What would you class as acceptable cosmetic damage on used car?

[aliasojo]

Need some thoughts and opinions please? We've been looking for a replacement car for quite some time now and have yet to find one that has nothing wrong with it. (As in bodywork, cosmetic damage etc.) Every car has something, whether it is paintwork issues, scuffed (or worse) wheels or maybe the odd stain on interior cloth etc

As we are trading in (been trying to sell privately but no interest at all as car is old and wrecked) we have been visiting garages but it seems to only be the high end expensive 1 or 2 years old models that are in excellent condition.

We've been told (on more than one occasion) that we are being too fussy and that if we want bodywork with no chips or scratches then we need to buy new. A car we are interested in has 2 small chips in the paintwork, a small dent and scruffy wheels. The garage will do something called a 'smart repair' which will deal with the chips but will not make them disappear completely, they will take out the dent and re-laquer the wheels. The car doesn't have high mileage for it's age and the interior seems fine.

We've held off on a final decision until we see the end result but I'd like to know what others feel is acceptable in a used car, around 4 years old? Are chips or scratches par for the course?

My own car was bought from new so I've only ever had pristine bodywork etc. Maybe I'm just being unrealistic?

I'd really appreciate your thoughts?

[Hintza]

Unrealistic. But what you have to decide on is whether the scratch etc is down to primer or metal. If metal then it needs seen to, if primer probably best seen to. If neither with luck a polish should bring it up.

You will find immaculate cars but it will take time and will probably cost more, so if you have the time and money then be patient.

[nullogik]

On a four year old car its to be expected if a tyre or two is kerbed and if there are a few stone chips on the front. The odd scuff mark on the bumper or a door mirror wouldn't surprise me either. Most of these things are easy to rectify be it with a touch up pen, some polish/T-cut or the seats shampooed.

IMO I think you are being a bit fussy. If you want a car that is perfect inside and out, then its a brand new car you are after and not a secondhand one.

If its a car thats a year or maybe two years old, then I would expect the body and interior to be near perfect. But certainly not a four year old car.

[mikey72]

I park mine in supermarkets too often then. Looks like it's been in a tumble dryer full of gravel by now.
The kids have destroyed the inside. (Well maybe there is something left under the mud). It's 5 years old.

[aliasojo]

You will find immaculate cars but it will take time and will probably cost more, so if you have the time and money then be patient.

Both of which we dont have unfortunately. We have been looking for ages but now need to buy.

Thanks for the replies guys, I'm happy to accept we I'm being unrealistic and will try to be more balanced when I see this car again. :)