High mileage motors - just what are the risks ?

withabix

scheming_gypsy wrote: »

As well as full service history you'll always want a folder full of receipts to show what work has been done

If it was under warranty, there won't be a receipt or an entry in the service record for any repairs.

Just about the only receipt I have for my 4 year / 100,000 mile X-Trail is for the new engine at 73,000 miles - and only then because I paid for some of the labour. Nissan paid for the engine.

Of course I have receipts for servicing and replacement of consumables like tyres, but that makes little difference.

vax2002

Modern diesels dont last like older type engines, these Dual mass things are usually gutted around 120,000 miles, with failing injectors, flywheels, turbos and oil pumps.

Kilty_2

Pretty sure Vauxhall don't, for one. (as bigjl says, it's not very common at all TBH, Mercedes and BMW do though)

cyclonebri1

property.advert wrote: »

Tyres, exhausts, brakes etc. they can all be replaced which means they are not a factor but aside from physical deterioration such as rust, just what are the serious financial risks in buying a high mileage car with FSH ?

I "feel" that a bigger engine is safer than a smaller one but is that so ?

The 1st thing you have to factor in is the reduced asking price for the high miler, that will go a long way towards covering any repairs.;)

Bigger or smaller engine? Definately favour the bigger engined variant, it will have had an easier life and have been designed to swallow up the miles rather than a town car.

For years and years I always bought ex rep cars at 1st change of ownership. This was usually coming up to 3 years old, the highest mileage car being a 2lt Cavalier sri on 90K at that age. None of these cars ever let me down in the least and I ran them for 4 years each on average.

Nowadays I don't do a high mileage, but can afford a newer car.
I still go with the miles thing.

Car before last was a Vectra 2lt hatch. Bought at 8 months old on 22K miles, had that for almost 8 years.

Present car bought at exactly 1 year old on 28k and I've had that 4.5 years now.

It has to be the cheapest way to run a 1/2 decent car avoiding spending silly money:money::money:

Hammyman

vax2002 wrote: »

Modern diesels dont last like older type engines, these Dual mass things are usually gutted around 120,000 miles, with failing injectors, flywheels, turbos and oil pumps.

Utter poppycock. Perhaps you should quote from fact instead of the few posts you've seen on Honestjohn from a handful of morons who don't look after their cars.

I bought my Mk3 Mondeo TDCi 130 with 90k on the clock as one owner ex-fleet with full main dealer service history. It now as of this week has 155k on the clock. The clutch and DMF are the original as are the injectors, turbo and oil pump. It doesn't use a drop of oil or coolant inbetween services nor does it chuck loads of smoke out of the back. The MOT is next week and I expect it to do like it has the previous 3 I've done and sail straight through. However you don't hear about cars like mine on forums usually, only from the few who have problems.

The sum number of engine bay related faults in the 65k I've done are:

1) Alternator bearing
2) Intercooler to turbo pipe split.
3)...although not an issue as I did it before there was a problem - clogging up of EGR valve.

Other faults on the vehicle in the time I've had it:
1) Rear subframe bushes.
2) The gearstick gaitor is starting to look a little worn now.

That is all.

Kilty_2

cyclonebri1 wrote: »

The 1st thing you have to factor in is the reduced asking price for the high miler, that will go a long way towards covering any repairs.;)

That assumes someone buying a £4k 130k mile Mondeo would otherwise have bought a £10k 30k mile one - not the case really is it?

Hammyman

Spot on Kilty. I had a budget of £5k. Going for a 90k one owner FMDSH company car got me a very high spec car in very good condition for my £5k or I could buy a nearly new small hatchback with poverty spec. I bought it with the full intention of running it until the day it dies with 100% loss in value so it losing value because of the high miles for resale purposes was fairly irrelevant. As it stands today, if I assume that I will get absolutely nothing whatsoever for the car when I dipose of it, even taking into account the none-consumable repairs and the full repayment cost of the loan the car currently cost me £0.08 per mile for what I've done. I expect to get at least another 20-40k out of it with minimal repair costs.

I seriously doubt the nearly new small hatch would've cost so little to run but it would've been a far worse driving and owning experience than my Mondy has been.

Kilty_2

I currently have a £750 bucket that I fully plan on making work pay for at 35p/mile :rotfl: (currently at about £300 in claimable expenses after a week, so)

Good thing about newer cars that show the same mileage as this bucket is that they'll not have age related problems and will not have been run on a shoestring for the past 3 years like this has

s_b

spanner in works time

if you buy a high miler from a private person there is a chance private person has had it clocked to a more reasonable high mileage than it actually has done
If you buy a high miler from an unestablished place of sale and many people do, then there is a good possibility this place is run by gofers and owned by itinerents and it will be clocked
Me?
I dont do big cars so am not in to high mileage but if i was i would buy direct from an auction and take my chance,this way the mileage you see is the mileage you get and you know a blue chip company aint gonna wind it

Hammyman

s_b wrote: »

spanner in works time

if you buy a high miler from a private person there is a chance private person has had it clocked to a more reasonable high mileage than it actually has done
If you buy a high miler from an unestablished place of sale and many people do, then there is a good possibility this place is run by gofers and owned by itinerents and it will be clocked
Me?
I dont do big cars so am not in to high mileage but if i was i would buy direct from an auction and take my chance,this way the mileage you see is the mileage you get and you know a blue chip company aint gonna wind it

I prefer to check the service history and unlike you, I got protection under SOGA when I bought mine from a dealer. You get nowt, nothing, nada, zilch and there is no guarantee it has not been clocked before it went to auction but unlike me, you have no comeback if it turns out it had been.