Purchasing your company car - what work to get done on it before hand

lazer-zxr

Hello

I have a company car with my job. It is due for renewal in Summer 2016. I will not renew it, but take the cash alternative.

I would like to purchase the company car I have, which is an option.

Prior to this (with 18 months to go), what jobs should I get done on the car a the company's expense?

The car is a Black 2011 Passat 2.0 TDI Saloon, with around 65k miles on it.

It has a few scratches on paintwork and wheels which I will try to get put through.

Thanks, to any who know about cars.

forgotmyname

New engine, new gearbox, new clutch, new wheelbearings...

Is that the 2L with balancer shaft issues?

loskie

Timing belt, water pump and front brake discs I would think will need replaced by the time it is on the market.
If it is a lease car it is unlikely that the lease company will authorise any work unless absolutely necessary especially as it nears the time to be de fleeted. More recently they have been cutting service costs towards the end of a lease.

gilbert_and_sullivan

Your biggest headache is likely to be the accursed electric parking brake, if you haven't done so already you should make sure they are fully watertight, apparently the casings can crack seals fail and the mechanism gets water damage, curtains.

It's not DSG is it, if so do you really want one out of warranty.

lazer-zxr

Thanks for the feedback, and please do warn me off it if I need to be.

Not sure about balancer shaft issues?
It is a lease car, and so any work needs to be authorised by lease company. Brake discs and pads done last month.

Timing belt and water pump, not sure but I think these are due at 120k ??

I'll check the electric parking brake.

And no, it's not DSG, its manual 6 speed

colino

Is it company owned or financed in some other way? If the company doesn't own it, good business practice means you will be quoted a crazy price for the car, they want to re-supply, not close the account. If it is coming up to replacement time, they certainly aren't going to authorise serious repairs and refurbishment to its current user.

lazer-zxr

It is not company owned. It is owned by a lease company.
It has around 16 months left of lease, hence the forward planning to get any work done that may need doing.

As for asking a crazy price, its something I'm going to have to see at the time, and compare to market prices. It's just I know this car has been looked after, and has everything I need in a car, very pleased with it.

If the lease company won't do a reasonable deal on it, I know they are then sold off through Manheim car auctions, I'm not sure how weasy it would be to track it down through them and purchase at auction??

Thanks.

chrisw

Be careful with bodywork issues - they can be logged as 'insurance incidents'.

If you have no No Claims Bonus because you've had a company car, you can usually get a letter from the company confirming no incidents which can then be used to get a discount on the insurance. Mechanical stuff is usually ok as it's generally wear or failure, but any bodywork damage can be classed as 'accident damage'. This might lead to more expensive insurance premiums.

arcon5

Body work can be needed for variety of reasons, not just accidentally nt s and incidents. Not sure why you'd think the repair shop, the employer or the lease company would phone the insurance company to tell them they are doing some work on the car

bod1467

Bodywork issues (with lease cars) are often put through as insurance claims as the lease company gets the costs covered for sorting them.