Is this car worth buying?

naaads_xo

So I’m looking to buy a car from a trader, he’s selling a 2006 Volkswagen 1.2 Manual car with 100k miles for £595. However, he mentioned the coil needs replacing..when I asked him how much would it be to fix he said £17 which seems a bit unrealistic I think. However I’m not sure which coil he was talking about, he did say he drove the car and it drove well. These are the advisories that it has gotten:

8 September 2018
PASS
Mileage
94,029 miles
Expiry date
27 September 2019
Repair as soon as possible (minor defects):
Offside Front Drive shaft joint constant velocity boot severely deteriorated (6.1.7 (g) (i))
Monitor and repair if necessary (advisories):
Offside Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

5 September 2018
FAIL
Mileage
94,025 miles
Do not drive until repaired (dangerous defects):
Offside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5.2.3 (e))
Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value (1.4.2 (a) (ii))
Repair as soon as possible (minor defects):
Offside Front Drive shaft joint constant velocity boot severely deteriorated (6.1.7 (g) (i))
Monitor and repair if necessary (advisories):
Offside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))
Offside Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Date tested
31 August 2017
PASS
Mileage
76,081 miles
Expiry date
27 September 2018

Date tested
31 August 2017
FAIL
Mileage
76,081 miles
Reason(s) for failure
Nearside Front position lamp(s) not working (1.1.A.3b)
Nearside Front Front constant velocity joint gaiter damaged to the extent that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc (2.5.C.1a)
Offside rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)
Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

Date tested
31 August 2016
PASS
Mileage
65,839 miles
Expiry date
27 September 2017

Date tested
1 September 2015
PASS
Mileage
55,452 miles
Expiry date
27 September 2016

Date tested
2 September 2014
PASS
Mileage
45,220 miles
Expiry date
27 September 2015

Date tested
2 September 2014
FAIL
Mileage
45,220 miles
Reason(s) for failure
Front registration plate deteriorated (6.3.1d)
Nearside Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)
Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)
Nearside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)
Offside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Date tested
28 September 2013
PASS
Mileage
35,604 miles
Expiry date
27 September 2014

Date tested
24 September 2013
FAIL
Mileage
35,604 miles
Reason(s) for failure
Nearside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)
Offside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)
Nearside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Date tested
25 September 2012
PASS
Mileage
24,927 miles
Expiry date
24 September 2013

Date tested
25 September 2012
FAIL
Mileage
24,927 miles
Reason(s) for failure
Nearside Front Front suspension has excessive movement at a wishbone pin or bush (2.5.A.1c)
Offside Front Front suspension has excessive movement at a wishbone pin or bush (2.5.A.1c)

So what do you think? Worth to buy or not? Thanks! Btw new driver so sorry for the questions

angrycrow

Why would a trader be selling a faulty car if it would only cost £17 and 5 minutes of his time to fix it. Suggests it is more than ignition coils that are wrong. Walk away and buy one that is not broken.

naaads_xo

I forgot to mention it has part service history included, but when I asked him he said he doesn’t have any time.

angrycrow

Just seen the other duplicate thread on this. Don't bother wasting time going to see this one there are other cars out there. The trade has either bought it at auction or from a mates garage for a few hundred pounds. The previous keeper has likely traded it in due to faults or big bills looming. If the trader is not prepared to change the ignition coil what other faults has he just ignored.

As a new driver have you checked insurance costs. Some cars are seen as prime new driver cars so very expensive to insurer. Worst offenders Fiesta, Polo and Corsa. Have a look at kia and hyundai.

When buying cars I always look for a mechanically sound car, minor body work issues on a sub £1000 car would not bother me as I can always tidy it up at my leisure.

waamo

At under £600 he has bought that for next to nothing. At that price point you are better off looking at private sales where they aren't building a profit into the price.

It's a risk as there is no comeback if anything goes wrong but in saying that a dealer selling bangers isn't likely to be interested in anything once he's made his money.

Arklight

Unless you really can't afford more than that, a £600 car is almost definitely a false economy. A mechanical calamity on wheels with a semi-prestige badge is the last thing you need to be maintaining and insuring for your first car

Do yourself a huge favour and beg or borrow enough to get up to around the £1500-£2000 mark, then use it to buy something small, slow, and Japanese.

GunJack

Arklight wrote: »

Unless you really can't afford more than that, a £600 car is almost definitely a false economy. A mechanical calamity on wheels with a semi-prestige badge is the last thing you need to be maintaining and insuring for your first car

Do yourself a huge favour and beg or borrow enough to get up to around the £1500-£2000 mark, then use it to buy something small, slow, and Japanese.

Oh, come on!! That's not right and you know it... by all means buy at that price, based on condition.

Also, as a new driver, choice of make/model is highly significant for your insurance. A couple of years ago, the best price I could get for corsa/106/polo etc. was £1800-odd (and most were over £2k) for my 18-y-old, ended up with a Suzuki as it was only £1300-odd - the saving on the insurance bought the car (£450) and he still has it now...last time round, with 2 yrs NCB his insurance was under £500

Goudy

I agree, you might want to give this one a miss.
If you can't repair these items yourself, you are looking at a couple of hundred quid or more to put right the CV boot, coil and track rod end, and that's before you've discovered anything else.

For this sort of money, as already suggested, you are looking in the wrong place.
For £600 from a trader/dealer you will be buying a £400 car as they will have marked it up with their profit.

It would be much better to research a few suitable makes and models and then find someone that knows their way around a used car to help you and start searching for private sales.

There are some models that tend to wear better than others, cars like Toyota's Yaris, they sold plenty so it's just a matter of time and effort to find a reasonable one.

Refine your search to were private owners sell like the local paper, notice boards at work or supermarkets. (usually anywhere that's free or cheap)

When buying private you can usually haggle a bit more with the seller, so if you've a limit of £600, start looking at £800 or £900 cars, you can offer them £600 and the worse they can say is no, but they could also say yes.

Online owners forums always have classifieds and are usually a good place to start rather than wading through the likes of Autotrader that is full of traders.
A quick post about what to look for buying a certain model will usually return some helpful replies.

Arklight

GunJack wrote: »

Oh, come on!! That's not right and you know it... by all means buy at that price, based on condition.

Also, as a new driver, choice of make/model is highly significant for your insurance. A couple of years ago, the best price I could get for corsa/106/polo etc. was £1800-odd (and most were over £2k) for my 18-y-old, ended up with a Suzuki as it was only £1300-odd - the saving on the insurance bought the car (£450) and he still has it now...last time round, with 2 yrs NCB his insurance was under £500

Honestly if you can find a decent £600 car then fair enough. But on Autotrader within a 70 mile radius of me the very few cars that are in that price bracket (which ends at page 2) are almost all Spares or Repair.

This is about the best of the few that drive and it is very clearly, a shed.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201902144937468

Arklight

I stand corrected:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201902215180568

Mercdriver

Arklight wrote: »

I stand corrected:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201902215180568

I thought you didn't rate the mk 3?