of a warranty could I expect to get from a dealer if I bought a car like this?

I would appreciate any other advice such as getting an AA mechanic to give the car a look over before I buy it or checking out its history if someone could remind me of the website to do that.

Thanks.

colm_mcm

I'd be more inclined to buy a car in a private sale in excellent condition, a lot of warranties cover feck all and are for 3 or 6 months.

At that age, you're mostly talking small time dealers, fly by night operations, and guys selling it of their gardens.

If you could find one from the likes of a Nissan or Toyota dealer you'd get an excellent manufacturer backed warranty, but you'll pay a premium and they tend to have newer cars than 04

OnTheCounter

colm_mcm wrote: »

I'd be more inclined to buy a car in a private sale in excellent condition, a lot of warranties cover feck all and are for 3 or 6 months.

you have no comeback with a private sale and you might be able to push for a 12 month warranty with a dealer. What would you want the warranty to cover?

colm_mcm

I'd want the warranty to cover electrics, engine, gearbox at a minimum.


Thing is, if you keep a car 3 or 4 years, anything can happen. The warranty would be peace of mind for sorting out dormant problems on the car and getting it right.

There's a lot to be said for buying a car from someone who's owned it for years and has a stack of invoices and can tell you anything you want to know about the car.

OnTheCounter

When buying a 2004 car its the dormant problems Im worried about.

I would probably encounter any major ones within a year and its a warranty to cover these that I would want. Ill take my chances beyond that.

Basically what Im asking is if I go into a dealers and say to the saleman "i want a 12 month warranty that covers x, y and z" what exactly should I ask him for?

Henry Ford III

OnTheCounter wrote: »

you have no comeback with a private sale and you might be able to push for a 12 month warranty with a dealer. What would you want the warranty to cover?

Nobody (sane) will give a 1 year warranty on an 04 car.

colm_mcm

Keep an eye on Toyota.ie for used cars newer than 8 years old and under 150000km. They can get the dealer cover warranty. If you must have a comprehensive warranty, get a manufacturer backed one,

Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a suitable car within the entire dealer network that fits the bill unless you want an Opel Meriva.

Some garages will sell you a third party warranty, but any ones I've come across will dismiss any substantial claims and the garage can wash their hands of it because the warranty isn't their problem.

OnTheCounter

So basically what you see is what you get with a 04 and any problems that appear when you get it home are your problem?

bazz26

It is very unlikely that you will get a comprehensive 12 month warranty on a car costing between €2k and €4k. There would no profit in that venture for a dealer. Very few main dealers retail stock that is older than 6 or 7 years old.

Do your homework, vet the car properly and you will get better value buying private in this price range.

areyawell

Just buy a car that has recently passed the NCT and is good for two years with low mileage from a private seller. Garages rip people off!

Limbo123

For that type of money, your gonna be getting a three month warranty at the most.

If the garage offer you a Mapfre warranty: ( http://www.irelandassist.com/masistsite/docs/html/index.html) ( which most seem to nowadays) walk away. The warranty is as good as a chocolate teapot.