Tips on buying 2nd hand car?

rodgers73

I've got 3k to spend on a new (to me) car. I'm seriously allergic to finance so that's my budget and no more.

I'm set on an 05 - 08 Ford Fiesta petrol 4 door manual in blue or black. Only real stipulation on trim etc is that it must have air con.

I'm a little wary of buying privately as I fear a rip off by scammers etc. I know that's an ironic reason for going to a dealer but at least they'll be there the next day and Trading Standards can advise on who to avoid etc.

So, any tips on how to navigate the minefield once you're on the actual dealers lot???

AchillesLeftKnee

Now that's my kinda car purchase! Let some other sod pay most of the depreciation, don't buy the actual money, and get something where parts and servicing won't be an emotional experience

I don't think this counts as "advice" although I've never bought a duffer, but my list would be...

Scour t'internet for prices before kicking off, just to get an idea of what's cheap and what's not.
Obvious docs and VIN checks. You can find where the chassis plate lives on t'internet.
HPI check is a must.
Lots of service documentation and receipts are a must.
Take a mate who's honest enough to tell you if they reckon it's a total pile with you.
Test drive it properly, so get it out on some sort of fast road and get up to speed, go through all the gears a good few times, reverse it, get it to full steering lock, mess with the windows, heater, air con, stereo, etc. If you can't test drive it there and then, avoid.
If it's been modified in any significant way, avoid.

Check the obvious stuff... no puddles under it, tyre state (okay, bad tyres are no reason to not buy, but they are a haggling point), radiator water's not full o' sludge, check oil level and colour (if it's foul black ick or has any white in it, avoid), give the wheels a really good hard wiggle and if you can wobble them (and aren't some sort of body-builder) run away, if you go with a mate then get him to take his car and follow you on the test drive to look out for smoke or anything else clearly dodgy (e.g. mental tracking), and just generally be nosey.

Don't be to picky on stuff that's either dead cheap to fix or won't actually affect the functionality of the car, but be prepare to just walk away. You're after something that's fairly common so if you smell a rat, it's not like you're missing a once in a lifetime chance.

Haggling? Up to you.

Oh, and make sure the bike fits ... which it will with the front wheel off and the seats down, or at least it does in a friend's Fiesta.

dynamicbrick

Tip 1 - take cash... it talks
Tip 2 - never buy the first thing you see
Tip 3 - always walk away if it doesn't 'feel' right
Tip 4 - walk away even if it does, leave him your number, let him come to you
Tip 5 - Take the missus, most men are hopeless when faced with cleavage
Tip 6 - If you're really bothered, ask for an independent inspection by the AA or RAC
Tip 7 - Do your research, find out what the going rate is for whatever you're buying. Also search for reviews on them as a dealer, you'll be amazed how many sharks there are out there
Tip 8 - never buy an ex-lease/fleet car if it's past 90,000 miles. They scrimp on servicing in the final year of the agreement
Tip 9 - Don't buy a Ford Fiesta :P

mfin

Take someone who knows about cars, preferably someone who has good mechanical knowledge... it makes it a lot easier when buying older-ish cars to have someone there who really knows their stuff.

Remember at 3 grand you're looking for a reliable car someone 'got rid of because they wanted to buy something newer' but there will also be a load that people 'got rid of cos they were fed up with things going wrong', spotting those is the trick.

A good full service history stamped mostly or all from the same garage each service is a good thing too. Scrappy service history is never as good as a clear indication that someone has serviced it properly and on time whatever the cost.

mpatts

I have bought about a billion second cars in just this method. My method:

1) All 4 tyres have to match, and have to be branded. If it's a performance car, they have to be performance tyres. Extra points for the owner having specifically chosen them "Yeah, I love eagle F1's"

It's the car equivalent of going to look at a bike and the valves are lined up with the tyre logos.

AchillesLeftKnee

mpatts wrote:

It's the car equivalent of going to look at a bike and the valves are lined up with the tyre logos.

Never, ever buy a mountain bike off me!

Actually, on second thoughts, wanna buy a mountain bike

ballysmate

Have a look at the log book, clock the address of the previous owner, if they are local, knock on the door. If not and not ex directory, pick up the phone.

Doctor House

You shouldn't rule out buying private. There could be £1000 difference in price for the same age of car and that can cover an awful lot of repairs. Also, used car warranties are sometimes just a waste of time - okay if it is something small but if you throw a piston there will be something in the small print meaning it isn't covered. Just take your time and look for a 1 or 2 owner car that has been well serviced.

If you're buying local and you have a local garage that you usually use for MOT's, and if you're not mechanically minded yourself, ask them if they will give a car a quick check over for you when you take it for a test run. If the seller has a problem with this they clearly have something to hide. Never meet in a car park, never let them bring the car to your house, etc.

rodgers73

Yeah, in the past I never would have gone near a dealer and always bought private but in the last few years I've heard a lot of stories of how people buying private ended up being scammed. Maybe getting a bit paranoid I know...

clickrumble

rodgers73 wrote:

I've got 3k to spend on a new (to me) car. I'm seriously allergic to finance so that's my budget and no more.

I'm set on an 05 - 08 Ford Fiesta petrol 4 door manual in blue or black. Only real stipulation on trim etc is that it must have air con.

I'm a little wary of buying privately as I fear a rip off by scammers etc. I know that's an ironic reason for going to a dealer but at least they'll be there the next day and Trading Standards can advise on who to avoid etc.

So, any tips on how to navigate the minefield once you're on the actual dealers lot???

Excellent advice, the only other things I can think to add are;

Try starting it when the engine is cold, if the engine is warm when you go to see it be suspicious!

When out for a test drive try a hill start after holding it in the handbrake.

VTech

Get yourself to the local car auctions, there are plenty of repmobiles in your price range, later cars, some still having warranty and a certain deal to be had.
There are also many many decent repossessions out there, I just got myself a new car this way and it was cracking value.

rodgers73

You reckon? I bet repmobiles have a bigger margin so more likely to get a bargain. Not sure there's as much to be had on superminis. But just guessing....

VTech

There are/have been a lot of companies using the smaller models as company cars.
One of our clients is the countries largest fleet manager and they have just released a whole heap of small/midrange with under 1800cc engine capacity so they are out there.

team47b

car auction - great tip :roll:

VTech

team47b wrote:

car auction - great tip :roll:

Thats why I gave it.

team47b

VTech wrote:

team47b wrote:

car auction - great tip :roll:

Thats why I gave it.

yes, it's a great tip

so is 'when it's cold, wear a hat'.

but any tips on the question asked?

rodgers73 wrote:

So, any tips on how to navigate the minefield once you're on the actual dealers lot???

I'd also be interested to hear how to deal with the dealers.

VTech

I didnt offer advice on that, I offered advice on going to a reputable auction of ex fleet, the reason for this advice is that it removes the nuisance of minefields of mixed information and quality because auctions from the likes of Venison are run that the vehicles pass all safety checks prior to being sold so are of good order.

Also, I cant see the harm in someone telling you to wear a hat when its cold, it keeps the head warm.

andy9964

At £3-4k the dealer will have probably paid around £2k for it. He has to make a profit, so offer around £750 less than screen price, try for £500 off. With cash in hand it shouldn't be a problem

VTech

Andy9964 wrote:

At £3-4k the dealer will have probably paid around £2k for it. He has to make a profit, so offer around £750 less than screen price, try for £500 off. With cash in hand it shouldn't be a problem

I know people in the car game making only £2k on a 50k car !
Mark up isnt what it used to be, even some main dealers are making more from upgrades than they are from the sale of a new car !

diamonddog

Make sure it's HPI checked :shock:

rodgers73

Auction website says all cars are HPI checked for the sale

pinno

Be carefull of the description:

'Central locking'. It can mean you can reach all doors from the drivers seat.
'No children or pets'. Doesn't mean that its clean - the owner could have lived in the thing, peeing into bottles and chucking them in the back, eating his pizza and throwing the contents into the glovebox in case he gets peckish.
'One lady owner'. Who drove like a nutter down the M4 everyday trying to keep up with that bloke in his Audi S5.
'Recently serviced'. Yep, by Bodgit, Bashit and Leggit.
'New tyres'. Remoulds from Lithuania that won't make it to 15mph.
'Low mileage'. For its 3rd engine.
'Locking wheel nuts' But its missing the locking wheel nut socket and those alloys are going to have to be hacked off with an angle grinder.
'Tinted windows'. You'll be pulled over every 10 yards 'cos you look like your'e drug dealer.
'Recent MOT' By a blind man on job seekers.
'Comes with 5 year warranty'. Yep, the dealer selling the thing is going into administration.