Buying a used Car with MOT advisories

Arunmor

jimjames said:

Arunmor said:

OP don't buy part worn tyres as suggested above, you don't know anything about them, buy or insist at least decent mid range tyres.  I've only driven an Aygo once and was quite impressed with it, so probably a good wee car for your mum.

There's general scaremongering about part worn tyres. Unless you buy brand new tyres on any car you purchase you will always be driving on part worn tyres that you don't know how they have been used. They may even have been part worns fitted prior to your purchase.

I think we can deduce from what the OP says this car is on its original tyres from new.  But each to their own, all I know is the older I get the more particular I get about my tyres. I want best value from decent brands I know and tend to run all season on all the family cars.  I have had an issue on my current car whereby a tyre gave out badly 3 or 4 days after buying the car.

paul2louise

Toyota rang me and said that they think the previous MOT was over zealous. Not prepared to replace tyres as they can be up to 6 or 7 years old before they need replacing if tread is fine. I raised the query with cracks and they didn't seem bothered either or the brakes. 
The sales assistant then rang and said she would fit "one" new tyres as goodwill. I told them I wasn't comfortable and needed to think about it 

Car_54

paul2louise said:

Toyota rang me and said that they think the previous MOT was over zealous. Not prepared to replace tyres as they can be up to 6 or 7 years old before they need replacing if tread is fine. I raised the query with cracks and they didn't seem bothered either or the brakes. 
The sales assistant then rang and said she would fit "one" new tyres as goodwill. I told them I wasn't comfortable and needed to think about it 

I suspect that's the best offer you'll get. I'd take it.

daveyjp

Many years ago we had similar treatment from a Toyota dealer.  Two front tyres were almost slick, one rear was on the way out and the front brakes were almost down to metal.

The offer was take it or leave it, we left it.  There's always another vehicle out there.

Goudy

It's difficult to know, none us have seen the car except you. These items have been advised on the MOT so they aren't considered major or dangerous.

Lot's of MOT testers pick up items on cars like this, things like rusty springs and so on, that appear on one MOT but not the next one. I suspect some of this is to show VOSA that they aren't just firing every car through without a good inspection.

It's not a new car so as already pointed out, it'll come with part worn tyres and brakes.
You would expect to have to replace them at some point, but I understand it might rankle you having to do it sooner rather than later.
You could look at it as it's done now and you've years ahead without having to do them later.

I might be tempted to take them up on the offer of the tyre and get them to replace the other and pay for it myself  and buy the car, if it's the car I wanted. That job which will at some point need doing anyway, is done at half the price.

The brakes won't be on their last legs with just an advisory, so plan on getting them inspected and priced up in a month or two.

Yes there is always another vehicle out there for sale, but you would expect around this age those cars would need the same sort of wearable parts replacing as well.
Of course they might have already been done on one or two, but people tend to do those things if they plan on keeping them, not if they are trading them on.

The next car you look at might want the same things doing, but this time the MOT hasn't picked them up.
You'd feel better they weren't on the MOT as an advisory, but you'd still need to do them at some point.

Mildly_Miffed

Car_54 said:

paul2louise said:

Toyota rang me and said that they think the previous MOT was over zealous. Not prepared to replace tyres as they can be up to 6 or 7 years old before they need replacing if tread is fine. I raised the query with cracks and they didn't seem bothered either or the brakes. 
The sales assistant then rang and said she would fit "one" new tyres as goodwill. I told them I wasn't comfortable and needed to think about it 

I suspect that's the best offer you'll get. I'd take it.

I wouldn't. They'll put the cheapest and nastiest Chinese ditchfinder on.

Ask them for a discount equivalent to the cost of one tyre, and get a decent pair put on.

prowla

The price of the car is car + a set of tyres.

Mildly_Miffed

Goudy said:

The brakes won't be on their last legs with just an advisory

Bear in mind the tester didn't remove the wheels - he was only viewing the disks through any gaps in the spokes of the rims. The back will be closed off with a dust shield.

Goudy

With the right bit of knowledge you can make a judgement on disc wear but you are correct, they wouldn't have measured or inspected them at any great depth, which is why I suggested getting it done.

New discs are 20mm thick and the minimum thickness is 18mm.

A lip of close to 1mm on either edge is obviously very close to worn out.
The edge and therefore lip is visible without removing the wheel.

The tester has made a judgement based on what they know and have seen.
I'm sure if they had seen a bigger lip on the disc they would have made a different call on the MOT.

As for "ditchfinder" tyres.
All tyres for the road must be "E" marked.
This shows they have met and been approved because they conform to ECE regulation r30.

The tyres performance for wet grip, noise, economy is then rated between A and E.
E, the lowest rating isn't open ended, there is a minimum limit. It's within 18 metres (at 80 km) of an A rated tyre for wet grip.

Fitting a pair of wet grip E rated tyres to the rear of a small city car when the rear brakes only do around 30% of the braking isn't a major concern, plus a new E rated tyre will perform miles better than a worn out A rated tyre.
 
There aren't many E for wet grip road bias tyres (if any, they tend to be different types of tyre, like off road bias tyres)  on the market anyway, no !!!!!! buys them!

The cheapest tyre for one of these cars on that well know quick fitter site is a C and the most expensive a B.

Car_54

Goudy said:

With the right bit of knowledge you can make a judgement on disc wear but you are correct, they wouldn't have measured or inspected them at any great depth, which is why I suggested getting it done.

New discs are 20mm thick and the minimum thickness is 18mm.

A lip of close to 1mm on either edge is obviously very close to worn out.

Really? Isn't it "obviously" only 50% worn?