Worried about purchase of Fiesta

warehouse

Why would an ex driving instructors car be any worse than another? If anything it won't have been over 3000 rpm most of it's life and would have been driven carefully.

What's the problem?

fivetide

warehouse wrote: »

Why would an ex driving instructors car be any worse than another? If anything it won't have been over 3000 rpm most of it's life and would have been driven carefully.

What's the problem?

Or it has had a million hill starts at 6000 rpm and been bounced off kerbs like it is a dodgem at a fairground...

colino

A lot of driving school car engines are often well above 3000rpm, and that is just in the hourly hill start. The engines wear more because they do an overly amount of stop-start driving, no other car is ever in reverse or the lower gears more and few cars have so frequent hard stops. Additionally there have been little mechanical sympathy lavished on them by the unknowing incompetents and they will have been down more potholes and skiffed more kerbs than your average gulley cleaner. Failing that, every lesson they have a driving seat adjustment and another bottom polishing the seat. Terrible buys and that's why all the big schools disguise their first ownership in the V5C.

funkycoldribena

MXW wrote: »

I bought a Ford Fiesta in March 2013 from a large car supermarket. I bought my previous car from them and it has been fantastic.
Within 3 weeks there was a fuel leak on the car (the car is a 2011 plate)

I took the car back to the dealers who sent it off to Ford to repair as it is still under warranty until March 2014. When the car came back it was filthy and the fuel had reduced more than it would take to drive the car to the Ford dealers and back. I complained and the dealership washed and valeted the car and put a small amount of fuel in it. I thought that was the end of the matter.

In the summer I was cleaning the car and found a card from Red Driving school with the name and mobile number of the driving instructor. The car was previously owned by Hitachi Capital, and when I got out the service book I noticed that the reg no hand written on it was different to my own reg, although the description of the car was the same. I rang the dealers about this, who said that the reg no could have been written down in error, he also confirmed that the car was not previously used as a driving instructors car.

For the last couple of weeks I have noticed that the car windows were steaming up, even when it wasnt raining. Yesterday I took the car into my local garage (who I have used for years) who told me that it was the pollen filter that had never been changed. But they also told me that the insulation under the carpet in the drivers side and front passenger side had been cut out with a stanley knife. They also told me that when they were fitting the pollen filter they had noticed that the fan system had been pushed out off place. I asked them if it was possible that the car has had dual controls fitted and they said that because of the insulation being removed it would make sense.
I found out the card that I had found in the car and spoke to the driving instructor who confirmed that the car had been hers.
My question is, should the dealer have told me that the car had previously had dual controls fitted and was a driving instructors car when I bought it?

Would the car dealer have known this?

I am panicking now, as I had saved up for a long time to buy this car, and I am worried that because of the nature of driving lessons that the clutch may go on it, or things of that nature and I can't afford to replace them. I apologise for the length of my post, but any advice would be gratefully received. Thank you

Just quickly done to make it easier.

Prothet_of_Doom

colino wrote: »

A lot of driving school car engines are often well above 3000rpm, and that is just in the hourly hill start. The engines wear more because they do an overly amount of stop-start driving, no other car is ever in reverse or the lower gears more and few cars have so frequent hard stops. Additionally there have been little mechanical sympathy lavished on them by the unknowing incompetents and they will have been down more potholes and skiffed more kerbs than your average gulley cleaner. Failing that, every lesson they have a driving seat adjustment and another bottom polishing the seat. Terrible buys and that's why all the big schools disguise their first ownership in the V5C.

On the other hand, the oil is always warmed up, and there's a rev limiter which the engine is designed to work at.
I'd worry about the clutch. :rotfl:

atrixblue.-MFR-.

you have a service history with the wrong reg on it? that would be one flag to me then finding out it was ex driving school on lease would push me over the edge,

JohnM5206

I ask a couple of question in respect of the knowledge of the origins of the car, please.
I go to a broker to take out a business lease, through Hitachi Capital, on a new car.
I am self employed in one line of business.

I then change to become self employed as a driving instructor working through Red. starting this a couple of months after taking delivery of the car.
Who knows the history of the car after I have removed any dual controls etc? How can a dealer know this information?
Just interested in the thoughts.

MXW

Thanks for all your advice and thoughts. I have been in conversations with the main manager at the dealership. I won't bore you with all the details, but after a very lengthy conversation, this is the proposal:

1. The service history book has gone missing. He assumes that the books were mixed up and the other car involved has my book. He has contacted Ford who have confirmed that a service has been done on the car. I have asked the dealer to confirm in writing that this service has been done by Ford. They have agreed to do this.

2. I have been offered a guarantee of a new clutch up to 60,000 miles (there is approx 38,000 miles on the clock at the min).

or

Free servicing for 3 years 1 worth £250, 2 worth £150. I will be given vouchers for these to use whenever I want. In addition I have requested that the insulation be replaced in full. They have agreed to book the car in and carry this out, and supply me with a car while the work is being done.
I have not agreed to anything yet, and have requested that all of the proposal be put in writing and I will then contact them to let them know what I have decided. I have also asked them to confirm in writing exactly what is included in the service.
When I took the car in to my local garage, he did say that in his opinion the car was sound, his only concern would be the clutch.
I have been told the clutch would be approx £200-£300 to repair, so in my opinion it would be more benefical to take the servicing offer. If the clutch did need replacing I would take it to my local garage who I trust to do the job,

Any thoughts would be appreciated. I just want to be sure I am doing the right thing.

Many thanks

Michelle

WobblyDog

It's only slightly relevant, but I have a 2011 Fiesta which I bought new, and the demisting of the windscreen isn't great. In light rain, I sometimes have to have the fan on setting 1 to keep the mist at bay, even at motorway speeds. The warm air from the vent in the middle of the windscreen doesn't reach the corners very well.

On the other hand, £200-£300 sounds a bit cheap for a clutch replacement on a Fiesta. I would budget nearer £400, and more at a main Ford dealer.

arcon5

The dealer is expected to disclose material facts.

Is this a material fact? Of course its not!! All cars are driven differently - if you don't like that then buy brand new.

You say there was a fuel leak... Which likely involved repairing a fuel line or pipe or something... Loosing some fuel as part of this is to be expected!

The pollen filter is a massively easy and inexpensive job - although should usually be completed as part of a service. But certainly not a massive problem.


From what you've said it doesn't really sound like anything to worry about and the dealer sounds reputable so far - in fact I'd say they've gone well and beyond any legal obligations. You surely cannot expect more than this!!!