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Private sale - Fresh MOT or not - Potatohead44

I'm viewing a car this week from a private seller, MOT and last service done 4 months ago, should I ask for a fresh MOT? I'd pay for it of course.

Previous MOTs and paperwork all fine and seller seems genuine so part of me thinks it could be overkill and also could affect negotiation but for £50 and peace of mind......?

What's the min remaining time you'd accept on MOT? I know most dealers say 6 months

Edited by Potatohead44 on 01/04/2024 at 19:35

Private sale - Fresh MOT or not - badbusdriver

Depends on MOT history, service history, how the car looks, drives, etc. If all good there, yes, I'd be willing to accept a car with 6 months.

Private sale - Fresh MOT or not - Palcouk

If you are that concerned get an AA/RAC inspection

Private sale - Fresh MOT or not - SLO76
What age, price and mileage are we talking about here? Is it a low mileage one owner 5yr old petrol Mazda 2 or a 12yr old Range Rover diesel with 100,000 miles up? If it’s advertised anywhere you could post a link to the advert for an opinion or twenty.

Edited by SLO76 on 01/04/2024 at 20:23

Private sale - Fresh MOT or not - elekie&a/c doctor
You need to remember that an mot is a minimum standard inspection. You could have 4 “legal “ tyres , but does not necessarily mean they are safe to drive on .
Private sale - Fresh MOT or not - Andrew-T

Fifty quid is not much in the price of a car, but although it may give you peace of mind, I don't think a more recent Pass will tell you much more than the previous one. As you are buying privately you should be able to learn more about the car from the seller (free) than from a new MoT - besides which a different tester might fail it :-))

I once worked with a strange rather paranoid person who used to have his Renault 5 tested every 6 months. Some other countries believe that every two years is often enough. I would just stick with the annual schedule the car is on. Are there any advisories ?

Private sale - Fresh MOT or not - catsdad

If I was the seller I would not agree to its being MoTd again. Even if I had nothing to hide MoTs are a gamble. If the current MoT is good but the new ones comes up with a fail or some advisories the seller has a car that’s now less saleable.

This might be an advantage to the buyer if they can chisel at the price but why would I, as the seller, take the risk. There is a small upside for the seller if the car sails through but a 12 month MoT is little better than an 8 month one when selling.

As has been suggested an independent inspection might be the way to go. That’s not recorded against the car like an MoT and will cover more than an MoT does.

Private sale - Fresh MOT or not - Potatohead44

If I was the seller I would not agree to its being MoTd again. Even if I had nothing to hide MoTs are a gamble. If the current MoT is good but the new ones comes up with a fail or some advisories the seller has a car that’s now less saleable.

This might be an advantage to the buyer if they can chisel at the price but why would I, as the seller, take the risk. There is a small upside for the seller if the car sails through but a 12 month MoT is little better than an 8 month one when selling.

As has been suggested an independent inspection might be the way to go. That’s not recorded against the car like an MoT and will cover more than an MoT does.

Very good point, didn't think of that, I'd probably push back as well thinking about it.

Private sale - Fresh MOT or not - Potatohead44

Fifty quid is not much in the price of a car, but although it may give you peace of mind, I don't think a more recent Pass will tell you much more than the previous one. As you are buying privately you should be able to learn more about the car from the seller (free) than from a new MoT - besides which a different tester might fail it :-))

I once worked with a strange rather paranoid person who used to have his Renault 5 tested every 6 months. Some other countries believe that every two years is often enough. I would just stick with the annual schedule the car is on. Are there any advisories ?

No advisories from all previous MOTs and also full service history. Maybe I'm falling into that strange rather paranoid person category:)

Private sale - Fresh MOT or not - Andrew-T

<< No advisories from all previous MoTs and also full service history. Maybe I'm falling into that strange rather paranoid person category :) >>

In that case I don't know what you are waiting for - if the price is right. You may be able to talk the price down a bit ?