Citroen C-Crosser - Advice on MOT history on used car

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Thu 17 Aug 2017 10:56
Citroen C-Crosser - Advice on MOT history on used car - Shiro Kuma

Hi

I'm about to buy my first used car - found one with 90 000miles on the clock and a good price. Just wanted to understand if any of these issues from past MOTs are worth worrying about? Am I better spending more to find a version with fewer past issues? Any thoughts welcome!

Thanks, Bruce

MOT history

Date tested23 June 2017

Mileage90,580 miles

MOT test number6911 8606 8751

PASS

Expiry date22 June 2018

Date tested24 December 2015

Mileage88,409 miles

MOT test number7442 1631 3818

PASS

Expiry date23 December 2016

Advisory notice item(s)

  • Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)
  • Front suspension ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt both (2.4.G.2)
  • Nearside Front Inner Ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)
What are these?

Date tested21 August 2015

Mileage86,177 miles

MOT test number7659 4303 5282

FAIL

Reason(s) for failure

  • Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)
  • Nearside Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)
  • Centre Rear Seat belt retracting mechanism defective (5.2.5b)
Advisory notice item(s)
  • Nearside Front Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)
  • Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

  • Date tested5 August 2014

    Mileage78,839 miles

    MOT test number1466 6791 4280

    PASS

    Expiry date4 August 2015

    Advisory notice item(s)

    • Nearside Inner Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)
    • Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)
    • Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components
    • Play in steering rack inner joint(s)
    • Rear inner brake pads not clearly visible
    What are these?

    Date tested5 August 2014

    Mileage78,839 miles

    MOT test number4462 6701 4222

    FAIL

    Reason(s) for failure

    • Offside Front Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)
    • Offside Front Headlamp aim not tested (1.8.A.1c)
    • Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)
    Advisory notice item(s)
    • Nearside Inner Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)
    • Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)
    • Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components
    • Play in steering rack inner joint(s)
    • Rear inner brake pads not clearly visible
    What are these?

    Date tested23 July 2013

    Mileage66,711 miles

    MOT test number4753 0440 3275

    PASS

    Expiry date27 July 2014

    Date tested24 July 2012

    Mileage57,391 miles

    MOT test number6751 5660 2217

    PASS

    Expiry date27 July 2013

    Advisory notice item(s)

    • nerside rear tyre perished
    What are these?

    Date tested24 July 2012

    Mileage57,391 miles

    MOT test number8497 9600 2205

    FAIL

    Reason(s) for failure

    • Offside Front Tyre has ply or cords exposed (4.1.D.1b)
    • Nearside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)
    Advisory notice item(s)
    • nerside rear tyre perished
    What are these?

    Date tested28 July 2011

    Mileage47,971 miles

    MOT test number6499 7960 1203

    PASS

    Expiry date27 July 2012

    Advisory notice item(s)

    • Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

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Thu 17 Aug 2017 11:55
Citroen C-Crosser - Advice on MOT history on used car - Railroad.

I suggest you educate yourself to some degree about cars and the workings thereof, otherwise you and your money will part company very easily.

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Thu 17 Aug 2017 12:35
Citroen C-Crosser - Advice on MOT history on used car - Oli rag

Some of the items ( worn brake pads, ball joint rubbers and tyres), suggest that the car may not have been very well maintained between mot tests. These things, or some of them, should really have been spotted during an annual service.

Does the car have a service history and bills to prove?

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Thu 17 Aug 2017 14:02
Citroen C-Crosser - Advice on MOT history on used car - Shiro Kuma

Thanks for the reply. I'm checking it tomorrow - apparently doesn't have full service history but last few done. The price (about 700 less than similar age and mileage examples) flects that I guess. Is it worth having an AA check? Or worth stretching myself to find a better version?

Many thanks!

Bruce

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Thu 17 Aug 2017 14:27
Citroen C-Crosser - Advice on MOT history on used car - Oli rag

Thanks for the reply. I'm checking it tomorrow - apparently doesn't have full service history but last few done. The price (about 700 less than similar age and mileage examples) flects that I guess. Is it worth having an AA check? Or worth stretching myself to find a better version?

Many thanks!

Bruce

I would either take someone with you who does know about cars or pay for a thorough inspection. Without the service history and by the sounds of it the neglect between mot's, I'd be inclined to look at something else.
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Thu 17 Aug 2017 14:34
Citroen C-Crosser - Advice on MOT history on used car - Shiro Kuma

Thanks for the help - much appreciated. I'll see if I can find a more competent person to come.with me!

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Thu 17 Aug 2017 16:14
Citroen C-Crosser - Advice on MOT history on used car - SLO76
Hold your horses!

Don't even think about buying a cheap DPF equipped turbo diesel SUV!

This will be a total money pit. It has a complex turbo Diesel engine and has one of the earlier DPF systems fitted including a separate tank for Eolys fluid. The DPF will clog if you do mostly local driving and is at the end of its lifespan age wise plus the Eolys tank is known to puncture.

I suggest a rethink. This wouldn't be a wise buy for anyone never mind one buying their first used car. If you're buying on a tight budget above all you need to keep things simple. Stick to petrol and go for mass market models with good parts availability. A low volume complex turbo diesel SUV is probably the worst thing you could buy.

What is your budget?
Where do you live roughly?
What size of car do you really need?
How many miles will you be doing annually?
Is it mostly short distance driving or longer?

Edited by SLO76 on 17/08/2017 at 16:16

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Thu 17 Aug 2017 17:41
Citroen C-Crosser - Advice on MOT history on used car - Shiro Kuma

Hi - thanks for the reply! Appreciate it.

So I have a strange situation - based between Brighton and France - so plan to be driving out there a lot, and a bit here - mostly longer distance driving - need space for large things, bikes, heading to mountains, snowboarding etc. I would prefer a LHD car in reality, but without residency it seems impossible ...

A friend had the Citroen - hence why I was introduced to the model. He wasn't totally convinced, but the space and comfort / utility factor was appealing - and I'm a fan of SUVs that I've driven (BMW X3, Chev Captiva etc).

Budget ideally £3000-£4000 (insurance/tax is going to be £1k on top).

Annual miles unknown - I'm guessing under 10k miles

Other options were things like Audi A4 avant or similar, Qashqai or similar.
Diesel in Italy is much cheaper than Petrol - normally 20-30c per litre less.

Thanks again.

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Thu 17 Aug 2017 18:30
Citroen C-Crosser - Advice on MOT history on used car - SLO76
Best option for your usage and budget would be a petrol engined hatch or saloon such as a Honda Civic, Accord, Ford Focus (Yamaha 1.6 petrol or Mazda 1.8/2.0 petrol) Toyota Avensis or Mazda 3 but if you absolutely must have an SUV then again stick with petrol and look at the Honda CRV or Toyota RAV 4.

Any diesel SUV at this money is likely to be a big risk but again if you must go diesel the CRV 2.2 CRDT and RAV 4 2.0 D4D are the best two but even these two suffer badly if neglected, which is what you're likely to find under £4K. The Honda doesn't have a DPF until the later 2.2 DTEC engine came in.

The Nissan Qashqai is nothing more than a Renault Megane underneath and reliability is no better than said Renault and at under £4K any you find will be up in the miles.

If you want reliability stick with petrol. Any fuel saving with diesel will be swallowed up by the higher repair and maintenance costs you'll encounter. Until you can afford to spend upwards of £10k I'd reign in your ambitions a bit. £4K isn't a lot of money in motoring terms and looking at diesel execs and SUV's that cost £30k or so new is not a good bet here.

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Thu 17 Aug 2017 18:43
Citroen C-Crosser - Advice on MOT history on used car - Shiro Kuma

Thanks for the advice - really helpful - it's a big complicated and expensive car world!

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Fri 18 Aug 2017 13:57
Citroen C-Crosser - Advice on MOT history on used car - Railroad.

Lease hiring is a better option than buying. Depending on your age of course. You may not be able to if you're under a certain age. You can't avoid losing money on a car. You'll either pay monthly costs to lease, lose through your car's ever depreciating value or pay for repairs and maintenance. Personally I'd prefer to pay to lease it each month, know where I stand, don't worry about repair costs because I'm not paying it, and have a new car every three years. In my opinion it's the best way to run a car and the reason why more and more people are doing it.

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Fri 18 Aug 2017 18:27
Citroen C-Crosser - Advice on MOT history on used car - pd

The C-Crosser isn't really a Citroen, it is a rebadged Mitsubishi Outlander whcih probably isn't a bad thing.

The MOT history doesn't look too bad - it is really the more recent ones which are the most important as they point to what might need doing now, not 5 years ago.

I'm guessing this is the 2.2 diesel? They're not a bad old engine as they go be truthful but it sounds as it at the very least it is overdue for a service.

If you are spending a lot of time on the Continent then I can understand the appeal of diesel - no point in pretending it doesn't make more difference there than in the UK thanks to the cost. I'd be inclined to get it code read before buying and see if there are any problems registered in the car relating to the engine or DPF if you are serious about it. The engines are OK but if they start to go wrong they can go wrong in an expensive way so try and make sure it is working OK at point of purchase.

There is no doubt that most petrols have less inherently to go wrong on them than most modern diesels.

Edited by pd on 18/08/2017 at 18:29

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Fri 18 Aug 2017 20:24
Citroen C-Crosser - Advice on MOT history on used car - Shiro Kuma

Thanks for the note. Yeah - it's a 2.2 Diesel. My friend actually just had his DPF removed by a handy repairman - but not sure if that would then cause issues in a UK MOT or not.

Just trying to find a balance between a nice high ride height, comfort for longer journeys, mountain friendly - and a little inspiration to actually enjoy getting in the car, rather sighing at being forced to drive a dull hatchback...but maybe I'm deluded with such a small budget!

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Fri 18 Aug 2017 22:02
Citroen C-Crosser - Advice on MOT history on used car - SLO76

Thanks for the note. Yeah - it's a 2.2 Diesel. My friend actually just had his DPF removed by a handy repairman - but not sure if that would then cause issues in a UK MOT or not.

Just trying to find a balance between a nice high ride height, comfort for longer journeys, mountain friendly - and a little inspiration to actually enjoy getting in the car, rather sighing at being forced to drive a dull hatchback...but maybe I'm deluded with such a small budget!

Not an option I'm afraid. It's illegal to remove the DPF in Britain and it will fail an Mot if it's noticed. You could be charged with driving it if for any reason you were found out. DPF removal will trigger an emissions warning unless th car is remapped to deal with its loss. You need to walk away from this car and aim for something more sensible.

Edited by SLO76 on 18/08/2017 at 22:04

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Fri 18 Aug 2017 22:11
Citroen C-Crosser - Advice on MOT history on used car - Shiro Kuma

I thought that might be the case in the UK. He did it in Italy where I'm pretty sure no-one would ever care or notice - it was totally fine to drive and use by the way - but not sure how the guy got around any issues. But point taken !

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