Tips for buying used car

bouicca21

I need to buy a car. Preferably a cheap one, no need for anything other than a little hatchback. I don't use a car extensively (hence the low mileage) but it's nice to have. I have a 10 year old car with v low mileage to trade in and can afford about 6k on top of that. My old car is probably worth £1500 or so but I have no idea how much to expect as a trade in. It has 8 months MOT left.

My knowledge of cars/anything mechanical is zero. I just want something reliable. Have been looking at the price of used Fabias, Fiestas, so far online only, and have come to the conclusion that I can something a bit younger and with a longer warranty if I go for a Kia.

I've never bought a secondhand car before. Are there any tips about how to go about it so that the dealer doesn't read 'mug' all over my forehead? At the risk of breaking my own rules about sexism, I'd add that I am female and in my mid 60s. I think the chances of being regarded as a mug are pretty high.

Captaincodpiece

Without wanting to be shot down.

Take someone with you that knows about cars or a male friend or relative to balance things up.

What car have you got? Condition and mileage would allow someone to give you a decent trade in price. You don't want to be ripped off both ends.

bouicca21

36,000 miles. Front bumper needs attention (wasn't me, honest, daughter ran into back of a car, entirely her fault). Can find a man, but not one who knows anything about cars.

Captaincodpiece

Make and model, or did I miss it?

Slight accident damage so are we talking fair condition?

tykesi

36000 miles yes but what car is it and why do you 'need' a new one, what's wrong with the one you've got?

jaydeeuk1

Look on webuyanycar and accurately describe the car and treat this as the minumum you'd want from a dealer.

Nowt wrong with a kia picanto, the new shape model at 2 years old or so are 5-6000, and will have 4 or 5 years warranty and in some cases servicing included. Go to a main kia dealer and you won't be treated like an idiot.

forgotmyname

Spend a few hundred on the car you have and your sorted.

Horizon81

Yes, the question is what car do you drive now, does it have many major faults and why are you wanting to replace it? As long as it's working fine then given your circumstances it would be MSE to keep it running.

bouicca21

It's a micra se. 5 doors.

The reason I want rid, and rid to a dealer, which sort of eases my conscience, is that it has developed the power steering problem that is apparently common to Micras of this age. It has been fixed but the fix is unreliable. It's mega expensive and I don't want either to chuck more money at it or to keep taking it back to the garage. Garage are lovely but they are the middle men, so I take the car back to them, they take the unit out and ferry it over to someone else. They will keep on doing this but it's happened so often that I just want to give up. It's working now but I have no confidence it will last. I could not sell it to some kid looking for his first car, but a main dealer seems fair game.

I was thinking of going to a main kia dealer. Can I be reasonably confident that a main dealer won't rip me off? Though even as I type this I'm thinking 'double standards'.

Horizon81

You can be absolutely sure that a main dealer will rip you off.

Ahh the Micra, I've read about the electric power steering issues but not in any great detail. Could you find a different garage who could do more of a permanent fix or have you made your mind up to definitely get rid?

I admire your desire not to sell the car privately so part ex'ing into the trade is fair game however I expect you'll only fetch a few hundred in trade in value I'm afraid - your £1500 is way off, unless of course the dealer has overpriced the car they're selling you by £1500. The low mileage won't count for much in a car of this age (and many on here will treat low mileage as a bad thing as the chances are the car mainly did short trips and never really got up to temp).

So, if a dealer offers you say £400 part ex for your car, are you still happy to sell it? Or does that re-frame things a bit?

bouicca21

What is probably a more reliable fix from Nissan would cost over £1200 and would only be guaranteed for a year. . If it weren't for the power steering I'd keep it forever.

The car has done some long trips but you're right, mainly pootling about on short ones. Also although I have always had it serviced, the mechanics hardly ever stamp the book. I was rather hoping I'd get more than £400, maybe £800. But there is no point in paying tax and insurance on a car that can't be driven (well it can, but when the steering goes it's only happy to go in a straight line and has to be wrestled round corners/roundabouts) and the latest fix took a month ...