Help! Should I buy this car? Need to let the dealer know tomorrow

[Paperholder]

Mazda Mazda2 1.5 Skyactiv-G Sport Hatchback 5dr Petrol Auto Euro 6 (s/S) (90 Ps)

The link is to an automatic Mazda 2 at £7765

I have put a deposit down of £200. There is a small crack on the infotainment screen and googling tells me that this is a common problem with Mazdas and it could spread.

Pros: I have found it hard to find an automatic car in my budget (around £8k)
This car has had one owner and a full service history with all the receipts

Cons: I am likely to have to budget for a replacement screen which from what I can see will be £4-500.

I spoke to the dealer today and he won't budge on either replacing the screen or on reducing the price.

Does this still look like a good deal? What would you do?

You do you and I'll do me. Cheers. Let the OP respond if she wishes to. She doesn't need you to do it on her behalf.

The windscreen isn’t cracked or need replacing.

Thank you @toomanydicksonthedancefloor1I did a Motorcheck check which came up clear.

Would you also recommend a pre inspection check? And if so any advice on who to use? It would need to be done tomorrow.

And plenty don't cost that 🤷🏼

Definitely pay for a full mechanical check. I used AA for a 2 year old car which also covers outstanding loans/write offs etc. It cost me £200 and was completely worth it because I am not a mechanic. The vehicle had been serviced by the dealership but that didn't reveal the paint thickness being different as there had been damage repaired. I cannot spot this sort of thing because I don't have a special device to measure it. It also had a few other minor issues that the garage would fix because of the report.

When I test drove the car it had a fault that should have been easily fixable, Dh and I have had 12 cars between us over 30 years, we were not worried. AA mechanic also noted this fault on the report. Turns out this was not a fixable fault, the garage tried to hide it, I picked the car up drove 1 mile and returned it back to the garage. Their in house garage tried to fix it and couldn't. Then they got the manufacturer's garage to try to fix it at the dealership's cost, they couldn't fix it. They basically then tried to make me take the car. We believe it was a fault in manufacturing from everything we read online so it wouldn't be something you could fix and probably why someone got rid of a 2 year old car.

The worst part was I had part exchanged my own car so had no car. They had to provide a courtesy car and I hated it. Long story short I got my money back eventually but only because of the AA report and that fault on the test drive.

It will be the best £200 you spend if you need it. Plus it is an independent check of the vehicle, the condition of it plus all the mechanical stuff too.

Some customers do AA checks but they are expensive and I feel that the examiners vary greatly. I'll be honest I think the Mazda looks like a great car, small autos are hard to find in that price range. Personally if the dealer seems like a good one and they offer a decent warranty, I actually wouldn't bother with one. Such a lot of mechanical failures happen with no warning and are things that can't be checked beforehand. The AA reports also can pick up on such a lot of tiny tiny issues that are inconsequential and can scare customers off buying a perfectly good used car. However a previous poster recommends them as they got some things sorted before purchase so that was good. A lot of dealers wouldn't have done so though. Personally I think paint depth is irrelevant on a used car, there won't be many used cars that haven't had a bumper corner or 2 painted.

I do think the dealer seems fine, they have good reviews and I didn't feel pressured.

However, they don't offer a warranty, just this AA one that you can pay for AA Warranty at Balham Cars London.

Would that change your mind about a check @toomanydicksonthedancefloor1 ? I had had the same thought about really not knowing how good anyone looking at it would be, it's not like getting your local garage to have a look over

Have you looked on Mazdas own website at approved used cars OP? Ive just had a quick look and the cheapest automatic is £8799 for an 18 reg with 60k miles on the clock. I only ever buy approved used so you benefit from a usually minimum 12 month warranty and a car that the dealership are fairly confident is in good order

The fact that they haven't reacted very well to you highlighting this problem with the crack in the infotainment system glass suggests to me that they'll not be that easy to deal with after you buy. You must have heard or seen people say "Buyer beware" - clearly you're a little uncertain and IMHO I would get a third party like Click mechanic to check the car over before you agree to buy - that should go a good way to putting your mind at ease. You don't mind spending the £8k if it's a fairly decent car but OMG you will feel terrible if it has some major or multiple problems - on paper it does look promising but for peace of mind get Click mechanic to check it over - you can also ask them to check the codes logged in the engine management system that will have logged all kinds of potentially very informative data - it could be £200 well spent IMHO.

Buying a used car can feel stressful when you’re under a time crunch, especially deciding whether to get extra checks before saying yes to a dealer’s offer. Many experienced buyers suggest looking at service history and MOT records, but it can also help to check official vehicle details online before committing to a purchase. For example, using tools like lto tracker plate number delivery lets you quickly confirm plate and registration info, which gives peace of mind alongside dealer service history and MOT checks. It’s great to combine both online checks and expert advice to make the most informed decision.

Thanks all. I've booked click mechanic to take a look today for my own peace of mind

Look on E bay for a good used replacement screen. Shouldn’t cost anywhere near £500.

I'm really glad I got Click Mechanic out and they were excellent.

He said the car is sound and will last ten or fifteen years but:

• the brake pads and discs are completely perished
• the front tyre on the drivers side needs replacing
• there was a slight jump between 1&2 on the automatic gear box and that it needs a full service and fluid change

He also said that there was a slight red flag in that the car was running when he got there, so he couldn't see how it started up.

The infotainment system he said would be £350 or so to replace, and I'm okay with that.

I've left a message for the dealer to call me back. I'll ask for all those top three things to be addressed, or basically the cost of the car is quite a few hundred more than its listing.

The dealer is going to do the service on the gear box, replace the tyre, replace the pads and get his garage to look at the discs, which I am a little about. I asked him about the car being warm and he said that he had driven the inspection guy from the forecourt to the garage. So I dunno.

Anyway he's going to call me in the morning.

@Paperholder go to a main Mazda dealer OP it’s worth the extra for the peace of mind, all their cars are approved, and they will let you know if your required car comes in any of their network and get it delivered to your nearest one.

Based on what the mechanic said OP, I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole. The gearbox thing would be the most concerning. If they were reputable they would tell you that you replace tyres in pairs to ensure the grip, wear and handling/stopping distances etc are the same. Not just replace one and leave a worn one on the other side. A lot of these independent garages buy cars at auction that have been put in the auction as main dealer part exchanges, and they are often part exchanged when there's the indication something is going or about to go wrong with the cars.

I feel so torn because the mechanic said the car is basically sound and also said how hard it is to find automatics in this price range!

@Paperholder

https://www.mazdausedcarlocator.co.uk/used-cars/20518170-mazda-2-1.5%20sport%20nav%205dr%20auto/?finances%5Bdeposit%5D=1000&finances%5BproductName%5D=Purchase%20Plan&finances%5Bterm%5D=48&finances%5BproductType%5D=Hire%20Purchase&finances%5BannualMileage%5D=10000&finances%5BpercentageDeposit%5D=&finances%5Bdescription%5D=

see above main Mazda dealer car and not too much over your budget

You could get an approved used Toyota Yaris for around your budget too OP if you want something really reliable and slightly more spacious than a Mazda 2

Is a Yaris more spacious than a Mazda 2? I had the Mazda 2 Hybrid which is a Yaris badged as a Mazda. Because the Hybrid was an unreliable crap heap I’ve switched to a ‘proper’ 2 and I don’t notice any difference in size. Comfort and reliability yes, but not size.

That’s shocking from the dealer. These cars should be checked before they are offered for sale. Brake pads and discs being perished is absolutely unbelievable. I would not touch the car based on that alone, that should have been found and rectified before attempting to sell it. I would expect an independent mechanic to be finding things that may be hidden or future issues, not potential killer brakes.

Thanks all. I cancelled. The search continues!

Have you checked its previous MOT for advisorys? Id be getting them to rectify them before collection. My mate bought 2nd hand on hp loan, broke down 2 days after getting it, wouldnt go in gear etc. Put it through a local mot and it had a host of advisorys not on the MOT they done, a threat to trading standards soon got them to collect and refund payment already made.

Ah seen update now that you got the car checked!!! Good job!!