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Worried I've bought dodgy car :-(
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mrsvanderkamp_2
Posts: 371 Forumite
in Motoring
Hi,:hello:
As the title says really, I'm worried that I've bought a dud... I guess I'm after some reassurance/views/opinions of others.
Bought a Ford Focus 1.6 Edge (petrol) with 112k on 04 plate on Saturday for DS. It has had two previous owners, last one a Dr (if that matters - the seller seemed to think it was a selling point lol) Paid £980 for it.
Car came with FSH which having looked at service book and paperwork both seem to tally in terms of dates/mileage etc with invoices for servicing matching the service stamps in that respect.
Car also has a new MOT and have checked this online. No advisories in this MOT but there have been some in the past but relating to general wear and tear (corrosion on coils/brake pipe and tyres near limits - the tyres are now new however).
So the car drove well on test drive, didn't make any funny noises and is clean and tidy, it looks well looked after for the age. The car drove fine on the 30 mile journey home up to speeds of 75mph with no apparent concerns.
However, yesterday the engine management light came on and the car makes a rattle on starting and is jerky (particular on 1st/2nd gear). I bought a car last year and had this issue and it was ignition coils so I wonder if this is the issue here and it's just bad luck.
However, what makes me now think that I may have been had is that the seller (who is a trader working from home - owns a big farm and had several cars for sale) didn't have the paper MOT saying it was still at the garage/test centre. He also said that the car had a new clutch but again didn't have the paperwork as it was again at the garage. He says he settles up with the garage monthly so they had the paperwork. Seemed plausible enough at the time but I now think that surely if you were selling a car you'd have all the paperwork? The clutch does seems fine however the car does need a cambelt which we knew when we bought it (as in it hasn't been replaced to anyone's knowledge so changing it now seems like a good preventative measure to take). I do question now though that if a car has been well maintained why hasn't this been done before? But I supposed if an owner doesn't know what one is so doesn't ask or the garage doesn't offer, or it's been done and we just don't know about it.
Just before we left (the seller having allowed us 20 minutes with his ipad in his office so that we could arrange tax and insurance) he said "I'll just check the oil for you, not sure anyone has looked at it". I watched him do this and the level seemed fine but he topped it up a bit anyway....any chance this was in an effort to cover something up for the drive home? Are "dodgy" MOT's very common these days with all the electronic systems?
I generally think I'm quite a good judge of character and the guy seemed pretty genuine, but when buying second hand cars you can just never tell...I haven't gone back to him about this issue as yet (as I say he could indeed by very genuine and this is just bad luck). I do intend to take the car to the garage that I always use tomorrow,(small local garage always very honest and repaired my cars for several years now) If he gives me a list of issues as long as my arm, then I may well need to take it up with the seller, but I will wait and see first.
In the meantime, does anyone have any (comforting!) words of wisdom?
TIA.
As the title says really, I'm worried that I've bought a dud... I guess I'm after some reassurance/views/opinions of others.
Bought a Ford Focus 1.6 Edge (petrol) with 112k on 04 plate on Saturday for DS. It has had two previous owners, last one a Dr (if that matters - the seller seemed to think it was a selling point lol) Paid £980 for it.
Car came with FSH which having looked at service book and paperwork both seem to tally in terms of dates/mileage etc with invoices for servicing matching the service stamps in that respect.
Car also has a new MOT and have checked this online. No advisories in this MOT but there have been some in the past but relating to general wear and tear (corrosion on coils/brake pipe and tyres near limits - the tyres are now new however).
So the car drove well on test drive, didn't make any funny noises and is clean and tidy, it looks well looked after for the age. The car drove fine on the 30 mile journey home up to speeds of 75mph with no apparent concerns.
However, yesterday the engine management light came on and the car makes a rattle on starting and is jerky (particular on 1st/2nd gear). I bought a car last year and had this issue and it was ignition coils so I wonder if this is the issue here and it's just bad luck.
However, what makes me now think that I may have been had is that the seller (who is a trader working from home - owns a big farm and had several cars for sale) didn't have the paper MOT saying it was still at the garage/test centre. He also said that the car had a new clutch but again didn't have the paperwork as it was again at the garage. He says he settles up with the garage monthly so they had the paperwork. Seemed plausible enough at the time but I now think that surely if you were selling a car you'd have all the paperwork? The clutch does seems fine however the car does need a cambelt which we knew when we bought it (as in it hasn't been replaced to anyone's knowledge so changing it now seems like a good preventative measure to take). I do question now though that if a car has been well maintained why hasn't this been done before? But I supposed if an owner doesn't know what one is so doesn't ask or the garage doesn't offer, or it's been done and we just don't know about it.
Just before we left (the seller having allowed us 20 minutes with his ipad in his office so that we could arrange tax and insurance) he said "I'll just check the oil for you, not sure anyone has looked at it". I watched him do this and the level seemed fine but he topped it up a bit anyway....any chance this was in an effort to cover something up for the drive home? Are "dodgy" MOT's very common these days with all the electronic systems?
I generally think I'm quite a good judge of character and the guy seemed pretty genuine, but when buying second hand cars you can just never tell...I haven't gone back to him about this issue as yet (as I say he could indeed by very genuine and this is just bad luck). I do intend to take the car to the garage that I always use tomorrow,(small local garage always very honest and repaired my cars for several years now) If he gives me a list of issues as long as my arm, then I may well need to take it up with the seller, but I will wait and see first.
In the meantime, does anyone have any (comforting!) words of wisdom?
TIA.
0
Comments
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"You were only supposed to blow the bl**dy doors off!!"0
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maninthestreet wrote: »
Thanks, however I have already done this as mentioned above.0 -
Have you checked the oil level?0
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It doesn't appear to have a leak....what are the reasons that it might eat oil?? (If it is)0
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MOT certificate doesn't really matter too much as its all online. I don't think there's anything dodgy going on, but I wouldn't believe something like a clutch had actually been done unless I had a receipt for it. Fortunately its not like a cambelt, you can tell if a clutch is going.
I don't understand this 'previous Doctor owner' business either. I read one ad where they had gone to great lengths to point out that his title of Dr was on the V5! Erm, ok? Is that meant to make it more looked after? Than what? What job title indicates a lack of maintenance? Maybe I should start putting my postnominals on V5s...0 -
It's a 12yo sub-grand car. Adjust expectations accordingly.0
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Oil level appears ok.0
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What are you basing this on?mrsvanderkamp wrote: »I'm not expecting mint....quite happy to expect/accept ongoing maintenance and repair but clearly wouldn't be happy if I'd been sold a car that was not fit for purpose/as described.0
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