Is this a good buy or not ? - Rusties

Hi Can anyone give me some advice on a car I am going to view tommorow.

It seems like a good buy as it has alot work done .
I am going to view tommorow , is there anything I should ask or lookout for .

SKODA FABIA ELEGANCE 1.9 TDI DIESEL
(FIRST REGISTRATION IN 29.12.2006)

THE CAR IS IN MINT CONDITION
INSIDE AND OUTSIDE

ENGINE AND GEARBOX ARE VERY SMOOTH
NO KNOCKS IN THE SUSPENSION

VERY CHEAP TO TAX AND INSURE

...:::OVER 60 MPG:::...
!!!!!!£10 = 175 Miles !!!!

CAR IS 100% H.P.I CLEAR

SKODA HAVE COVERED ONLY 58.000 MILES AND HAVE TONS OF PAPERWORK
(over £6000 spend on the car! )

CAR WAS SERVICED AND MOT ONLY BY MAIN DEALER

LAST SERVICE WAS ON

27/07/2016
55294 MILES


CAR HAD DONE, BY MAIN DEALER (ALL SUPPORTED BY PAPERWORK)

-NEW WATER PUMP AND TIMING BELT KIT
-RECENT NEW CLUTCH AND FLYWHEEL
- 4 NEW CONTINENTAL TYRES
-TURBO HAS BEAN REPLACED (BILL FOR OVER £1400)
-RECENT FULL SERVICE (INCLUDING A/C SERVICE , BREAK PADS AND DISCS BRAKE FLUID ETC)



Is this a good buy or not ? - FiestaOwner

Hi

It's on at £2895. Looks to be a private seller, so you don't have any redress if you have any problems. It's quite a lot of money for a private sale.

If you go ahead make sure you do your own HPI check before handing over any money. Don't take the sellers word that it's clear.

MOT history website shows a recurring advisory for an oil leak. Might be a minor item, but it's something you should check out.

Is this a good buy or not ? - SLO76
Strong money for a private sale and why has that turbo failed? It's not common on these unless they've done huge mileages or haven't been maintained properly. I'd be very wary of this. What does the Mot history look like? Can you link the advert so we can take a look?
Is this a good buy or not ? - FiestaOwner
Strong money for a private sale and why has that turbo failed? It's not common on these unless they've done huge mileages or haven't been maintained properly. I'd be very wary of this. What does the Mot history look like? Can you link the advert so we can take a look?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2006-SKODA-FABIA-ELEGANCE-ESTATE-1-9-TDI-PD-100-58K-FULL-MAIN-DEALER-HISTORY-MOT-/272562393746?hash=item3f75fc1292:g:gmkAAOSwjDZYjlko

Is this a good buy or not ? - glidermania

10 year old diesel with average 6000 miles a year? No thanks, Im out.

Turbo likely failed due to blocked oil pipes and cooked bearings. If the oil supply pipes havent been replaced, the new turbo will likely fail again soon.

Edited by heliboy on 22/02/2017 at 20:38

Is this a good buy or not ? - SLO76
Lots of good stuff. Good history and not just stamps in a book which can be faked, lots of receipts to back it up and a nice set of quality tyres that show the last owner hasn't been shy about spending money. Mot history stacks up too though that oil leak needs inspecting. Looks tidy too inside and out but pictures can be deceptive.

Seller looks like small time home trader like myself (loads of feedback plus other cars for sale) so don't let him pretend to be a private seller! You need a receipt as proof of purchase in case it goes wrong. Keep a copy of the advert too. Ask him if he's a trader when you call. If he says no then ask if his name is on the V5. Poor English in the advert isn't a plus point. I'm not saying all are dodgy but I've met a fair number of Eastern European fly guys in this game. Be wary.

Now the negative on the car. It's a low mileage for a turbocharger to have failed on one of these which makes me wonder why. It's also a low mileage for the clutch and flywheel to require replacement too but I suppose a driver who rides the thing could have worn it out early. I'm also concerned they've spent a fortune on it shortly before selling or trading in. Possibly sold due to ill health or death which isn't a negative from a buyers point of view if that's the case.

Is this a good buy or not ? - Rusties

Thanks for everyone for taking the time out to reply .

When asked why the previous owner sold it he said it was part exchanged it for a new Skoda model .

I did a search on his mobile number on google and it does bring up a few other cars which he has sold in the past but all seem to have been a CAT C or D .

I think I will pass on this one and keep searching .

Is this a good buy or not ? - SLO76
I get a bad vibe here too but would love to see it in the metal to spot the reason.

Keep on searching and I'd forget about buying a diesel on such a limited budget. A less complex and more robust petrol engined car will most likely be cheaper to run in the long run unless you're doing a huge mileage.
Is this a good buy or not ? - Rusties

Thanks . I do around 15- 17k a year , I think I have been spoilt by driving a 1.4 TDCI which did around 55mpg - cheap to insure - £30 road tax .

I did post before and was looking at Honda Civics but the 1.8 version is too expensive to insure at around £800 a year plus the £180 road tax plus the additional fuel costs.

Is this a good buy or not ? - SLO76
Think I suggested a Toyota Auris to you and you said there wasn't enough room in it for you but here's one that caught my eye. No DPF at this age either... Auto Trader #DrivenByMe
www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20170213226...5

This also shouldn't have a DPF... Auto Trader #DrivenByMe
www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20170206205...5

Edited by SLO76 on 23/02/2017 at 00:07

Is this a good buy or not ? - Andrew-T

I think I will pass on this one and keep searching .

I think you should give it a once-over. You can always walk away. If you don't at least see it you may worry for months that you missed a good one .... :-)

Is this a good buy or not ? - skidpan

:::OVER 60 MPG:::...
!!!!!!£10 = 175 Miles !!!!

What a total load of b******s.

Simple maths.

At the current price of £1.187 per litre £10 gets you 1.85 gallons.

175 miles divided by 1.85 gallons = 95 mpg.

So not only is the seller a liar he is a stupid liar who cannot do simple maths.

But I suppose you could argue 95 mpg is over 60 mpg. Trouble is the car will probably struggle to better 50 mpg on a good day.

Is this a good buy or not ? - skidpan

This also shouldn't have a DPF... Auto Trader #DrivenByMe
www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20170206205...5

I can 100% garantee that the Ceed above will not have a DPF. Thats because its a petrol, its in the title.

Edited by skidpan on 23/02/2017 at 12:12

Is this a good buy or not ? - SLO76

This also shouldn't have a DPF... Auto Trader #DrivenByMe
www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20170206205...5

I can 100% garantee that the Ceed above will not have a DPF. Thats because its a petrol, its in the title.

So it is... half asleep. Probably a better buy than a diesel anyway.