Best way to sell a car requiring work?

MattyBenwah

Hi forumites,

Took my Ford Focus in for a service recently at Evans Halshaw and have been advised to replace front brake pads/discs (~£200 quoted) along with a whole new exhaust system (~£1000 quoted) and get extensive front/rear suspension work done (~£1400 quoted).

Car is from 2005, only 2 owners including me, service history probs ~90% there, cambelt replaced 2 years ago, tyres recently replaced and in good nick, car has clocked up 100200 miles. Valuations are £200-450 (RAC), £400 (Parker's assuming poor condition)

Not really sure of best course of action, wouldn't want to sell to anyone with a service report like this. Guess best options are WeBuyAnyCar or find a local dealer after parts? I'm not going to be buying another car as don't drive enough to justify owning one.

Any advice much appreciated!

Cheers, Matt

motorguy

If you take any 14 year old car near a main dealer, they'll quote you for all of this and more. Its their job to generate work for themselves.

Is it MOT'd?

snowcat75

Or aftermarket discs and pads £60 ish, exhaust £100-150 complete shocks and springs maybe £200... and if your not inclined a half decent fitter £2-300

Mainline dealers have big fancy showrooms paying for lots of staff that if you think about less than 50% actually generate revenue by charging small fortunes for there work, much of it not even being particularly good.... Warranty work only is my rule.


If its got an MOT and you don't need it just sell it, most buying 14 year old cars do so with there eyes open... In my younger days I bought plenty of pick-ups with galactic millage and none under a decade old... I didn't expect concourse for a few hundred quid.

forgotmyname

£1000 for an exhaust? Gold plated inside and out?

Tokk

IF the work is even needed at all!

EH, Kwikfit, Halfords, etc - all have a significant number of garages that quote for unnecessary work, and their quotes are very high whether the work really needs doing or not.

Take it to a reputable local independent garage - in the age of Facebook and soforth it's not hard to canvass opinions.
Odds are independently it'll be far, far cheaper.

Steve_KK

forgotmyname wrote: »

£1000 for an exhaust? Gold plated inside and out?

That'll be paying for those rare earth metals inside the catalytic converter. (and as previously stated the running costs of the dealership!)

Regards,
Steve

mollycat

No point in fixing it even at smaller garage prices, you won't make your money back.

Someone will buy this, (i would!), dependant on MOT/mileage.

Put it on Gumtree with a full honest description of faults; £200 ono if it has no MOT, £500 ono if it has full MOT, and somewhere inbetween if it has some MOT.

For info my scrappy has just offered me £140 for my 55 plate Mondeo, (no MOT,), so that could be an option as well.

Edit.....potential buyers may well find out the "faults" identified by the dealer are no where near the level you have been told. Can you get someone who knows about cars to double check; for example no point in advertising car needing pads
etc if there is loads of wear still on them.

MattyBenwah

Yep it's MOT'd thankfully so got some leverage here.

Thanks for suggestions all.