Service History - Worth the added price?

Gear9992

Hi all

So I'm looking at buying a 2007 Ford Focus.
I found one on carsireland.ie that reasonably priced with a relatively low milage:
http://www.carsireland.ie/detail.php?ad_id=1721368....

I test drove it the other day and I didn't notice any problems with it at all.
The thing it, it doesn't have a service history. If I was to buy this car (or any other used car for that matter), I would get a mechanic to check the car, check that it has been serviced in the past, and I would get his opinion on whether he thinks it had been clocked or not.

I know that you should only buy a used car with a full service history, but considered I'll be getting a mechanic to look over it, does it really matter?

An identically speced car with a service history would cost me around €500 more: http://www.carsireland.ie/detail.php?ad_id=1667586&r......
Would it be worth it spending that much more for a car with a service history?

Neilw

Are either of the cars from the uk? Lots of clocked cars coming in and service history goes missing.

Regardless of which car you're interested in run a background check.

Both of those cars are poverty spec and underpowered. The 1.6 is a better drive and won't be much harder on fuel and only a few euros a week extra to tax.

This is a nicer spec car if it checks out.

http://www.carsireland.ie/detail.php?ad_id=1693556&r=s.php%3Fm%5B%5D%3D26%26o%5B%5D%3D253%26d%3D3000%26e%3D4000%26nn%3D8%26yn%3D2006%26yx%3D2008%26g%3D2#

colm_mcm

I think an lx connection could be arguably higher spec than a ghia, can't remember for sure but it def has some stuff the ghia hasn't got.

Gear9992

Neilw wrote: »

Are either of the cars from the uk? Lots of clocked cars coming in and service history goes missing.

I'm not sure, but I would be getting a history check done on any car I'm thinking of buying so that would help me avoid any cars from the UK

Neilw wrote: »

Both of those cars are poverty spec and underpowered. The 1.6 is a better drive and won't be much harder on fuel and only a few euros a week extra to tax.

This is a nicer spec car if it checks out.

http://www.carsireland.ie/detail.php...D2008%26g%3D2#

That's a good find, but a 1.6 engine will set me back around €200 extra for insurance plus the €130 extra tax. I'll have to weight up the pros and cons of getting a 1.6.

It looks like the car you linked also doesn't have a service history (they usually mention it in the ad if they do have one).
If I find a car that I like and that passes a history check and a mechanic's check, do you think I should just go for it?

bazz26

colm_mcm wrote: »

I think an lx connection could be arguably higher spec than a ghia, can't remember for sure but it def has some stuff the ghia hasn't got.

The Ghia had air con and cruise control but no keyless entry. The LX Connection had keyless entry, alloys, front fogs and rear electric windows over a standard LX. Didn't have air con or cruise control.

OP, your looking at 10 year old cars, very little of them especially in Ireland will have a full service history. You might find one with a partial service history for the first few years of it's life at best when the car was under the original warranty. In most cases people just get joe the mechanic across the road working from his shed to service their car.

BTW the 1.4 engine in the Focus is underwhelming to say the least, there are better performing alternatives out there in 1.4 form. A Kia Ceed or Toyota Corolla for example.


http://www.carsireland.ie/detail.php?ad_id=1638726&r=s.php%3Fm%3D39%26o%3D1126%26r%3D2007%26pp%3D50%26g%3D0

Gear9992

bazz26 wrote: »

OP, your looking at 10 year old cars, very little of them especially in Ireland will have a full service history. You might find one with a partial service history for the first few years of it's life at best when the car was under the original warranty. In most cases people just get joe the mechanic across the road working from his shed to service their car.

BTW the 1.4 engine in the Focus is underwhelming to say the least, there are better performing alternatives out there in 1.4 form. A Kia Ceed or Toyota Corolla for example.

http://www.carsireland.ie/detail.php?ad_id=1638726&r=s.php%3Fm%3D39%26o%3D1126%26r%3D2007%26pp%3D50%26g%3D0

OK fair enough, I think the main reason why I was worried about the service history was due to the low mileage on some of the cars I was looking at, so I was a bit suspicious.

I didn't consider getting a Kia to be honest, I'll definitely have to look into them. If I go with a Corolla I'd have to get an 06 instead, but that might be a worthwhile trade-off to make.

bazz26

Low mileage on a car that age is definitely something to be cautious about but these cars are out there and someone who knows their stuff should be able to tell if the car is genuine and mileage believable or not.

Nuw

As above, in 1.4 form, there are indeed better alternatives out there, the kia and corolla being two of them. Might be worth checking out a honda civic (the 1.8 is vastly superior in every way, but at least the 1.4 should be far more reliable than the ford).

Other than that, a full service history is something that is usually worth the few bobs over something undocumented. Given the age of the cars you're looking at, service history will play a major role in how reliable the car will be. I'd rather have a car from a 'lesser' (in terms of reliability) brand with full service history than something that is supposed to be 'bulletproof' with no history whatsoever. Namely because people tend to take less care of a car that is known to be trouble-free, which might mean that they skipped a service here and there.

I'd advise you have them checked by a mechanic nonetheless and judge each one you see on its own merits.

noelf

Try and get a car with all its NCT Certs mileage is on them ..