Thanks all for your replies.
I'm in South Yorkshire.
600 is my absolute ceiling. But don't want to pay any less than 400.
Seen a Micra, but it's at a garage, fantastic MOT history but it's been taken in as part ex. Should I avoid? Asking price is 450. Very clean, 100k ish on clock. Lady owned for past 7 years.
Been looking at a Suzuki Wagon today actually. Bit boxy looking but quite cheap on insurance.
Private seller too. Didn't have my phone on me to ring the bloke either so apart from that I don't know much else about it ??. Asking price 400. And it's not even a mile away from our house.
Wouldn't mind a fiesta though either.
If anyone can find anything around the 500 mark that would be even better.
I get that there will be the odd dent and scrape on the exterior but what really puts me off is a dirty interior eg fag burns in the seats or flapping glove box flaps.??
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If the Micra is a K11 model, then most are at the end of the useful life by now -it was replaced in 2001/2 by the 'frog' K12. I owned a MY 96N 1.0 S and PXed it for my (new at the time) Mazda3 in early 2006 precisely because the front crossmember was corroding and I'd just spent £200+ on getting some other corrosion removed/new patch welded on and a new brake cylinder as well as £200 for the annual service (it failed the MOT on both issues).
I got only £450 for the Micra - it served me well for nearly 8 years and was generally very reliable, but rust was starting to take hold. You'd be lucky if the car you've seen hasn't got similar issues, many of which (like the crossmember one) cannot be easily seen without getting under the car. I'd personally avoid a car that's that old, even if the engine is probably ok.
For that sort of money, I'd be looking to get a Yaris in particular (or any of those SLO suggested), and if you don't your way around the oily/electrical bits of cars, get someone to come along with you who is, even if you have to pay for that service from the RAC/AA etc. 'Clean' cars (as described in an ad) can often hide a multitude of problems, especially if there's very little in the way of proof of service history or the owner hasn't had the car for long (a clue that there's something wrong).
Best to go with a car that's been owned by the same person (and hopefully the current owner) for a good few years and who has lots of service/maintenance reciept - a good sign of careful ownership, as is lots of passes on the MOT (you may find on the DVLA/Gov website one of two advisories/failures, not a problem if minor and fixed/retested quickly and don't appear the following year).
If I were you, I'd try and save up some more to afford both a better car (my 12yo Mazda is probably worth about £1500 or so) and likely in FAR better condition than a K11 Micra (which would be far older). External condition just has to be acceptable (mine has one or two minor scrapes and one little ding) - its the mechanicals and electrics that are most important on older cars, as well as being comfortable to drive an practical. Running costs (fuel and servicing) are less important than condition, as needing to replace parts on older cars can often outweigh this and the purchase price by some margin if its a major part - hence why its important to look for a car that's been obviously well cared for.
Personally, I'd go for a Yaris or a Jazz for reliability and practicality. I still see many of those SLO describes on the road and looking good/going well. Many tend to be well cared for by retirees who generally don't scrimp on the maintenance.
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If you love Fords but require rock-solid Japanese powertrain reliability, search for Focus petrol auto under £1000. (You'll need at least this size for growing kids!). The 1.6 engine is Yamaha, the g/box (pre dodgy powershift) is Mazda. I'm biased 'cos we have an 18yr old one. Autos are usually driven gently and likely to have been well looked after. Spares are cheap. If you can find a rust free trade in, you'll have a bargain!
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So i've had a look on Ebay, which is a bit more convoluted as you can't remove insurance write offs or trade sellers (like you can on Autotrader, though that obviously depends on the honesty of the seller!), but using otherwise the same criteria, within 50 miles of Mexborough. Here are some that i would look into further if i were looking for something at your budget,
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2007-nissan-micra-1-2-5-door/16...P
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Suzuki-Ignis-12-Month-MOT-first...W
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ford-Fiesta-Ghia-1-4-5-door-FSH...0
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Toyota-Yaris-T2-1-0L-Full-MOT/3...e
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2007-ford-ka-style-climate-12-m...C
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mazda-2-1-4-petrol/202437963585...z
That last car, the Mazda 2, the advert clearly implicates is that it is currently not MOT'd, but according to the DVSA it is MOT'd till 22/9/19.
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Thanks so much for those!
Im currently bidding on 2 of these cars.
I quite like the look of the fiesta :)
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Thanks so much for those!
Im currently bidding on 2 of these cars.
I quite like the look of the fiesta :)
Wow!!! Hold up! Don’t bid on anything you haven’t seen in the metal. I’d advise taking someone who knows what they’re doing with you too.
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Thanks so much for those!
Im currently bidding on 2 of these cars.
I quite like the look of the fiesta :)
Wow!!! Hold up! Don’t bid on anything you haven’t seen in the metal. I’d advise taking someone who knows what they’re doing with you too.
The Fiesta does look like a good one, but as it is so nice looking i suspect it will go past your budget. But, as SLO says, you really want to be having a look first, with someone who knows what to look out for. Even if you do know what to look for yourself, it is a good idea to have someone elses opinion to save you getting carried away.
For the record though, it does have an impressively uneventful MOT history.
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Ive only bidded a quid in each...phew!!
But dont worry, im arranging a viewing on the micra. Its literally half hour drive away. Fiesta may have to wait til weekend though. I do agree that its got a great history though. They both have to be fair.
Got a mechanic in family and also someone (family friend) whos a bit of a petrol head. Either one or both will be coming with us.
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I'm arranging a viewing on the Micra. It's literally half hour drive away. Fiesta may have to wait til weekend though. I do agree that its got a great history though. They both have to be fair.
It is essential that you do this. If you can only afford 600 to buy, you may need a few hundred more to keep it running after a while, so take time to find the safest bet. And don't forget about the cost of insurance.
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The Peugeot 107/Citroen C1/Toyota Aygo (all pretty much identical)may be worth a look. Toyota engines are pretty well unbustable. and judging by the two in my family, now 9 and 11 years old, they're resistant to corrosion and have none of the electric gremlins to which French cars are supposedly susceptible.
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I've never really bought into the "they've owned it a long time therefore it is probably OK" idea.
Car owners who are not motivated to change their car very often often have to be forced into it and what sometimes does that is their local garage telling them it needs £1200 of work for the next MOT.
Long term owned cars can be and often are very good news but never assume...
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I've never really bought into the "they've owned it a long time therefore it is probably OK" idea.
Car owners who are not motivated to change their car very often often have to be forced into it and what sometimes does that is their local garage telling them it needs £1200 of work for the next MOT.
Long term owned cars can be and often are very good news but never assume...
Yeah I actually agree with this.
My Dad in law bought a used Citroen C8 (big 7 seater thing??) a few years ago now but had problem after problem with it. Been owned by same owner from new before he bought it. Within literally months he had work done on the valves. Garage said it looked like a problem waiting to happen and that the previous owners had possibly known about it so let it go before it cost them so sold it on. Not 100% but im sure 3 valves needed replacing at 1000 each???
Fair to say he ended up getting rid not long after. Some garage took it in part ex for a Ford Mondeo that was up for £1000. Knocked him 200 quid off the price of the Mondeo so it was practically worthless. And this is why im dubious about buying part ex cars. My polo was part ex. Once bitten twice shy. However i know a few people who have older cars they bought as part exs and still driving them 3 years later. Its just a case of finding someone genuine and unfortunately theres some bad people around who only care about the money and ripping folk off.
My inlaws arent tech savvy so never ever think to check MOT histories etc. Take a couple of month ago for example. Focus packed in so they rushed out looking for another car. I took them. Good job I did. They went to this one garage, saw a 10plate megane up for sale. Looked a beauty (thats all my mum in law cares about tbh-image and looking posh) They never took it for a test drive, garage owner was hovering around all over, wouldnt answer any questions i was asking him (questions my inlaws should have asking tbh), they never popped the bonnet. Car had no MOT on apparently which rang alarm bells straight away. I did an MOT check on it and it DID have test on on, 8 months actually. Thought that was weird. Garage owner was adamant that it didnt have test on though and that he would put one on. Mot history also showed it had not been looked after. Same problems for 5 years, failed every one and even when major faults seen to there was umpteen advisories and even from new it wss riddled with advisories. But it fell on deaf ears. They paid a deposit and left.
Told my other half when I got home, he got in touch with our mechanic, told him what had gone on. We then went up to inlaws with laptop and sat and showed them MOT history etc. Mechanic told they were about to buy a nail for 2500. They listened eventually. Got deposit back but only just.
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Unfortunately there are no guarantees in buying almost anything which someone else has owned and used. Cars are the same but feel worse because of the possible cost of repairs.
But most cars are now pretty reliable, so you are more likely to be lucky than not. Just do as much homework as you can before agreeing to buy. As regards a part-ex, some dealers may have a nice one 'round the back' before it goes to auction. By meeting a private seller you should be able to find out a lot more than from a trader, especially at the bottom end of the market. You can also assess the owner as well as the car ....
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So after speaking to a parent at school today re old used cars, they've offered me some very valuable advice re buying used (part ex) from a garage/dealer.
Most cars under a certain price will not come with warranty, this obviouskt includes part ex cars.
But under the consumer rights act 2015, you have 6 YEARS from date of purchase to take the vehicle back to garage/dealer and request that the car be repaired or teplaced with a similar spec car. Thid is UK law and the seller is breaking the law if they do not repair or replace your car.
As long as you can prove that damage is not caused by yourself (most engine problems arent) then by law they have to repair or replace your vehicle.
Wish id have known this- and held onto the polo and taken the b***** thing back!
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So after speaking to a parent at school today re old used cars, they've offered me some very valuable advice re buying used (part ex) from a garage/dealer.
Most cars under a certain price will not come with warranty, this obviouskt includes part ex cars.
But under the consumer rights act 2015, you have 6 YEARS from date of purchase to take the vehicle back to garage/dealer and request that the car be repaired or teplaced with a similar spec car. Thid is UK law and the seller is breaking the law if they do not repair or replace your car.
As long as you can prove that damage is not caused by yourself (most engine problems arent) then by law they have to repair or replace your vehicle.
Wish id have known this- and held onto the polo and taken the b***** thing back!
To expect this kind of consumer protection for a 15 year old £600 car, regardless of where it comes from, is utter nonsense!. You would have precisely diddly-squat likelyhood of being able to actually put this into practice, and quite right too. If what your friend said was actually true, there would be NO garages selling sub £2000 cars, never mind sub £1000 ones, as it simply would not be worth the risk.
I'm sorry, but if you buy a car at this price point, you need to be realistic and accept that it is a lottery, to do anything else is just to delude yourself.
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So after speaking to a parent at school today re old used cars, they've offered me some very valuable advice re buying used (part ex) from a garage/dealer.
Most cars under a certain price will not come with warranty, this obviouskt includes part ex cars.
But under the consumer rights act 2015, you have 6 YEARS from date of purchase to take the vehicle back to garage/dealer and request that the car be repaired or teplaced with a similar spec car. Thid is UK law and the seller is breaking the law if they do not repair or replace your car.
As long as you can prove that damage is not caused by yourself (most engine problems arent) then by law they have to repair or replace your vehicle.
Wish id have known this- and held onto the polo and taken the b***** thing back!
To expect this kind of consumer protection for a 15 year old £600 car, regardless of where it comes from, is utter nonsense!. You would have precisely diddly-squat likelyhood of being able to actually put this into practice, and quite right too. If what your friend said was actually true, there would be NO garages selling sub £2000 cars, never mind sub £1000 ones, as it simply would not be worth the risk.
I'm sorry, but if you buy a car at this price point, you need to be realistic and accept that it is a lottery, to do anything else is just to delude yourself.
Its only what ive been told. Said parent works for CAB and deals with this stuff on a daily basis. They only overheard me telling another pparent this morning when they asked why i was walking to school and me telling them I have no car and why.
As a new driver and knowing nothing about cars, Any info and advice I get is appreciated. Even consumer rights stuff.
I wish I was like other people on this forum and be able to ask "what car can I get for 15k?" but I cant. And it drives me mad (excuse the pun). And unfortunately I know I have to take a gamble on a car thats older than my kids but thats just my situation and a gamble ive got to take on any car.
Im fully aware that Ive got a s***ty budget and that ive got to be really careful with what car I get and do my research and checks etc (thanks for all the advice everyone)
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Also have a look on the Which? Website and search consumer rights act 2015-used cars. I think you will find that you DO have rights
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Also have a look on the Which? Website and search consumer rights act 2015-used cars. I think you will find that you DO have rights
You are better off not buying a car until you can either finance something better or save up for it. If you buy a sub £2k motor expecting what you are then you’ll be sorely disappointed. Yes technically you do have comeback for the first 6mths (not 6yrs by the way) but any dealer flogging cheap cars will have a way round this wholly unrealistic legislation. Even to the point of running under several different limited trading names which they can easily bankruptcto avoid any claim.
I agree with them here as it’s impossible to sell a cheap car and guarantee it for 6mths without charging at least another £500-£600 and that makes the whole thing unaffordable for you and uncompetitive for the trader.
Listen to those of us on here who’ve been in the motor trade for years and accept that you will have zero comeback on any sub £1,000 car. This is the absolute bottom end of the market and the cars here WILL have faults and WILL require ongoing repairs, to expect anything less is wholly unrealistic.
Sit down and have a rethink. You’re clearly new to this and not very mechanically minded so I’d advise not buying anything until you can afford to buy a newer car with a genuine warranty on finance or lease. A cheap car I suspect would be very unwise here.
Edited by SLO76 on 18/09/2018 at 20:20
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So after speaking to a parent at school today re old used cars, they've offered me some very valuable advice re buying used (part ex) from a garage/dealer.
Most cars under a certain price will not come with warranty, this obviouskt includes part ex cars.
But under the consumer rights act 2015, you have 6 YEARS from date of purchase to take the vehicle back to garage/dealer and request that the car be repaired or teplaced with a similar spec car. Thid is UK law and the seller is breaking the law if they do not repair or replace your car.
As long as you can prove that damage is not caused by yourself (most engine problems arent) then by law they have to repair or replace your vehicle.
Wish id have known this- and held onto the polo and taken the b***** thing back!
To expect this kind of consumer protection for a 15 year old £600 car, regardless of where it comes from, is utter nonsense!. You would have precisely diddly-squat likelyhood of being able to actually put this into practice, and quite right too. If what your friend said was actually true, there would be NO garages selling sub £2000 cars, never mind sub £1000 ones, as it simply would not be worth the risk.
I'm sorry, but if you buy a car at this price point, you need to be realistic and accept that it is a lottery, to do anything else is just to delude yourself.
Its only what ive been told. Said parent works for CAB and deals with this stuff on a daily basis. They only overheard me telling another pparent this morning when they asked why i was walking to school and me telling them I have no car and why.
As a new driver and knowing nothing about cars, Any info and advice I get is appreciated. Even consumer rights stuff.
I wish I was like other people on this forum and be able to ask "what car can I get for 15k?" but I cant. And it drives me mad (excuse the pun). And unfortunately I know I have to take a gamble on a car thats older than my kids but thats just my situation and a gamble ive got to take on any car.
Im fully aware that Ive got a s***ty budget and that ive got to be really careful with what car I get and do my research and checks etc (thanks for all the advice everyone)
Sorry if i gave the impression of having a go at you because of your budget, that was certainly not my intention.
I have no problem at all with cheap cars, and indeed, given the choice, i'd much rather have a cheap car (maybe not £600, but certainly £1500-2000) than a £15k one. I am just pointing out that you need to have reasonable expectations when fishing for cars at that age and that price point. And i stand by my opinion that what your friend told you is incorrect, for the reason i said. No garages would be selling cars, even £5k ones, if the law said they were going to be responsible for it for the following 6 years after it was bought. To do so would be financial suicide.
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Dont worry about it Slo, i know you werent having a go. Im just stressed out and tbh feeling a bit sorry for myself. I was so excited to pass my test and get on the road. Its a major thing for me. Without going into too much detail, I nearly lost my life in a car accident years ago (i was a passenger) and so never thought id get behind the wheel of a car. But i have and i love driving!!!
Also feeling down in the dumps as ive lost my independence. Plus im kicking myself for not doing my research before i bought the dreaded Polo.
Ive got 3 kids at 3 different ages...1 in college, 1 in primary, 1 in high school. Eldest has been getting the bus but its always late, and ive to be in 2 places at once for the other 2. Other half drives but hes not too good health wise atm and im not insured on his car. Hes got a golf tdi 1.9, cheeky insurers wanted 247 quid a month to add me as a named driver(his insurance is obly 50 a month without me on it!!)when id passed my test so having 2 cars was cheaper believe it or not.
I know im not going to get anything fancy and its not that what i care about. Lifes just so much easier for me, well for all of us, when i can run the kids about etc.
Ive taken all the advice i can on board from you and the other lovely folks on here and if i didnt need a car then i would save more but as it is, i do need one.
Im off to look at a micra tomorrow. Fab mot history, private seller, full service history and owned by a middle aged woman for past 10 years, only 1 other owner bbefore. Mot til april next year. Only getting rid because she now has a company car. Condition is lovely too. Best part? Shes only wanting 450 for it!
I know there's some hidden gems out there, its just finding them i guess. Even if the car oonly lasts me til next April, i will have had my moneys worth out of it and wont expect anything else from a car that age. And in the meantime I can be saving up for something a bit more ppricey. You never know, i might be on here next year asking for advice about cars for £800 hahahaha
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“Im off to look at a micra tomorrow. Fab mot history, private seller, full service history and owned by a middle aged woman for past 10 years, only 1 other owner bbefore. Mot til april next year. Only getting rid because she now has a company car. Condition is lovely too. Best part? Shes only wanting 450 for it!”
Good wee cars but there’s plenty that can go wrong at this money. Just don’t go into this expecting too much. Running a mega cheap car can be fun and satisfying as you beat the system but it can more often than not be an expensive learning curve. Best of luck and the description you give is exactly what I’d point you towards. Japanese, simple chain driven petrol engine and a long term previous owner who’s obviously liked it. I’d try to get someone with a bit of motoring know how to come along if you can as this could be another £450 down the drain if anything serious is lurking. Shame you don’t live local to me as I recently supplied a cheapo car to an old customer who needed a stopgap car, I found her a Toyota Corolla with 3mths Mot for £350 and the other day she emailed to say it just flew through another Mot with only a minor £50 repair. Hopefully this Micra is another such car.
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Im off to look at a micra tomorrow. Fab mot history, private seller, full service history and owned by a middle aged woman for past 10 years, only 1 other owner before. Mot til april next year. Only getting rid because she now has a company car. Condition is lovely too. Best part? Shes only wanting 450 for it!
If the car fits the description you have given, I would snap it up before someone else does. You may well keep it for some time.
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But under the consumer rights act 2015, you have 6 YEARS from date of purchase to take the vehicle back to garage/dealer ...
Other members on this forum know much better than I do about consumer law, but IMHO you might just possibly get somewhere after 3 or 6 months, and even then you have to prove that the faults were present or imminent when you bought. That would be impossible after 6 years. And taking any case forward may cost a few hundred, so unless you have a bit to spare, don't think along those lines. Any trader selling cheap cars (bangers in the trade) will just laugh, and you won't make any friends. Your £600 car will be over 6 years old anyway.
Private sellers are a better bet, as everyone knows that there are no warranties given or expected. Think of it as a car(boot) sale.
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The 6 year cut off is from when the car was new, NOT from when the latest owner buys it. And its limited to manufacturing defects, and items that wear out like clutches, brakes, suspension etc won't be included unless a manufacturing fault has significantly contributed to it wearing out far sooner than anticipated.
Additionally, the actions (where its stored, how often and how it's driven, or, lack thereof, e.g. maintenance or poor clutch control) of previous owners can of course lead to parts wearing out and sooner than would normally be expected. Buying privately means that a 6 month guarantee you'd get at a dealer would not be there - sold as seen. You'd have to prove to a court that a private seller deliberately witheld information if the car turned out to be a non-runner with several faults. Buying via a dealer means you'll likely pay a lot more than if you bought privately for a car in the same condition.
I would say that in the vast majority of instances, the problems aren't caused by manufacturing/design faults as a car well over 6yo will have had those picked up by then. You cannot reasonably expect a car worth £600 to be fault free for the next few years - many may have little 'issues' or things that don't work, e.g. A/C or electric windows.
To be honest, that's why, when I bought my old K11 Micra, I bought one that had the minimum things to go wrong - no A/C. no electric windows (it had a manually operated sunroof - quite nice, actually) - essentially just a fan/heater and a radio/cassette player. Not even an alarm (just an immobiliser).
I'm not sure how the law stands as regards whether a dealer must check certain things on a car to see if they are working correctly or not and declare this, or just enough (like an MOT+) to say that it is driveable and safe/structurally sound. I doubt if a small-time dealer would have the funds to spend time doing much more than basic checks only and would say this in their blurb. As a former dealer, take SLO's advice to heart - he know what he's talking about and is well respected here.
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But under the consumer rights act 2015, you have 6 YEARS from date of purchase to take the vehicle back to garage/dealer and request that the car be repaired or teplaced with a similar spec car. Thid is UK law and the seller is breaking the law if they do not repair or replace your car.
I don't think that's a correct interpretation. Try calling Citizens Advice consumerline 03454 04 05 06
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