How do I know if car is "really" NCTed?

Gillian72

Hiya! I'm looking for some advice please. I viewed a car last Friday, I would of bought it, except for the fact the NCT was a year out of date...

He said the car failed the NCT test last week, but he's fixed everything since then, it just needs to be re-tested in the next four weeks. (I thought it was very weird that he hadn't re-tested, seen as he'd apparently had all the fails fixed. Why fix them if he wasn't going to re-test? Ummm...)

It was a private seller. I told him I wouldn't buy a car without NCT, but that I would buy the car if HE put it through the NCT, and if the car passed.

He said he could use his friends trade pass, and have the car NCTed today (Monday).

He texted me today at 12pm to say he'd dropped the car into the NCT center, and he'd ring me this evening.

So, I wondered, how long does a pass/fail take to show up on the system?

I logged onto the NCT booking site a few minutes ago, and I entered the reg of the car that I hoped to buy. It says "NCT due 20/6/2016," which is the date he had to sit the re-test by.

So, could it be that the new test hasn't shown up on the system yet?
Was going to the booking section of the NCT site a good way to check, or was I wasting my time?
Is this guy wasting my time, and should I just forget about the car?

Something just doesn't feel right....
The car is lovely, the test drive went well, but the seller was a bit strange about NCT...

Thank-you!

***EDIT*** My main worry is that he'll get a fake NCT cert for the car.
That's my whole reason for this post, but I forgot to mention that fact!

Thanks!

colm_mcm

If it doesn't feel right, move on.

Never heard of a trade pass!

Gillian72

Hi Colm, thanks for the reply! A trade pass is what garages have, so they don't have to wait months, to NCT, and sell a car.
There is such a thing, there's info about the trade pass on the NCT site.

I am very paranoid, because I've been stung in the past with crappy second hand cars, but I can't afford a new one...
The car could be perfect, I might be just panicking... (That's not unusual for me! LOL!)

So, I just wondered how long before the NCT test result show up on the system?

What's the best way for me to check if the car is genuinely NCTed?

And, how to spot a fake NCT?

Thanks a million!

colm_mcm

Think ours showed up the next day,
Can you post a link to the ad for the car?

mickoneill31

I was in a similar position last year. I was buying a car and the guy got a very quick NCT. I rang a number on the NCT site. The only information they will give is if the car has a valid NCT. If it didn't have one before and it has one now then I assumed it just passed. The only detail they'll give us if it valid. They won't say when it passed and obviously won't give any personal info.

Gillian72

The only reason we went to view the car in the first place, is because the ad said "NCT till Sept 2016."
But when we got there we saw the disc was out of date. He said he'd made a mistake on the ad, but I'm really unsure now...

If he genuinely puts it through NCT, and if it passes, then I would buy. It very hard to find this model at a price I can afford, and that is diesel. Nearly all of them are petrol. I only want diesel.

Here's the ad. Thanks Colm.

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/toyota-avensis-verso/11591122

Gillian72

Thanks Mickoneil, I'll deffo ring NCT in the morning. All I want to know is that it has passed...

When I check the reg on the booking section on the NCT site, it says "test due 10/05/2016"

That would have fooled me into thinking that it was covered until 10/05/2016, but the disc on the car says "June 2015," and the seller told me that it failed NCT a few weeks ago.
Although, he wouldn't have told me if I hadn't spotted the out of date disc.
The date "10/06/2016" is the date it has to be re-tested by...

It's really my boyfriend who is buying the car. He had done a test drive, etc, etc.. He was seconds away from handing over the cash, when I noticed the out of date disc...

It could be a lucky escape...

cnoc

Gillian72 wrote: »

The only reason we went to view the car in the first place, is because the ad said "NCT till Sept 2016."
But when we got there we saw the disc was out of date. He said he'd made a mistake on the ad, but I'm really unsure now...

If he genuinely puts it through NCT, and if it passes, then I would buy. It very hard to find this model at a price I can afford, and that is diesel. Nearly all of them are petrol. I only want diesel.

Here's the ad. Thanks Colm.

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/toyota-avensis-verso/11591122

What mileage is on the clock? Why evening pics of car?

dusty207

It could be a lucky escape...

I'd run a mile

colm_mcm

Well the seller is an ice cream man anyway!

One thing I'd say is you'd really want to be doing huge mileage to justify the risk of a diesel verso. There are a number of expensive things that go wrong with them. Sure the 2.0 petrol won't be as economical, but the diesel one is risky.

Del2005

Gillian72 wrote: »

The only reason we went to view the car in the first place, is because the ad said "NCT till Sept 2016."
But when we got there we saw the disc was out of date. He said he'd made a mistake on the ad, but I'm really unsure now...

If he genuinely puts it through NCT, and if it passes, then I would buy. It very hard to find this model at a price I can afford, and that is diesel. Nearly all of them are petrol. I only want diesel.

Here's the ad. Thanks Colm.

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/toyota-avensis-verso/11591122

Even if the NCT was passed today I'd still get a mechanic to check the car out. The NCT is only a basic safety test and can be passed by cars which still need a lot of work done. One of the flaws is that a car with 2 shocks gone on the same axle can pass. A mechanic should spot any work that needs doing.

Gillian72

Why do you say that the Veros Diesel is a risk, Colm? Do you know something that I haven't heard?

My Brother, and a mate recommended the Toyota Verso Diesel, coz they both have them. We had a Toyota Estima Diesel for years. It's a very similar car, and the Estima was bullet proof, until it was crashed and wrote off...

My BF does a lot of driving for work. Car will be running for approx 6 to 7 hours a night. (not a taxi) He needs the space, and the height.

There are loads of petrol, but very few diesel. If we had €5000, we could get a cracker! But it always comes down to cash...

We've always had to buy ancient old second hand cars... From experience, the diesel toyota are the ones that have given us the least problems. But you just never know with an old second hand car. We could get a real cracker, or a pure lemon. *sigh*

Gillian72

Del2005 wrote: »

Even if the NCT was passed today I'd still get a mechanic to check the car out. The NCT is only a basic safety test and can be passed by cars which still need a lot of work done. One of the flaws is that a car with 2 shocks gone on the same axle can pass. A mechanic should spot any work that needs doing.

The only reason I'm so worried about NCT is for insurance. If it doesn't pass NCT, then they won't insure. We got caught out with a car last summer, no one would insure it coz it failed NCT...

NCT means very little really, except to the thieving insurance companies.
NCT is just another scam...

Atlantic Dawn

The guy is selling another car too, possibly a part time dealer, if the car is not in his name go check with who actually owns the car as to the history of it.

Esel

My 2c: If the car was right, at that asking price it wouldn't still be for sale 9 days later.

Superhorse

Walk away.

dusty207

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

The guy is selling another car too, possibly a part time dealer, if the car is not in his name go check with who actually owns the car as to the history of it.

https://www.motorcheck.ie/free-car-check/03d46334/

Maybe worth the few bob?

Gillian72

dusty207 wrote: »

https://www.motorcheck.ie/free-car-check/03d46334/

Maybe worth the few bob?

Awww... Thasnks Dusty, I'd lost hope on getting an answer to my question "how to know if car is really NCTed." Because, either way we'll be buying an old car, so whatever car we buy, we'll want to sus it out first.
We got stung with a car that we couldn't insure last year, coz it failed NCT...

Yes, it's deffo worth the few bob. There's a car in Galway, and another one in Longford, that we're really interested in. They're both diesel - Toyota Avensis Verso. I want to check them out before we travel all that way.

We'd love to get another Toyota Estima. It was the best car we ever had, great for festivals, etc. But Estima's are all gone too old now. The ones we love are the old diesels from the 90's. The ones after 2001 are all petrol, or else they're too new and expensive for us...

Thanks a million for the link, Dusty! You're a lifesaver!

colm_mcm

Gillian72 wrote: »

Why do you say that the Veros Diesel is a risk, Colm? Do you know something that I haven't heard?

My Brother, and a mate recommended the Toyota Verso Diesel, coz they both have them. We had a Toyota Estima Diesel for years. It's a very similar car, and the Estima was bullet proof, until it was crashed and wrote off...

My BF does a lot of driving for work. Car will be running for approx 6 to 7 hours a night. (not a taxi) He needs the space, and the height.

There are loads of petrol, but very few diesel. If we had €5000, we could get a cracker! But it always comes down to cash...

We've always had to buy ancient old second hand cars... From experience, the diesel toyota are the ones that have given us the least problems. But you just never know with an old second hand car. We could get a real cracker, or a pure lemon. *sigh*

The Estima and Verso are quite different mechanically. The Estima is an old school Diesel engine, whereas the D-4D in the Verso is direct injection, it's a common rail Diesel engine, so much higher fuel pressure required than an old one, it's got a dual mass flywheel. Injector failure is quite common on this engine, as is turbo failure.
Not saying this car is a bad one, but you're running the risk that it's either got problems you don't know about, or will have them down the road.

The diesel won't be massively economical for urban driving, so it depends on what he'll be doing with it.

Because of emissions, and companies having to make more economical and powerful engines, the days of lazy old uncomplicated engines are gone.

dusty207

Gillian72 wrote: »

Awww... Thasnks Dusty, I'd lost hope on getting an answer to my question "how to know if car is really NCTed." Because, either way we'll be buying an old car, so whatever car we buy, we'll want to sus it out first.
We got stung with a car that we couldn't insure last year, coz it failed NCT...

Yes, it's deffo worth the few bob. There's a car in Galway, and another one in Longford, that we're really interested in. They're both diesel - Toyota Avensis Verso. I want to check them out before we travel all that way.

We'd love to get another Toyota Estima. It was the best car we ever had, great for festivals, etc. But Estima's are all gone too old now. The ones we love are the old diesels from the 90's. The ones after 2001 are all petrol, or else they're too new and expensive for us...

Thanks a million for the link, Dusty! You're a lifesaver!

Get the 3 checks for €65 so, and let us know how you get on

Esel

dusty207 wrote: »

Get the 3 checks for €65 so, and let us know how you get on

If the car was actually tested today, how soon would this be reflected on Motorcheck? Would it take a day or two to show?

Wonzy

Seems like the guy just wants a quick sale with no hassle and hopefully the person won't even bother look at the NCT disc. I'd run a mile and probably won't here from him again.

Esel

colm_mcm wrote: »

The Estima and Verso are quite different mechanically. The Estima is an old school Diesel engine, whereas the D-4D in the Verso is direct injection, it's a common rail Diesel engine, so much higher fuel pressure required than an old one, it's got a dual mass flywheel. Injector failure is quite common on this engine, as is turbo failure.
Not saying this car is a bad one, but you're running the risk that it's either got problems you don't know about, or will have them down the road.

The diesel won't be massively economical for urban driving, so it depends on what he'll be doing with it.

Because of emissions, and companies having to make more economical and powerful engines, the days of lazy old uncomplicated engines are gone.

Based on the above, the OP would be very well advised to have any Verso they are ready to buy checked over by a competent mechanic first. Each of the potential issues mentioned would mean an expensive repair bill.

colm_mcm

Not showing as tested on nct.ie anyway..