Buying old cars with low mileage - what to look out for?

 a 2008 Jazz on Autotrader with a whole 19k miles on the clock, a full main dealer service history and an asking price of £5k

That's a 16-year-old car though, for which £5k seems pretty steep still.

I'd be looking for something about 10 years old, with 70k-ish on the clock, for around £3k.

One alternative I'd recommend is the Kia Venga, even more boring than the Jazz but very reliable, nice to drive and a good size.

Just got a decent 12-year-old one for my ex for £2k.

I would be checking the gearbox and engine. It’s probably spent a lot of time sat on a drive. It’s probably might well have only done short local journeys so 2nd and 3rd gear get battered and the engine never gets properly warm and clogged up. The latter might be resolved with a blast up the motorway to get the engine reving through it range to clear it out.  We test drove a Passat that was a similar age and mileage and it felt like a bag of spanner’s as it only ever went to 5he golf club and back

If it was diesel I'd be worried, if it's petrol then crack on.  (Turbo petrol, wet belts etc, somewhere in-between).

If it's done lots of small trips then things like belts, brakes and tyres will be fine, they suffer if they're left for months then go out of shape / crack / seize.  Other than that as long as the servicing has included the "replace after x years regardless of milage" then it should be fine.  The only other thing is rust and paintwork, Those will be issues regardless of mileage so have a very careful look >8 years even good tyres go hard, the casing cracks, and they lose their grip.

Most of those problems should be immediately apparent on a test drive or within any warranty period.  But check the T&C's as they may exclude things like brakes or DPF's as being consumables or down to the way they're driven.

Longer term, I'd not expect it to last another 20 years like a new car with 19k on it might.  You're still going to have all those age related things going wrong like  suspension bushings, seals, etc.

I played this game once and bought an old but little used Polo. The timing belt snapped pretty much immediately upon getting it home so definitely factor in replacement if it hasn't been done on age rather than mileage.

Look at the age/condition of rubber components - aux belt, CV boots, water hoses etc

Look for general corrosion and check the condition of the exhaust - short drives to the shop might not get it warm enough.

We bought the T5 camper at 10 years and 21k miles. It had though been

A) off the road every winter

B) the previous service had seen timing belt, CV gaiters and all the suspension bushings replaced.

C) a fastidious previous owner

What they didn't do was replace the aux belt (eye roll) which fell apart on holiday in Ireland or replace the battery which is now on its way out.

So yeah, we've a great low miles and immaculate wagon, but rubber bits do degrade just with age so I would factor them all to be replaced.

5k for a 16 year old generic car seems insanity. Yes It's at a dealer but what kind of warranty can they offer. Most aftermarkets will just shrug and go um....it's old you pay.

At the same time location plays a big factor. 19k or not.... A16year old car round here would be near end of life with corrosion.

Gen 1 jazz were famously rusty anyway were they not

What you are talking about is what is known as 'deceased spec', for obvious reasons.

And whilst this can be a way to find a bargain, it is no guarantee.

Low miliage older cars can be riddled with faults.

- Never/rarely serviced

- Ancient tyres

- Lots of short journey, absolutely terrible for the engine and mechanicals. never warmed up properly. Engine performance pooor due to never having been 'blown out'. Particularly on cars with direct injection.

- Battery will be rubbish/knackered

- Corrosion everywhere.

- Run on a shoestring, not relied upon and thus not invested in.

Be extremely wary of these cars.

Mileage is really, really not the be all and end all people think it is.

If it has only done short trips and never gotten properly warmed up, the oil tends to turn to sludge and the exhausts tend to rot.
When petrol burns, it produces water vapour and carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. When the engine cools down, the water vapour condenses and you end up with carbonic acid. That condenses in the engine oil and in the exhaust. If you do a long trip, the oil and exhaust get hot enough to evapourate it out, but if it only does short trips, it never gets hot enough for that and the water just pools in the exhaust and turns the engine oil to mayonnaise. Exhausts are easy enough to replace but sludgy oil can trash the engine, especially camshafts and cam followers and that will be expensive to fix. It would be well worth having it checked professionally. At the very least, after you buy it, have the oil and filter changed and take it for a decent drive to get it fully warmed up and flush any sludge out of the engine. A new timing belt would also be a good precaution on a car that old.

5k for a 16 year old generic car seems insanity.

especially when it was only a £10k car, minus some scrappage discount when it was brand new.

unless you're doing mega miles I wouldn't be too concerned with milage - something with 70,000 miles is 1/3 of the price.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202409244380164

or you can get something half the age with 50,000 miles

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202410155212597

both would be better choices.

2008 jazz? £500-£1000 surely, unless you’re a collector  of old practical cars and must have a low mileage Jazz Sure it’s low mileage but it’s not a flagship or rare car. It’s not a classic.

As said rubber, rust, leaks and a zero off the price.

something with 70,000 miles is 1/3 of the price.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202409244380164
/blockquote>
If there's nothing alarming in the MOT history and not too much rust, this looks a really good buy.

And 70k is low mileage for a car of that vintage.

 

Interesting info, cheers all.

It’s too old and too pricey for a daily runner, even thou it’s not been used all the rubbery stuff is past it’s sell by date and anything plasticky could be going brittle, all things that affect reliability when they let go.

If it broke how much would you be willing to pay to repair it ,as your already 5k in it your unlikely to walk away 🙂

2008 Jazz would be fine as a daily. It's a bit expensive though. As said already, Venga for that money would be good.

I would go for that 2015 50k miles one out of that lot. Better if you can get a 1.4 from that gen though. We were hoping to get a similar 2015 one, but a 1.4 on 51 k miles, for a bit less, but the seller (a school mate)  decided to keep it instead. I think this era Jazz would be ideal for kids to learn in and still be big enough to get bikes in. No turbo, vtec, magic seats etc. Looks good to me.

FWIW Our 14 year old Jazz has been the most reliable car I've ever run. It's only had 4 advisories at MOT in its whole life. For old cars the main things I would be wary of are rust and water leaks into the cabin as many garages aren't interested in searching for the leak as it's a real pain to do so. Should be obvious from damp carpets / seats / roof lining / misted windows. The rest should be fairly obvious from mileage- and service history.

We’ll probably have to replace our little hatchback next year. It’s a 2005 Mazda 2, it’s been great, but it’s at 130k+ miles now and the last MOT showed subframe rust which, to quote the fella from the garage “is what gets them all in the end”.

Can you not simply replace the sub-frame? If the car's otherwise sound and you're familiar with it, then shelling out a few hundred quid to keep it on the road may make more sense than replacement.

following these recommendations with interest, as mrs ex-p is badgering me to replace our 06 nissan note (150k).  as per the OP, i just see a car as the 'cheapest way of getting from A to B' so i dont particularly care what it looks like, id rather spend my money on holidays.  each to their own but i listen to my workmates discussing their cars and £400+ p/m lease deals, and whether theyll go for EV next for big wedge and i just think ill stick with my £0 p/m car and go to crete twice a year instead.  of course, thats got to end some time, and itll probably be sooner than later sadly.

however ive told my wife that altho im not actively looking, if i see a likely suspect on an old codgers driveway for sale then id consider looking into it.  i want one to fall into my lap rather than go searching for one.

i do agree with her tho that its a pretty soulless experience driving it, steamy windows in the morning, frozen on the inside when really cold, aircon is opening the windows these days and blower only works on max setting.  plus its leaking from somewhere, never been able to find out where.  im resigned to just coping with it these days, so if i do see something then id probably splash out, more for my wife than me.

i always read these threads with interest and get the impression id be wanting to look out for the far eastern petrol models, nissan, honda, toyota, kia, hyundai, plus skoda.  any others ive not thought of?

oh, and if anyone sees anything in the lincoln/midlands area that may suit then please shout my way.  my wife would really appreciate it thank you :D. every link she sends me to look at i always find something not right with them.  not to be awkward but she still sends me diesel cars, or based in wales or whatever.  "yes but its a white nissan note" *sighs* *rolls eyes emoji*

Aside from the obious cars such as Honda Jazz (though not i-shift gearbox and the 2009 cars onwards are better) and ToyotaYaris (toyota engines tend to have timing chains so are more reliable) , I'd probably suggest the OP and Sadexpunk look at a newer Kia Picanto... three of my relatives have these and love them and as runabouts theyre pretty much bombproof (see whatcar as they rate them) with lots around and for £5-6k although higher mileage, you might just be able to find a 2018/2019 reg near the end of its 7 year Kia warranty so less ownership worries.

the other thing to consider - if you want something mechanically sound as a second car and you have off-street parking - is an older nissan leaf. £4k gets you something 7 years old, the lack of mechanicals means it should keep on trucking for years to come, and lack of paying for petrol\servicing is a reasonable saving in running costs..

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202412097137622

<stealthy add> wifes 2015 3dr corsa 24k miles on clock will be for sale next yr < >

Needs a bigger car to ship the parents around. Loathed to move it on but

Check anything rubber and made of black plastic exposed to the sun.  Check for water ingress and rust inside the shutlines especially if not parked on a flat surface.  Check any drains for blockages and make sure all the electrics work.

Buy the owner. Do they looks like they’ve scrimped / not cared?

2015 aygo here just serviced and mot yesterday for 125 gbp, no advisories.  Zero tax 200 gbp insurance, paid 6.5k 2018 worth 5k now. I don't think motoring gets any cheaper, 34k miles, just tyres, wipers, air and pollen filters so far.

Best thing is it's so small it s easy to park, most modern cars are too big for marked bays, aygo just slots in.

I’d probably suggest the OP and Sadexpunk look at a newer Kia Picanto…

dont really know my cars so had a quick google and can see why youd recommend them.  surprised to see that these are still quite high tax for such a small car, altho i do understand tax is based around emissions rather than size.  i forgot to mention that my wife would also like a £30 per year tax jobbie.  im sure she'll get what she wants in the end, she always does 😀

surprised to see that these are still quite high tax for such a small car, altho i do understand tax is based around emissions rather than size.  i forgot to mention that my wife would also like a £30 per year tax jobbie

You won't see those days again unless you stay pre 2017.

2008 jazz? £500-£1000 surely...

Very few cars in that price range these days and the Jazz is quite desirable, known for reliability. The price isn't that surprising.

I'd agree with most of the others though, a 16 year old car is still a 16 year old car, and one with 19k miles could have had a harder life than one with 90k. If you viewed it, and it's near showroom condition still, then maybe. But I'd buy on condition, service history, age. Miles on the clock are further down the list as they don't mean a lot on their own.

You won’t see those days again unless you stay pre 2017.

oh right, that surprises me, you can tell i dont know my cars.  id have thought there'd be more and more lower taxed cars the newer they got due to better emissions.  didnt know theyd changed the rules in 2017 to be based on cars original price.  i cant see me being able to afford anything post 2017 anyway tbh.

Very few cars in that price range these days and the Jazz is quite desirable, known for reliability. The price isn’t that surprising.

Good point, I’d forgotten how much a neighbour had paid for a fairly ratty Mini of a similar vintage.

Cars were far too cheap here, being scrapped over consumables.

I wonder what WBAC or an insurer would payout.

oh right, that surprises me, you can tell i dont know my cars.  id have thought there’d be more and more lower taxed cars the newer they got due to better emissions

They realised they needed more revenue. Moar tax. Even electric cars pay tax now.

My freebie aygos going up to 20 quid from April. I tax in Feb so get another free year at least. Had I bought a 2017 model it was 160 quid a year which is frankly abysmal for  70hp.

Right, so, thread resurrection, as the little old Mazda is going to be replaced imminently, the final nail in it's coffin being a tailgate that won't open (the mechanism seems to be jammed, I know it's probably fixable but it's the thing that's tipped us over the "right, it's time" edge).

So, from reading the above I think I'm going to try to find something in the 2015-onwards, 30-50k-ish miles, up to about £8k-ish range. What I'm after is makes/models to be looking for. Wish list is smallish, boxyish boot if possible, reliable (so assuming SE Asian), that's about it. Basically, I'll be looking for Honda Jazz and anything else that could be considered alongside/instead of a Honda Jazz.

Ideas?

I'm definitely in the newest possible with higher mileage camp, but if you struggle take a look at the last year (2012) Ford Fusion (European mini-mpv not the US Saloon). We've had two, they are small, Fiesta based, big wide boot and the passenger seat folds flat for bigger loads.

29er (non-slack) fits complete 🙂

Just a thought, but aside from the Kia Venga that I already recommended, maybe a small estate like a Skoda Fabia or Seat Ibiza?

You can search by body type on AutoTrader BTW.

So, from reading the above I think I’m going to try to find something in the 2015-onwards, 30-50k-ish miles, up to about £8k-ish range. What I’m after is makes/models to be looking for.

Our Fabia 1.0tsi 110bhp estate is small, big boot, comfy, and so far 12k in during first year with nothing but servicing. It's got 60k on clock, 2017, worth around £7-8k, ours is 'hearing aid gold' so worth less than nicer colours. It has just done 800 miles around the various family members, carrying two of us, a bike, luggage, and a large bass amplifier (don't ask...), returned just over 50mpg in some shitty wet and cold weather. It's the classic 'everything you need, nothing you don't' car.

Yeah, I'll take a look at the Venga, ta.

There's no way we'll get a small estate, they're "too big" according to MrsIHN. I'd get a Volvo 850 given the chance 🙂

Okay, so far I have

Kia Venga

Honda Jazz

Nissan Note

Well just don't mention the estate word!

Fiesta Vs Fusion 🙂

It's not about how big they are, it's about how big she thinks they are, and she thinks they're too big.

In fairness, her car history to date is a Daewoo Matiz, a Rover 200 and a Mazda 2. She has only ever driven, and is therefore only confident in driving, small, like really small, cars. The Jazz will be pushing it (and I've got as far as I have by telling her it's a car popular with old ladies...) and if I persuade her into something that she's not entirely comfortable with then she'll either just not drive it or be a bag of nerves driving it. It's just not worth it.

My Kia Ceed is 15 and works fine. Am looking to replace it with an estate car, more space will make for easier family camping trips is the only reason but will probably look at another Kia. They are incredibly boring, in that turn the key and it works kind of way. Park it anywhere as it is anonymous. Picanto, Venga, Rio, Ceed or Soul (a Ceed with a boxy shell) all worth a look.

wifes sent me a link to have a look at a local 16 plate Honda Jazz S I-VTEC 1.3 petrol.  its £5000 which is probably twice what i would ordinarily be looking at, but its one elderly owner who's packed in driving now, and 60,000 on the clock.

ive asked if its still for sale.  anything i need to check/ be wary of?  £5000 about right for that?

thanks

Another option- BMW1 series I bought a year before covid with 50k miles, it’s a 2005.
Still going strong, spent a few hundred on it but nothing major. Bought as a stop gap for £2k and it’s great.
Not exactly a scientific study, but I think a better quality car should have the ability to last longer, it has no rust at all.
It’s a petrol 1.6, with terrible MPG, bought after the 180k mile 120D engine died, with a common timing chain problem.

Seems cheap. I'd go for it. Some good tips on this recent thread.

https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/rate-my-jazz-honda-not-acid/

sadexpunk, Madame has an ex pensioner special , 65 plate. It came with several reams of service receipts, fsh, 4 quality tyres etc plus a basically flawless mot history. Also all original extras like compressor and tools in the original packaging.

It's a proper Goldilocks car, but those are the things that would give me good vibes about a cars provenance. I wouldn't demand all of them obviously, but a few would be good

I'd expect a few cosmetic knocks, kerbed rims. Parking gets harder as you get older

£5k seems ok for that.

plus a basically flawless mot history.

well each year has a fail, but then an immediate pass, so i suppose they just told a garage to sort anything out then pass it?

Seems cheap. I’d go for it. Some good tips on this recent thread.

Rate my Jazz (Honda, not acid)

thanks, ill read up on it.

£5k seems ok for that.

thanks, good to know its in the right area.  just dont know if i want to spunk 5k on a car when i look at the scratches and scrapes on this one, plus the bent garage door that my wife recently drove into (long story) 😀

i dont mind her destroying our 06 nissan note thats worth a fiver, but if she starts chipping away at a 5k car then our losses would be more considerable 🙂

thanks

well each year has a fail, but then an immediate pass, so i suppose they just told a garage to sort anything out then pass it?

Yes probably. It just depends on what the problem is really. You're just trying to build a picture of what the owner was like, did they care about the car or not. Did they deal with advisories, or not. Etc etc

Recently scrapped a 16 year old car rather than pass on thousands of pounds worth of problems to some poor sucker.

We're going to need a local (auto) runabout come spring I reckon, currently I'm torn between trying to find that sweet spot (Aygo/107/C1/Jazz/Corsa) on a 16-17 plate that's been garaged and main dealer serviced, and is being offloaded by a relative unaware of the value of Nans old car, Vs taking a gamble on the battery condition of a 14-16 plate Leaf.

It's honestly a bit of a conundrum to me, for EVs to be viable to muggles the older ones need to have a used market life, but it's not like smaller ICE hatchbacks are infinitely durable or have miniscule maintenance costs after a certain point.

Part of me still wants to get an old smart ForTwo. All the boomer driveways round here seem to have 'hers and sirs' 15-20 year old Smarts sat on the drive and a nice big German estate boxed in on one side (it's a bit of a middleclass ghetto TBH). They'll all be chopping them in for Zoe's and Leafs soon I reckon.  But my missus isn't sold and we still have children to transport...

Venga, Jazz, Aygo - there are also the Citroen/Peugeot versions, which are effectively the same car mechanically, and which are perfectly fine little cars, family across the road from me have got two, but I just think the Aygo is a bit better put together, and is a nicer looking car.

There’s also the small Hyundai i10 which is also about the same size, and again quite a nice little car, very popular Motability car, so quite a lot around because they get changed after a short time, or else get damaged, repaired and refurbished then go onto the open market, which would be Cinch now, after Cazoo went tits-up, sadly. Which is why I’m familiar with lots of these cars, having worked logistics for BCA and then SFS/Cazoo. I’m just shy of six foot, and never found comfort an issue with these city cars, the VAG equivalents, the Citigo/Up!Mii are also very well worth checking out; I happily drove an Up! from Cornwall back to North Wiltshire one afternoon.

If auto was a requirement I'd have to be pushed hard to look past a leaf assuming you have off-street parking.

Automatic aygos are over priced due to demand.

Aygo made in same factory as c1 and Peugeot. And if anything the aygos made to a lower standard than the usual Toyota standard.