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  • Ganga
    Ganga Posts: 4,253 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    My Astra had the same advisories two years in a row both front coil springs corroded/rust ,when i asked the man who passed it he said yes there is rust/corrosion but it is not unknown on front suspension and he has to note it as its part of the MOT, i have changed them both this year as i thought one of them had snapped as one side of the car was lower than the other,it was not snapped but must have weakened so changed and better to do both sides ,good job i had all the gear to do it.
  • melb said:
    And I would think that a car that has been thrashed up and down a motorway with a heavy foot on the accelerator and sharp braking would not be a good buy. 

    I do tens of thousands of miles a year on motorways, that's not how people drive on them. I've done 400 miles today, never saw anyone driving like that even though I did the entire length of the M42.
  • Grumpy_chap
    Grumpy_chap Posts: 18,219 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Hello Mel,
    I can update about my Focus as the MOT was today.
    • The nearside suspension arm that was an advisory last year needed replacing, cost £220.
    • The off-side is now an advisory "Offside Front Lower Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement rear bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))"
  • eamon
    eamon Posts: 2,321 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic
    edited 30 September 2020 at 7:16PM
    Since you are on friendly terms with the garage ask them to put the car through its MOT and if it passes buy it. If there are advisories get them fixed along with a service. There is nothing inherently wrong with purchasing a 10 year low mileage car. Thousands of people do it every year. Always think price, condition and service history.
  • forgotmyname
    forgotmyname Posts: 32,915 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Broken coils at 21k miles seems rather strange. Yes they may have been 9 years old.
    Seaside enviroment? 

    Similar with worn bushes, i would not expect bushes to wear at just 21k miles.

    Although on a Focus these parts are not expensive to replace, so maybe a good buy.


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  • Grumpy_chap
    Grumpy_chap Posts: 18,219 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    On balance, the car that has been offered seems a fair deal.  Need to see condition and check  out the specification.
  • melb
    melb Posts: 2,886 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    thanks for further replies/advice.  I have only seen a photo so far.  I suppose the difficulty will be that the owner will only be able to drive it to the garage for me to view (as suggested by garage man) if the MOT is booked.  If it fails the MOT he will then be unable to drive it home.  Mind you he would have that problem anyway - unless someone was willing to buy it as is and tow it away.  I could go to the owner's home but not really any point if I can't test drive it.  I might suggest I will buy it if he puts it through MOT and he goes halves with me on the cost of putting right the advisories.
  • Grumpy_chap
    Grumpy_chap Posts: 18,219 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Why not agree to buy subject to MOT with no advisories?  Why should you agree to half the cost of something that is unknown?
  • lcc86
    lcc86 Posts: 2,462 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    eamon said:
    Since you are on friendly terms with the garage ask them to put the car through its MOT and if it passes buy it. If there are advisories get them fixed along with a service. There is nothing inherently wrong with purchasing a 10 year low mileage car. Thousands of people do it every year. Always think price, condition and service history.
    I would say check the service history as well and if you're happy with both, and you're happy once you've given the car a thorough check then go for it. Low mileage isn't always a bad thing, sometimes it can be but not always. I bought a 9 year old car with 35k miles on it earlier this year but the MOT and service history were good and I was happy with it once I'd driven it and checked it over. I've put 5k miles on it already!! 
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  • sweetsand
    sweetsand Posts: 1,826 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Dear OP
    It is low miles but you need to take into account the miles, the age and service history and how it was driven.
    Cars are not what they were even ten years ago as cost cutting, reudctions in weight means springs go and poor road surfaces are not helping.
    ATB
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