Latest part-ex con

SLITHER99

My car is perfectly roadworthy - given my personal assessment on the understanding that there is nothing I know of wrong with it and, although I am no mechanic - which is largely why I hire a mechanic when things happen - I'm pretty sure I would notice if it was on fire!

And, please enlighten me, are you saying a car with an MOT certificate is not necessarily roadworthy? Isn't that the point of the MOT test? The fact it passed 7 weeks ago is, in my opinion, a strong indicator of roadworthyness. Sure, it's no guarantee that the cylinder head gaskett is gone or if you press the accellarator, hoardes of stampeding wilderbeast coming streaming out of the air vents trampling all in their path, but in my simple mindedness I naturally assumed that

"The purpose of the MOT test is to ensure that cars... are checked at least once a year to see that they comply with key roadworthiness and environmental requirements "

... would have indicated that the MOT test is a test of roadworthyness?

http://www.dft.gov.uk/vosa/mottestingdata-userguide.htm

As far as I and VOSA are concerned, as I have a valid MOT certificate, the car is safe for use on the road. If I notice in the interim that my doors have fallen off, I would imagine common sense would prevail and I'd get it sorted!

In the years I've bought cars, this is the first I've heard of this practise and when I agree to their mechanic checking it out, lo and behold they find everything they possibly can wrong with it, there's now a new fault which wasn't there 7 weeks ago and they want to charge me for their diagnostic when I decide to walk. Oddly, my mechanic is rather bemused at their diagnosis of the gearbox and engine are both completely shot and further amused that they predict certain death at least in the next 3,000 miles. Clearly, my mechanic hasn't been on the "how to tell the future by gazing into the mystic ooze in the oil sump" course. He must be an idiot.

He did, however, find the solution to the "play" in the rear wheel. It seems that somehow the rear wheel bolts managed to work themselves loose. Despite a wheel bolt's sole purpose being to hold a wheel onto the car, it seems rather peculiar that suddenly there are loose ones. It certainly does explain the play in the rear wheel; oddly the fault hasn't reoccured since collecting from my mechanic but it's one to keep an eye on!



Sarcasm aside, I don't get how I'm in the wrong here? All I'm trying to do is part exchange one vehicle for another newer one which is less likely to become problematic in the next few years considering my change in driving requirements; my job will require more travel than I was doing with my present car. It's a prudent move, is it not? I just don't want to get fleeced in the deal! And it's not like I'm going to some small mom and pop business, this is a main dealer! I'm not after anybody's newborn, I'm not looking to press people against a wall, but I don't want to get the same in return?

Maybe it's just me being mistrustful. But in the last 5 weeks of car hunting, I've not seen much to be trustful of from car dealers - both side street and main dealer.

I've even had a Mom and Pop dealership, when questioning the fact that an MOT certificate clearly had a "Yes" under the box stating "Advisory Issued" trying to tell me that there was no advisory and that just refers to the emissions test sheet. Like really!? You think I've never had a car MOT'd before!?

Sgt_Pepper_2

Slither, why don't yet read the disclaimer on an older mot certificate.

nickcc

As already stated, as soon as the car leaves the testing station it's your responsibility to ensure that it's roadworthy, the test only means its roadworthy at the time of the test.

SLITHER99

So, am I to assume that demanding a fair part exchange process is for whatever reason beyond reasonable? Are you saying that i should agree to whatever a dealer's "mechanic" says and allow myself to be suckered?

Should I bring a few fatted calfs along too?

redux

Just sell it to someone else. You can't force the dealer to buy it if they don't want it at your price.

SLITHER99

Are you guys all in the trade? Certainly would explain a lot...

redux

SLITHER99 wrote: »

Are you guys all in the trade? Certainly would explain a lot...

Are you as full of wild and false speculation when trying to do a deal?

SLITHER99

Actually, I'm usually quite calm and collected, until they present me with a raft of BS about my part-ex being a death trap and how it could burst into flames at any moment and that I'd better hand them the keys for nothing before anything bad happens.

I don't know many cars that age/mileage with full service histories and every repair invoice to date...

To clarify, the deal would have been done if he a) didn't try and spin me saying my car had these problems which it didn't and b) if he was honest enough to provide the second sheet of the MOT which he claimed didn't exist in the first place and c) didn't try to charge me £95 for an inspection on my car which he insisted on.

Pass...

paddedjohn

An mot is only a record of the condition of the vehicle at that particular time, plenty can go wrong with a car within 7 weeks, even a week. Sell your car privately and then use the cash towards your new car. The dealer is probably telling you the bad news because they really dont want the hasses of disposing of your trade in.

SLITHER99

So that means that it's assumed that any car is a wreck the day after the MOT is issued?

I've actually sold it privately; to my mechanic's wife. Now begins the arduous task of finding a decent used car.