What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
Volkswagen Polo - 2 months expired tax on used car: avoid buying? - Launa

Hi everyone,

I am in the process of buying my first car and am pretty anxious about getting sold something crap. I have found a VW Polo 1.4 TDI 70 PS Match PD from 2009 (45,000 miles) for £4,500, which I feel is a correct price. The MOT history seems ok, but the road tax has expired since January this year (two months ago). Does it mean the car has been on sale since that time and that I should avoid it, or does it not necessarily mean there is something wrong with it?

Many thanks

Launa

Edited by Launa on 16/03/2018 at 17:01

Volkswagen Polo - 2 months expired tax on used car: avoid buying? - skidpan

I have found a VW Polo 1.4 TDI 70 PS Match PD from 2009 (45,000 miles)

A diesel that has been doing 5000 miles a year since new. Run away fast.

Volkswagen Polo - 2 months expired tax on used car: avoid buying? - oldroverboy.

Run away,,,,, very fast

First car... that size...

hyundai i10 or i20 kia piccanto or kia rio

1.2 petrol engines fine and reliable. do not buy that diesel car, it will probably be a moneypit!

Edited by oldroverboy. on 16/03/2018 at 17:28

Volkswagen Polo - 2 months expired tax on used car: avoid buying? - pd

Two months is nothing. Could have easily spent a month moving around to it's final selling destination and then being prepped etc.

Unless it is January 2017 it expired I wouldn't give it a second thought.

Volkswagen Polo - 2 months expired tax on used car: avoid buying? - Launa

Thanks! It's my first car but I am 30, so not that big of a car I think :) Will follow your advice and not go for it then, will have a look at the others.

Volkswagen Polo - 2 months expired tax on used car: avoid buying? - Launa

Noted, thanks!

Volkswagen Polo - 2 months expired tax on used car: avoid buying? - pd

I'n guessing it is an older shape model (they changed in 2009) which makes it quite an old design now and not sure I'd want to pay £4500 for it.

If you're not doing massive miles you probably don't need a diesel version and the 1.4 in that particular car was known for having some reliability issues.

Toyota Yaris or Honda Jazz in petrol, manual format would be my choice at that sort of age or price range or a Fiesta at a pinch.

Volkswagen Polo - 2 months expired tax on used car: avoid buying? - elekie&a/c doctor
To be honest,I would steer clear of any polo with the 1.2 petrol engine of doom.Look at s 1.25 Fiesta or something Jap or similar.
Volkswagen Polo - 2 months expired tax on used car: avoid buying? - SLO76
The 1.4 diesel in these can run to huge mileages with care but it is still much more complex and thus costly to fix if it does go wrong plus they need a timing belt change every 5yrs regardless of that low mileage which no doubt overdue on this. I’d favour small Jap petrol motors.
Volkswagen Polo - 2 months expired tax on used car: avoid buying? - Avant

Condition matters more than make and model, but if I were you I'd be looking at the Toyota Yaris (the 1.3 is a lot livelier than the 1.0). As advised above, Japanese or Korean and petrol-powered is the way to go, but nothing soldiers on quite as well as an old Toyota. A Corolla or Auris will be fine too, if that's not too big a car for you.

Avoid any semi-automatic transission on these and stick to the manual.