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

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”.

We’ll be after something small, boring and reliable, so it’ll doubtless be something Far Eastern, and won’t really want to spend a lot of money as, to us, cars are just a household appliance and we’d rather spend money on other stuff.

Anyway, the other big market for small, boring and reliable cars are old people, and there seem to be quite a lot little hatchbacks that are long in age but short in mileage, as presumably Doris or Derek only ever used them once a week to drive to the shop on the corner. Point in fact, I’ve just seen 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 which, to me, seems like an absolute steal.

So, when we get around to actually buying, what should we be looking out for in these old but little used motors?

 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

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.