Buying a Used EV Privately vs Dealer

philboy

Hi,

I am considering buying either a new Model Y or a second hand ID4 or Enyaq.

In relation to buying second hand, what are the risks buying privately vs from the trade?

• Do you get extra warranty from a dealer?
• Is it the same battery and car warranty and does the warranty lie with the brand (VW) rather than the original garage who sold the car?
• Can some EV warranties be null and voided by owners not adhering to certain criteria such as using brand filters, etc...?
• Why would you choose buying from a dealer instead of privately?

With the terrible trade in values on EVs being offered from dealers, I feel I can meet some private sellers half way and both benefit from the deal rather than overpaying a dealer for the car.

MrMusician18

You can get extra warranty from a dealer, but the way around that is to buy a car privately that's still in manufacturer's warranty.

VW have a 3 year 90k km General warranty which is attached to the car, which of course still has the battery warranty on top of that.

Buying an EV privately that is still under warranty carry a lot less risk than an Ice car and is the best place to find value imo.

You need to do all the standard checks though, like finance outstanding and that the seller actually owns the car - the kind of things that a garage has to cover when you buy from them.

prawnsambo

Also quite a few makes (apart from VW) have an extended warranty system that you can buy while your car is in the original warranty.

philboy

Is there anything that a person could do that would void their warranty, that is need to look out for?

innrain

I don't know about VW but with Hyundai you loose the warranty if you don't get the service stamps as in the contract.

Toyota has the same policy.

Conditions

• The vehicle must be maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications and instructions, as set out in the owner’s manual. Failure to do so may invalidate the warranty for maintenance related items.
• The owner is responsible for keeping all records necessary to prove that such maintenance had been performed.
• In the event of defects requiring warranty work, the owner is obliged to present the vehicle to an Authorised Toyota Dealer/Repairer as soon as possible. This to prevent the defect from escalating and requiring more extensive repairs than would originally have been needed.

Tesla does not require you to due any maintenance.

MojoMaker

New MY is more expensive than a new ID4 though @philboy, so the proposition doesn't quite add up?

philboy

It would be a used ID4 that I'd purchase at approx 25k Mojomaker.

DrPsychia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122069756#Comment_122069756

He's asking why are you considering buying a used ID4 for €25k when you have the funds to buy a new MY for €45k. You can't really compare a 3 year old car to a brand new car. Why not consider a new ID4? I believe VW are offering 0% HP.

DrPsychia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058349032/buying-a-used-ev-privately-vs-dealer

If i was in your position and could afford a new Model Y I'd definitely go for it given the 0% HP rate is still available.

Buying an ID4 private you'll have no general warranty left if its a 2021 model. A new MY standard range will have 4 years/80k general warranty(extendable) and 8 year/160k battery/drive unit warranty. VW don't cover the drive unit once the 3 year general warranty expires(non-extendable).

There's far more storage space in a Model Y than an ID4. Teslas don't have parking sensors or a rain sensor(uses camera and is very reliable) so do a bit of YouTube research first about these issues before you commit. I believe you have to spec rain sensors as part of an options pack for the ID4 depending on the trim you choose.

witnessmenow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122069512#Comment_122069512

Hyundai terms are worded different to Toyota's

you are not covered if the defects are judged as being caused by the failure to follow the requirements of routine maintenance and service...

Which to at least to me makes it sound like they would have to claim/judge the fault was the result of (or related to) not servicing it on time.

Since the majority of the Ev services are inspections and changing the cabin filter, in my opinion having a missing service interval on the history isn't an automatic cancellation of the warranty, because (at least to me, and I'm not a lawyer) they would have to prove the issue you were having was a result of the car not been inspected some time in the past, despite it being inspected since, it would be a tough thing to stand over in my opinion!

Red Silurian

I used to go to dealers with the idea that they knew a lot about the car I was looking to buy... Not so much anymore it seems

DrPsychia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122078159#Comment_122078159

Indeed. I've been looking for a secondhand EV for months. I couldn't believe how little main dealer salesmen know about the cars they sell, didn't leave a good impression on me. I wasn't asking highly technical questions, mostly basic.

ELM327

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122080474#Comment_122080474

Dealer staff of all OEM and Tesla, know next to nothing about the EVs. Beyond the available colors and prices, you're better off asking a regular poster on a board like this or a facebook group. There's probably 10-15 posters here and another 10-15 (may be some crossover, unknown) on the IEVA group, that I'd listen to in a heartbeat over any main dealer staff, if I didnt know something about a car marque or the specs on offer etc.

You literally need to do your research yourself unless you want the smallest diesel engine or hybrid that is already in stock.

McGiver

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122080539#Comment_122080539

Dealer staff of all OEM and Tesla, know next to nothing about the EVs.

Oh they do - they know how to add a big fat markup to the price 😀

zg3409

If you factor in the extra comfort from a dealer at say 3k, but then they mark.up the price by 5k or 10k.

You can pay an indepent mechanic or local mechanic to give it a once over. I used an odb dongle to query the battery management system using a mobile phone app for peace of mind.

Set up alerts on done deal. Haggle hard, walk away, don't overpay, You can easily save 5-10k if not in a hurry and have cash waiting. It's a slight risk and bring someone to help if you cannot haggle or dont know what to look for.

Clo-Clo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058349032/buying-a-used-ev-privately-vs-dealer

Depending on the manufacturer you could buy extended warranty direct off them, BMW offer it

Otherwise you could go to a warranty company yourself and see if you can get

joe1303l

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122086915#Comment_122086915

3rd party Warranty offerings in Ireland are particularly poor. Best keep your money in your pocket and put if towards a repair bill if required.

fafy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122091171#Comment_122091171

They are a waste of time those 3rd party so called warranty offerings, the UK have a decent choice, but nothing here, other than extend the manufacturer warranty, which several don’t offer, eg the whole VAG group, and some others also.

tom1ie

I’m interested in this third party warranty extension.
Say if I was looking at a 161 model s that has 110k kms on it but 240k kms warranty, however it has the 8 year battery warranty which is now coming to an end.
Is there anyway of extending this battery warranty via a third party warranty service in Ireland?
If so how much are ya looking at?

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122103079#Comment_122103079

Car is too old. Only dealers can purchase warranties for 8 year old cars.

tom1ie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122103095#Comment_122103095

That’s a bit of a pain.
If the battery and drivetrain has been replaced say at the end of the 8 year warranty surely you should be able to get extended warranty?