Bought a faulty van

born_again

Sounds like needs a new battery as well.

QrizB

This is no help with your current situation, but if you're not a "car person" (and don't know one who can give you their informed opinion of a used car) you can get the AA, RAC or others to inspect a vehicle for you and provide a report.

https://www.theaa.com/vehicle-inspection/

https://www.rac.co.uk/buying-a-car/vehicle-inspections

PTP123

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82151521#Comment_82151521

If the OP is spending a few hundred quid every time they're interested in a cheap, super high mileage van then they are never going to buy anything and eventually have no money left

QrizB

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82151538#Comment_82151538

Whereas if they spend all their money on a cheap van with a blown head gasket they've still got no money left.

born_again

TBH, if buying at the cheaper end especially with old well used commercial vans. Then some mechanical knowledge is a must really.

Or you will soon spend more in a garage than the cost.

While OP has said they were a consumer, is the van used for business?

Ditzy_Mitzy

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82151051#Comment_82151051

Just to play devil's advocate: it's possible, I'd have thought, for the water pump issue to have, until fixed, masked the head-gasket failure. If the pumps failed, no coolant would be circulated and none of the usual symptoms of coolant contamination would appear. Obviously, the situation would have changed rather rapidly if the van had been driven far enough to bring it to operating temperature, but the OP has said she hasn't, to date, done that.

Mending the pumps will have restored coolant flow, at which point the usual signs of gasket breach will have appeared.

Indiechick123

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82152122#Comment_82152122

Not for business, purely for personal use. I need a van rather than a car to carry my wheelchair, ramps, and other equipment. Because I'm on benefits I'm limited to 6k in savings, so my budget will only ever be a max of 4-5k, since I'd want some in reserve for reasonable repairs. I usually factor in something like a new timing belt, or base it off previous MOT advisories. The previous MOTs on this one had nothing to suggest there was going to be a massive fault.

PTP123

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82151594#Comment_82151594

I'd argue don't buy one at all. It will never meet the OP's expectations.

Or get a trusted local mechanic to look at it. The AA and the RAC are NEVER going to give what the OP is buying an even half positive report.

born_again

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82152243#Comment_82152243

Guessing you get PIP, Nothing affordable via Motability? Or even via one of the companies that sell 2nd hand WAV's?

Seems that lower end high mileage vans that will require modification, may not be the most MSE way of doing things.

Unless you used a cc for a deposit, then you really are looking at court route, which will never be quick. So might help to name company to see if it is worth the risk.

screech_78

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82152461#Comment_82152461

PIP is not a means tested benefit. As long as you qualify for it, you can have as much savings as you want. DWP benefits are different.