There are many pitfalls that can lose you money when purchasing second-hand cars, this, unfortunately, is the nature of the game – there is always someone who wants something for nothing and someone else who wants to sell nothing for something. With your head screwed on and armed with a bit of knowledge you can avoid these pitfalls easily.
Number 1:
Service Histories
Type 1) Full Stamp History
The stamp history often masquerades as a Full Service
History, but in truth it does NOT deserve the title.
- It is comprised of all service stamps in the service book from when the car was new until the period you are looking at it.
- A full stamp history tells you that the car has been to a garage every year for a “service” but doesn't really tell you what has been done.
- Yes, most service books come with check boxes for certain things but typically it is not the mechanic who fills this out, so often they are left unchecked.
- Without accompanying invoices a full stamp history does not tell you anything and is NOT a full service history.
Type 2) Full MOT History
Though this is still not a full service history, in some
ways it is preferable to a full stamp history because MOTs are conducted under
strict government guidelines while servicing is not.
- An full MOT history is every MOT from when the car was new to the period you are looking at it.
- MOT histories are good because they can show you recurring faults or problems, or conversely, that the car has passed every MOT with flying colours.
- MOTs are far more in-depth than servicing so where a service might not tell if you if the rear suspension bushes are on the way out, an MOT will.
Type 3) Invoice History
This can be just as useful, if not more useful than a full
MOT history and is certainly better than a full stamp history.
- A full invoice history is every invoice for anything done to the car form in the period from when it was new until you are looking at it.
- What’s good about an invoice history is that you can see everything that has been done to the car, even down to things like brake pads and wiper blades.
- Even without MOTs present you can look at the most recent MOT, figure out the date of that last one and then match up the invoices around that date to see what, if anything was done to the car.
- If you can’t get a full service history, either a full MOT and/or invoice history is the next best thing.
Type 4) Part History
Arguably the majority of second hand cars come with a part
service history. A part service history includes some of the above in different
measure – such as half the servicing stamps and some MOTs, all MOTs and no
service stamps a few invoices, all stamps and only the most recent MOT and some
invoices etc etc.
- As the name suggests this is still not a full service history and typically will only contain the paperwork from when the most recent keeper took ownership of the car.
- Anything not mentioned in the paperwork will be up to your best guess and the owner’s knowledge of the car.
- A part service history demands much more of the buyer; like specific knowledge about the make and model and mechanical know-how to fill in the gaps that are present in the history.
Type 5) FULL SERVICE HISTORY
After wading through the rest, THIS is the one you are are
looking for. They are harder to come by but they are the most comprehensive history
you will find for any given vehicle and as such are the most useful to your decision about whether you will buy the car or not.
- These include ALL invoices, MOTs and service stamps from when the car was new to the period you are looking at it.
- For a car of 10 or more years old, a full service history usually requires a small folder to fit it all in.
- This is the only history that deserves the title of FULL SERVICE HISTORY and it grants you everything you need to check into the car’s background and to see how it was looked after.
- Full Service Histories are particularly important when considering high mileage vehicles.
Number 2:
Cambelt changes
People very often overlook cambelt service intervals and many
cars are sold with high mileage having never had one changed. They are a big
deal. Without going into great mechanical detail, the cambelt is basically one
of the key components that keep an engine running.
The bottom line is; an overdue cambelt change is essentially
a disaster waiting to happen as if it breaks it causes a catastrophic engine failure.
Cambelts are an expensive job too (around £250-400 for common make like Ford or Vauxhall), so if the car you’re looking
at needs one done then beat them down on price if you're willing to risk your money on a car that needs a cambelt done.
Cambelt service intervals for some common makes of car:
Ford: 70,000 miles
Vauxhall: 60,000 miles
Volkswagen: 70,000 miles
Nissan: 60,000 miles
Peugeot: 70,000 miles
Honda: 70,000 miles
Audi: 60,000 miles
Naturally different models often have different service intervals; Ford model range goes between 50-and 120k for instance.These figures are an average based on a number of different models from a particular make and offer a rough guide.
A good rule of thumb is to go between 50,000-70,000 for any given car; if it hasn't had a cambelt done in 70,000 miles - it needs one.
Number 3:
Overpricing
Conditions that affect the price someone can ask for a car-
1) Aesthetic Condition
The overall condition of the car as it stands can sometimes be a good indicator of how well the car has been looked after. Obviously, there are also polished turds too... The general appearance of the car and what you are willing to accept is largely up to you; ripped seats and faded paintwork don't affect the car's reliability but considerable aesthetic damage or degradation will affect the price.
2) Mechanical Condition
This is arguably the most important part of buying a car, which is of course a mechanical object. As a buyer all you have to go on is what the current keeper says and, more importantly, what they can prove by way of a service history. They might say it's had a recent cambelt or brake discs, but if there is no record of it they might either not know or be lying to make a sale, either one is bad.
3) Service History and paperwork
A complete lack or only part vehicle history affects the price negatively even if is a lower mileage model. There is a lot that can go wrong with a car, and a lot of this is expensive to put right. The service history is the only documentation that proves the condition of the car and how well it has been looked after.
4) Length of MOT
How recently an MOT was done on the vehicle is a good sign of how well it has been looked after during the current period and before. A clean MOT is a good sign, a complete list of clean MOTs is even better. If the MOT is due to run out very soon consider why this is and why they are selling it; will it pass the next MOT? Does it need work doing? The longer the MOT, and the less advisories present, the better.
5) Age of vehicle
Before a vehicle reaches the status of being considered a 'classic' it slips into a period where it is just considered old. Many cars will also never be considered classics either, like Vauxhall Cavaliers; they will never be anything more than old cars. The age of a car has various effects on a number of things which include;
- How much it will cost to tax. Newer cars are typically cheaper to tax.
- How likely it is to go wrong. There is a higher probability of part failure in older cars.
- And if anything does goes go wrong - how easily and cheaply parts can be sourced.
Rovers for instance are a nightmare if anything goes wrong as the cars are no longer made and as such the parts for them are more expensive to source. Not to mention the unreliable K-Series Rover engine which featured in most of the car range, including more modern MGs like the ZT. There is a reason why you can pick up a mint Rover with low mileage - no one wants them.
Basically speaking, the younger the car is the better and the more it will be worth with the other conditions considered. Also you might consider resale value as well; cars typically go down in price as they get older, so more modern car will hold its price for longer if you decide to sell.
Number 4:
"Reliable" Makes
Some makes are often spuriously described as 'more reliable' than others and this leads to an assumption that they require less looking after. Usually, what is meant is that some cars are better made than others, which is true. You'll often hear comments like "200k is nothing on a Mercedes", this is only true of a Mercedes that has been regularly serviced and looked after well, however.- ALL cars need regular serving and looking after if they are to provide long service to their owners.
- Don't be fooled with the "it's a reliable make" comment unless the reliability of the car in question can is backed up with a decent service history.
BMWs are, more often than not, better made than Fords - reflected in the price of course; but a well looked after Ford will outlast a poorly looked after BMW every time. Once again - service history is king here.
Number 5:
Mileage Divided by Years on the Road
Here's how it works;
- Take a 12 year old car, like a 2002 Vauxhall Astra 1.6.
- Say, it has 96,000 miles on the clock.
- Standard road car mileage is considered to be about 10,000 miles a year.
- Divided the mileage of the car by its age.
You can say the car has only done 8000 miles a year, which is less than regular car mileage!! Now hand over your money already.
This is NOT how vehicle mileage works. It is a cumulative value, NOT an average value. Therefore, however you dress it up; 96k on a 12 year old 1.6 Vauxhall Astra is still high mileage and this particular car will need a strong service history showing 2 cambelt and water-pump changes at least, to make it worth the money.
Don't be fooled.
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You can now consider yourself better armed to go into the field in search of your next secondhand car and unless you need one right away, take your time with it. The right one will show up, the last thing you want be doing is throwing good money after bad.
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