Viewing 37 posts - 1 through 37 (of 37 total)
  • Buying a car without service history?
  • mitsumonkey
    Free Member

    What does the STW crew think? I’ve seen what looks to be a very good car (Volvo) on ebay for £8,750, it’s a decent price with a good spec, slightly cheaper than the others on there.
    Problem is it comes with no service history. Apparently the garage he bought it from ‘lost it’ and he has an email from them confirming this, but it does not contain any details of any work or servicing done.
    The current owner has had the cam belt and oil changed recently and has the receipt and old parts to show me so he has been looking after the car.
    I’ve not been to view the car yet. In two minds.

    zanelad
    Free Member

    I think I’d pass on this. My experience of eBay sellers makes me think that honest ones are few and far between.

    Bregante
    Full Member

    If the services have been done at a volvo dealers then I’m pretty sure that the history is stored online so it should be straightforward for the owner to obtain confirmation. I think. Could be worth asking on a volvo owners forum.

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    mitsumonkey
    Free Member

    Good point I’ll ask him.

    davidtaylforth
    Free Member

    If it’s an XC90 – no way

    mitsumonkey
    Free Member

    It is an XC90

    hanchurch
    Free Member

    Whoever has done work on it will have records, ask who it was, e-mail the garages and ask for the details. Would be a bit of a pain in the arse but will not cost anything and would give you more confidence in the good value car.

    Daffy
    Full Member

    Check the MOT history online to verify the milage is accurate.

    butcher
    Full Member

    How much service history is missing? An inspection might offer some clues as to how it’s been looked after. But maybe difficult given that it’s been through another owner. I’d not fancy the risk.

    coolhandluke
    Free Member

    Lots of money to gamble? Go for it.

    If however you aren’t a gambler, walk. A proper one with proper history will be just around the corner, page, whatever, for a realistic price.

    hora
    Free Member

    If the garage is forthcoming and gives you the V5 reference/codes to enable a online check crack on further. If they hold back?

    Also (longshot-) ask for last keeper details from the V5 then call the service desk of the nearest Volvo dealers and ask if the car was known to them?

    Tbh the car would have to be seriously cheap because come px/resale you’ll struggle to get anywhere near a fair price.

    I wouldn’t buy a XC90, heard too many big bill stories about that model.

    Cut corners, expect to be bitten.

    nickc
    Full Member

    there are loads of Volvos to choose from

    hora
    Free Member

    V70 would be a good route. Loads of them, with history.

    butcher
    Full Member

    Crikey me. I’ve just looked on eBay. Those things are not cheap. Near 10 year old cars with 100k miles for the best of 10 grand, or more. If anything like that, I would not go near it without FSH!

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    The fact your asking on here says you should walk.

    Thats a car for a gambler/foolish/rich or someone well versed in that model at 9grand.

    I take punts on cars without service history all the time at the 2-3 k mark….im prepared to scrap em and walk if it proves to be hiding major issues….. Would you do that on a 9k car….

    For me to take that gamble it would have to be 3 or more k cheaper than equivalent to leave me a warchest for the gremlins its hiding .

    Every single one ive bought without service history had its service history “lost” to hide a gremlin in its past……bar the van which was ex lease and the lease co simply didnt pass it on.

    Nothing major mind but you might think twice about the car if you knew…..

    Equally it might be just fine….your call. Its not a rare car and as it goes you dont get something for nothing,

    davidtaylforth
    Free Member

    Crikey me. I’ve just looked on eBay. Those things are not cheap. Near 10 year old cars with 100k miles for the best of 10 grand, or more. If anything like that, I would not go near it without FSH!

    This. You could buy a brand new car for that amount of money.

    davidtaylforth
    Free Member

    For me to take that gamble it would have to be 3 or more k cheaper than equivalent to leave me a warchest for the gremlins its hiding .

    This aswell. For a car of that age, and the fact it’s a big piece of shit 4×4 volvo; it’d have to be a good 20% cheaper than similar cars that do have an FSH.

    mitsumonkey
    Free Member

    I’m pretty limited to what car I can have, I need 7 seats and the car also needs to be able to tow a twin axle caravan. 4×4 is useful to tow the tin tent of wet/muddy fields. I’ve had 3 Shogun’s up to now but the 3rd row of seats doesn’t have a footwell for the kids to stretch their legs down into.
    The search has been narrowed down to the XC90, Disco 3 or possibly a Merc ML
    I also have a hankering for a defender but the prices make me sweat!

    mcmoonter
    Free Member

    The independent Volvo specialist who services my V70 has a graveyard of XC90s out back. His view was that buying a cheap one would be suicidal. I scored XC90s off my Discovery replacement list.

    I would also be wary of an eBay dealer too. My V70 came with a fresh MOT and a fairly comprehensive dealer / independent service history. The front wishbone bushes, ball joints and track rod ends were all worn. No MOT tester I’ve ever used would have passed it in that condition. I budgeted for their replacement when making my bid, but I doubt I’d ever buy a car blind like it again. As Trailrat says, I’d take a punt at a couple of thousand pounds, there’s no chance I’d spend getting close to £9k without a full and verifiable service history. There are so many other good cars out there.

    hora
    Free Member

    OP you’ll be scything your wallet off at its knees.

    mitsumonkey
    Free Member

    OP you’ll be scything your wallet off at its knees

    Sounds like it’s a strong possibility!
    The guy who’s selling it isn’t trade. But taking all your comments into consideration I think I’ll be giving it a swerve. The last thing I need is a money pit.
    I’m not in any major rush so I’ll give the old Shogun replacement conundrum some more thought . . .

    RustyNissanPrairie
    Full Member

    The v70 and xc90 have a crap AsainWarner Aw55 auto box that kills most Volvo’s due to the expensive of repair. Towing with one is just asking for trouble especially if it has a non factory towbar (genuine factory fit towbar has an additional gearbox oil cooler).
    The t6 gearbox is even worse than the AW due to the lack of space hence the fitting of a small compact box that doesn’t last.

    I’m a massive Volvo fan and spanner our v70 but they are big heavy cars and get expensive v quick if you are paying someone to fix it.

    The xc90 in general is overpriced for what it is and I’d deffo avoid if your towing regardless of service history or not.

    Northwind
    Full Member

    None of mine have had much history but then I’ve not been buying £9000 cars.

    davidtaylforth
    Free Member

    Toyota Landcruiser
    Nissan X trail
    Kia Sorento
    Hyundai Santa Fe

    Have you looked at any of them?

    loddrik
    Free Member

    No probs buying a car with minimal history for a couple of grand but that’s a non insubstantial sum on a big complex car. No waaayyyy!

    mitsumonkey
    Free Member

    davidtaylforth – Member
    Toyota Landcruiser
    Nissan X trail
    Kia Sorento
    Hyundai Santa Fe
    Have you looked at any of them?

    I need 7 seats and decent towing ability only the Toyota fits that bill, but the third row of seats aren’t suitable. They’ve all done massive miles as well.
    I have very few choices of cars to choose from.

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    Massive miles on a toyota thats properly serviced would be less of a worry to me than an xc90 with no history.

    spooky_b329
    Full Member

    Punch the reg into the MOT history checker and see if the previous MOTs have been done at or local to the garage that the email supposedly comes from.

    Bit too expensive in my opinion for no service history at all…also a decent history is extra assurance the vehicle hasn’t been clocked/wearing different plates.

    An ex lease car would normally come with a printout service history wouldn’t it?

    RustyNissanPrairie
    Full Member

    My choice without a doubt would be a late/late mileage automatic mk2 TD5 Discovery. Proven engine, pretty bulletproof ‘box (easy and cheap to change the filter/oil on), rugged mechanicals. 3.5t towing capacity.
    Easily and cheaply serviced by indy’s, parts are cheap, only downside is rust around rear end of the chassis.

    Mk3 Disco’s are coming down in price but are a huge step in complexity/maintenance costs.

    (I’m a defender owner/Landy fan as well)

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    And the front and the middle etc etc

    Id just buy something with 7 decent seats and choose better camp sites.

    There no footwells on most 4x4s rear seats because thats where the rear axle is.

    Even the 6th/7th seats in the disco are sideways seats.

    mitsumonkey
    Free Member

    Even the 6th/7th seats in the disco are sideways seats.

    On the mk1

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    that ill give you – was just going by my mates commercial….

    which coincidently – up till a few weeks ago you could see through the chassis legs passengers side to the drivers side.

    strathern did a galv chassis conversion for 5k with suspension and stuff replaced also….

    Marko
    Full Member

    I need 7 seats and the car also needs to be able to tow a twin axle caravan. 4×4 is useful to tow the tin tent of wet/muddy fields

    XC90 is not a true 4X4 in the sense that 4 wheel drive is not selectable as it uses a haldex coupling.
    HTH
    Marko

    lalazar
    Free Member

    If it’s bangernomics who cares but at that price not only should it have FSH you need to be ringing the dealers who carried out the services to make sure it all checks out.

    solamanda
    Free Member

    Consider the effect it has when you eventually want to sell the car yourself. I’ve bought cars where they were missing one service, but never with no history. Even if it’s a cheaper car that’s been diy serviced, I expect to see some receipts for parts.

    When spending £9k it’s really worth walking away from any car you have any questions over unless it’s dramatically cheaper. Usually they’re not cheaper as most buyers are un-educated on these issues.

    A good gauge is try getting a quote for the car using webuyanycar, stating no history.

Viewing 37 posts - 1 through 37 (of 37 total)

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