Would you buy a 10 year old car?

[orangedrizzle]

I know nothing about cars. Is it daft to buy a 10 year old car for a run about? Driving about 5k miles a year.

Obviously depends on your budget. The price of used cars has increased significantly since COVID, especially if buying from a dealer.

Would I?
Yes, but … depends.

Price, condition, history ( there are a few websites these days that’ll do a full vehicle check for a fee ).

For a run around, I’d only consider petrol or electric.
Is it a vehicle or engine known for reliability ( eg Honda Jazz ) or one where the engine needs expensive services after 100,000 miles say.
Avoid anything with a ‘wet belt’ engine, which are certainly Fords but others too.

Has it been well maintained? 10 years is typically when things start wearing out - it's not all about mileage, it can be simply about age.

Eg, I have a 10 year old low mileage Fiesta whose timing belt needs changing this year.

My car is 12 years old. I have had it for 8 years and it would be a great car for someone to have. It has a full service history and very low mileage for the year.

You may buy a newer car which hasn't been looked after and regularly serviced. Newer cars don't automatically mean less problems.

Only if it’s been serviced regularly low mileage with 1 or 2 owners & MOT.

Not helpful I know, but I read the title as "would you buy your 10 year old a car" and thought are you mad?!

I have a 10 year old old car and it is great condition. Always been serviced and very looked after. Has low mileage too.

Yup. Bought a 2013 Ford Galaxy with 130k on the clock this month. We need a large 7 seater and this one has a full service history, main dealer mostly, brand new clutch and two wheel bearings done. DP actually can do most of the maintenance himself on it as it’s essentially the same car as his old Mondeo he’s happy to tinker. Without him I wouldn’t have bought something that old. These engines do half a million and our mileage means a diesel is spot on.

Depends on price, make and mileage of the car. My car is 11 and doing about 12,000 per year, including long trips. I have no reason to think I won't get another 5/6 years out of it.
My husband's car is 16 and the garages all comment it's a great car and not to get rid of it.

Yes, my current car was 9 years old when I purchased it 7 years ago. It didn't have huge milage (just under 45k) and had been serviced regularly. I think I will need to replace it this year (hopefully next) but I have put more miles on it than it had when I bought it.

If it's got low mileage, it would be a good choice. Your mileage is also low so you could get years of use out of it. I have two friends whose cars have done well over 100,000 miles. Also, they're not too bothered about getting the car scratched in a car park!

Toyota, Lexus or Honda with a full service history and less than 80k miles = yes.

Pretty much everything else = no.

Lexus (and presumably Toyota) have an extended warranty up to 15 years/150k miles. It used to be £40 a month and covered parts and labour. I think it only excluded things like 12v batteries, brake pads/disks, wiper blades, bulbs, etc. You need to get the car serviced at the dealership for the warranty to be valid.

Yes we bought an 18 year old car! It had low mileage and was in good condition - a few scrapes and things externally but engine perfectly sound. We just couldn’t afford anything else for a run around.

Yes, if it was what I could afford.

Low mileage is something to look for but also too low mileage can be an issue. Lots of short journeys often means the engine is started more often, lots of gear changes which can wear down the clutch and gearbox, opposed to sitting on the motorway at 70 for 30 miles a day where you don't change gear at all. A car with 30k miles cancelled have more wear and tear on some parts than a car with 70k.

I think it's s a mixture of knowledge and luck when buying a second hand car.

We've got a 20 year old car, so yes that could be an improvement...
But look at mileage, number of owners and if it's been maintained. Research the model to find out at what age things start to need replacing. Check the tyres etc too. I think you can also view MOT certificates online with just the reg too so you can see any advisories.

And for that few miles don't get a diesel, they need to do long journeys or get clogged up.

My car is 16 years old, 140k, I expect to get another 5 years out of it.

Just reading the thread, I actually prefer higher mileage cars, shows they have been used and not just sitting about but also able to be used.

My cars 18 years old, 64k miles, German, I hope to get a few more years from it yet.

My car is 18 years old and has 27k on the clock. It’s got a full service history and only failed two MOTs in that time, both for minor issues. I’ve had it for three years and haven’t had any problems with it so far.

The bodywork is a little scratched in places and the seats have signs of minor wear but it means I’m not particularly precious about it.

I've just bought a 9 year old car after ditching my 17 year old car. So yes, I would. It's got low mileage, full service history, is cheap to insure and I could pay for it out of savings. Cars are built to last.

What I don't understand is people leasing new cars that they can't afford, just to make themselves appear affluent.

I think that's just a clever sales pitch. Every long journey starts with a short journey.

My car is sixteen years old, a Mazda 2 bought it three years old. Breezes through every MOT and only ever spent money on tyres. Full service history. Not quite 70,000 on the clock. So yes if you can find a well maintained, low mileage car why not. Hope I haven’t now jinxed it. 🤣

Of course! My car is 11 years old and has never had a single thing wrong with it other than general wear and tear.

We have a 2013 VW Diesel which is doing very well, it's been low maintenance but I'm not sure how much longer it's got in it.

2 years ago we bought a 10yr old Nissan Leaf (2014). It was also low maintenance but has now suddenly died on us due to water getting into the dash and destroying the electrics. I think something I would definitely check in future is if the car has been kept in a garage, it will be in much better condition, window seals etc can go otherwise.

Looking to get another 10 y old car but needs to be an automatic. I would be happy to go with VW. DH talking about Ford though so interesting to see a PP say not.