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AIBU?

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Original poster

To have reservations about the car I’ve bought Dd.

33 replies

CovidCorvid · 22/06/2021 22:59

Bought Dd a 2014 Skoda Fabia from a local established dealer. Got 29,000 miles on the clock. We are meant to be picking it up tomorrow.

I’ve paid a 1k deposit, bought insurance and the insurance on her current car runs out tomorrow as I cancelled it.

I did notice the other day when I did an mot check that this car even with it’s low mileage has failed it’s mot every year which worried me. But it seems to be mainly tyres, windscreen wipers, once too much play on the handbrake and twice “pitted brake discs”. But figured this stuff is wear and tear and will have now been replaced. You can tell the things have been rectified as it fails then passes a week later.

It failed it’s mot last week which the garage was putting it through on wiper blades and got advisory about two tyres and brake discs being pitted again.

I emailed the garage and said I want the tyres replacing and I’m worried about the brake discs. They replied saying they’ll put tyres on, obviously the wiper blades and service it to look at the discs more. Now they rsng today and told Dd she can’t have the car tomorrow as it’s failed it’s mot again due to “lights on the dashboard” and they need to send it to a specialist which will take a week,. They’re going to get Dd a courtesy car.

Surely a Skoda with such low mileage shouldnt be having all these issues? If I cancel the new insurance policy now I will have to pay a penalty…but not sure for the sake of £100 I should cancel the purchase or not?

OP posts:
margotsdevil · 22/06/2021 23:01

The one thing that jumps out to me is that it's very low mileage - sometimes sitting around does a car as much harm as heavy mileage. Wonder if that's part of the problem?

Adviceneeded4 · 22/06/2021 23:02

Cancel..had the same thing but went through with it. It had a million tiny things wrong with it and some much larger issues that were covered up just long enough. Such a pain! Go with your instinct, I wish I had.

Ki0612 · 22/06/2021 23:05

My car was 33000 when it had to get scrapped. Cost way more to fix than worth. Id pull out.

didireallysaythat · 22/06/2021 23:08

Cancel. My car has 128k on the clock and the most it's needed for a MOT is a light bulb.

Corcory · 22/06/2021 23:09

Interesting, is it the same garage doing the MOTs and services. I remember years ago when my family owned a garage it was quite common to MOT the car first to save time and replace the items that failed. But MOTs were much cheaper then.

Original poster
CovidCorvid · 22/06/2021 23:16

Yes, same garage which has been failing then passing it so maybe it’s a garage scam?? It’s had one lady owner and a full service history…I thought it sounded a decent car.

Just been quizzing Dd more on what they told her today is actually wrong with it. She says it’s the “LED dashboard lights”. I asked her if they’d said it has warning lights on and she reckons it’s the opposite problem…..that warning lights wouldn’t be able to come on if they needed to as the led lights/circuit isn’t working and needs replacing.

OP posts:
Original poster
CovidCorvid · 22/06/2021 23:17

@didireallysaythat

Cancel. My car has 128k on the clock and the most it's needed for a MOT is a light bulb.
That’s my thought. I’ve got a 2010 Ford which has never failed an mot.
OP posts:
Ivy48 · 22/06/2021 23:22

I’d be wearing, my partners card went through brakes like no tomorrow for 2/3 years, found out some kind of hinge they hang off was bent. £500ish to replace new or we’d have to find some at the scrappy. Took 5 garages to figure it out. Lucky for us someone wrote his car off before we could consider fixing it. I’d walk away. Regardless of the insurance penalty you’ll pay more fixing it

romdowa · 22/06/2021 23:23

Sounds like it will become a total and utter money pit. Youd have nothing but hassle

AdobeWanKenobi · 22/06/2021 23:28

When I see simple things like mot failure on tyre wear it's always a red flag to me that the car hasn't been looked after. It's the easiest thing in the world to see a bald tyre and as easy still to take it in for a replacement. If someone can't be arsed with that you can pretty much bet it's oil changes etc have been infrequent, if at all out of warranty.

Lovethewater · 22/06/2021 23:30

Some close friends have a Skoda Fabia which is currently off the road due to dashboard warning lights that despite several costly attempted repairs remain unfixed so it can't pass the mot. They had the car from new and it has been looked after and regularly serviced, mileage under 40k

Original poster
CovidCorvid · 22/06/2021 23:32

@AdobeWanKenobi

When I see simple things like mot failure on tyre wear it's always a red flag to me that the car hasn't been looked after. It's the easiest thing in the world to see a bald tyre and as easy still to take it in for a replacement. If someone can't be arsed with that you can pretty much bet it's oil changes etc have been infrequent, if at all out of warranty.
They’ve had it serviced every year though. 🤷‍♀️
OP posts:
UrAWizHarry · 22/06/2021 23:32

Run, run, run away.

It's clearly not been looked after, and low milage on a car that age is as much a warning sign as high milage on a young car. It's spent most of it's life sitting on a driveway, being neglected.

Original poster
CovidCorvid · 22/06/2021 23:33

@Lovethewater

Some close friends have a Skoda Fabia which is currently off the road due to dashboard warning lights that despite several costly attempted repairs remain unfixed so it can't pass the mot. They had the car from new and it has been looked after and regularly serviced, mileage under 40k
Seems to be the opposite problem…no dashboard lights could come on if they needed to.
OP posts:
sbhydrogen · 22/06/2021 23:35

I serviced my old car every year but in 2018 I only drove it seven miles - surprise, surprise it failed its MOT. It probably hasn't been used all that much.

But if you're getting a bad vibe then pull out and get her something that seems more reliable off the bat.

Shinyrainbows · 22/06/2021 23:35

I have a 10+ year old car & it’s only failed once with a bulb that needed replacing.

Serin · 22/06/2021 23:36

Why does it keep needing new tyres if it has such low mileage? It just sounds a bit dodgy to me.

PawsQueen · 22/06/2021 23:40

Tyres/discs/handbrake play wouldn't bother me
My car has had all of those, it's 6 years old and 40,000 miles on it. I had new discs fitted, and had to have them done again as one warped badly. I know it's been well looked after as I've had it from out the showroom! Mine failed in March because I hadn't noticed a number plate bulb was out Blush

Warning lights.. yeah that would bother me

Original poster
CovidCorvid · 22/06/2021 23:41

@Serin

Why does it keep needing new tyres if it has such low mileage? It just sounds a bit dodgy to me.
Nails in the tyres twice and once a cracked tyre. 🤷‍♀️
OP posts:
UrAWizHarry · 22/06/2021 23:43

...So yeah, indications that the owners have taken zero care of it.

Walk away.

JellyBabiesFan · 23/06/2021 00:00

You should have done the checks first but the brakes, wipers and tyres are no real concern. They are all standard consumables. Brake disc pitting can be common if a car is not used very often which makes sense in this case. If this is only light corrosion it can easily be cleaned off under hard braking.

However I would not be paying the balance until they have sorted the dash errors and you have sat in the car to have proof it has been done.

All these people saying walk away is a bit of a nonsense. As long as they fix the warnings and you got the car at a fair price mindful of the consumables that might need replacing I say carry on.

My first car was a much worse vehicle than this.

JellyBabiesFan · 23/06/2021 00:04

Why does it keep needing new tyres if it has such low mileage? It just sounds a bit dodgy to me

Tyres will perish due to age.

Original poster
CovidCorvid · 23/06/2021 05:10

The disc thing with it not been used a lot makes sense. Car is costing 6.5k so it’s not like it’s a cheap old banger……I’m struggling to find anything else though! Dd needs an automatic which seriously lessens options.

OP posts:
Grenlei · 23/06/2021 05:44

The combination of low mileage and obvious fails does sound like a car that's not been looked after, driven infrequently and might be a liability.

I'm surprised it's been annually serviced and still failed MOTs - a proper service should be picking up brake issues etc.

To some extent you can't go by MOT fails alone, a car that had never failed isn't necessarily perfect, the owner just gets any required work done before the MOT, or does it themselves.

I do think for the money this car sounds a bit of a lemon. 6.5k isn't cheap for a 7yo car. Is a lease car an option? Does depend on mileage, if your DD is likely to do more than 10,000 miles a year, the excess lease mileage will be really expensive. So only worth considering if her annual mileage is below that.

Oblomov21 · 23/06/2021 05:47

You seem determined NOT to walk away. So why are you hoping to achieve on this thread?