Used car advertised with 12 months MOT but only has 5. What to do?

Hi all.

Going to look at a car tomorrow that on auto trader is advertised with 12 months MOT.

However the dealer has just come back to me and said the MOT is due in August at the same time as the service. So in effect it has 5 months.

I’ve just gone back to the dealer and mentioned this and asked if there will be a price reduction or can they MOT tomorrow morning before viewing. He has come back and said they haven’t got time tomorrow to MOT and so will discuss tomorrow when we go to view.

Would you be looking at a discount at all? If so by how much?

Car is advertised at £10223

Cheers

My take would be 12 months MOT or no sale.

You are not likely to be driving it away tomorrow, so just ensure they do the MOT before you do take delivery.

I’d be expecting a fresh MOT to be applied after you’ve agreed a purchase, before you’ve collected it. That’s fairly standard IME. A dealer doesn’t want to a) rush to apply an MOT when they’d rather be enjoying breakfast b) buy one for a speculative viewer they don’t know from Adam in case the purchase doesn’t go ahead and they end up having to do it again to get 12 months for the next buyer.

I would be driving away tomorrow.

The car is apparently ready to go following a test drive.

Ive been teeing this up with the dealer for a few days and its literally about half hour ago hes told me its due in August.

As above, I’d expect it to be MOT’d before I drove it away. Can you delay the visit to give them time. What if you pay a deposit? How far away is the dealer?

For £10,000 he can find an MOT slot

So I’ve sold my car today and kind of pinned my hopes on this one being as good in real life as the photos show.

In reality I need to test drive tomorrow and buy and come away with it there and then as need it for work on Monday and have no plan B

dealer is and hour and half away so not just round the corner.

I was thinking of suggesting a £150 reduction to make up for the fact I need to mot in 5 months not 12

Main dealers doing their own MOTs might normally be able to fit in but tester may not work on a Saturday, and getting it to a third party on a Saturday when all the office workers will be trying to get one done might be an issue.

You’re only asking for a £50 reduction, unless it fails. Any past evidence of that, etc. – check the MOT history and has it been fully serviced. £10K could be a £20K car on first MOT or a 10 year old £50K+ car, advice may differ on what.

I’d be relaxed about it if no counter problems, and you really want the car – but I might push for it on the basis of you’ll get it MOTed and if there’s a major fail then you’ll be returning for repair or refund. If it’s a dealer, then I think you’d be in your rights to do that anyway – would be assumed to have that fault when sold, as long as you get the MOT done promptly.

But I’d have that in writing and signed.

I would be driving away tomorrow.

You’d be in a better negotiating position if he doesn’t know that. You could open with £x today or £y next week with 12months MOT.

TBH an MOT won’t tell you much more than a test drive and looking over the car yourself will. It’s a bit like PAT testing, 90% of it’s by eye, followed by the tester to check if the earth works / emissions.

I got £30 off my last car because it only had 3 days MOT left 😂, it was a cheap enough gamble that I just tarted up a few bits and booked it in the next morning to see if/what was wrong with it.

Did it have advisories last time? Have you done an enhanced check (above and beyond HPI)?

Previous MOTS have all been fine with no advisories.

Nice motor not many around and serviced on the button.

7 month mot is worth a lot more than £150 i would have thought especially on a car at that cost.  I would be very suspicious of why the dealer is reluctant to mot it.

For me it would be 12 month mot or no sale

What TJ said.

7 month mot is worth a lot more than £150 i would have thought especially on a car at that cost.

You can’t just go off the cost, as i said it could be a newish car just over 3 years, or an older prestige. Subsequently the OP has said previous MOTs which points to the latter, and in that case then yes, I’d be more insistent on having it done or a subsequent risk mitigation – either a promised repair in case of issues, or a significant reduction.

Jeez, people read into stuff don’t they.

The dealer isn’t reluctant to MOT it. He’s reluctant to before sale…this is standard practice. They only MOT after sale so it’s not sat on the forecourt ticking down the MOT for a month or two before someone comes along to buy it. It’s not the dealers fault the seller NEEDs the car that day.

Why haven’t you raised this previously if you’ve been teeing it up for days? You should have been doing your homework on MOT history, CarVertical/HPI etc.

Given your need to drive the car away, I don’t think you’ll get much off it (maybe the MOT cost).

7 month mot is worth a lot more than £150 i would have thought especially on a car at that cost. 

7/12 of £54.95 is £31.99 especially if it’s an in house mot. 

On an old car it’s worth more  imo than on a newer car . Old car much more likely to catastrophically fial

7 month mot is worth a lot more than £150 i would have thought especially on a car at that cost. I would be very suspicious of why the dealer is reluctant to mot it.

They’ll normally mot after a sale is agreed. If it sat for a month after being done straight after coming into stock they’d probably need to do it twice at additional cost.

It’s a £10xxx mondeo 67 plate

First thing I do when checking out cars is check the MOT history.
And if dealers blank the reg out in adverts I ask them for it.
But it sounds like you need this car tomorrow so you don’t have any leaway.

See if you can book an MOT near to the garage offering it for sale tomorrow. Drive it over yourself. Obviously explaining to the the dealer what you are doing

Ask the dealer if you get can get it MOTed, local to you, in the next week and that they’ll cover any issues that crop up

It’s a bit purple that car!

MOT is great for basic stuff, biggest thing for this one is the emissions test, as the exhaust, DPF, etc is the worry on a ford that’s done over 80k miles, make sure that number plate light has been fixed as well 😉

A ‘67 plate car should be fine on an MOT.

Our ‘67 plate Kuga did need discs and pads though and that’s on 65k miles.

Round him down to £10k from his very weird price as a minimum! 😀

I don’t think there is anything sinister going on. If you want the dealer to do the MOT you could ask the dealer if he has car he could loan you for a few days whilst it is done. He may have some cheap trade-in that he would be happy for you to drive for a bit.

The dealer will probably have a tame teaser who’ll pass anything so work on the basis that all you’re gaining by him putting a new MOT on it is it puts the ~£50 you’d be spending on an MOT back by 7 months.

I’d still expect them to do it, but as above they probably won’t do it until they know it’s sold.

MOT is only an indication of the car to meet safety standards on the day of test. It doesn’t indicate how the car has been looked after during its life.

That’s things like service history, brand of tyres (premium or Chinese cheapo ditch finders), branded filters or Halfords?, decant brand battery etc
MOT history – lingering advisorys that they can’t be bothered fixing etc.
Are the scuttle drains blocked with leaves, how clean is the engine bay etc.

Unicorn cars are out there but need searching for and take time to weedle out…..but it’s a 7year old Mondeo so you’ve given up on motoring life so just crack on and buy it!

Buy my car instead, it’s cheaper, newer and actually does have 12 months MOT.

molgrips
Free Member

Buy my car instead, it’s cheaper, newer and actually does have 12 months MOT.

Only if they live within 40miles of you🤣

Only if they live within 40miles of you🤣

And can get a return fare.

Tbh it’s better to hire a car from somewhere for a couple of days rather than panic buy. It might have other issues so maybe get a plan b anyway.

A ~7 years old motor should have a good service history too. Dont be fooled by the Dealer ‘x no’ of checks promises, they are usually bobbins, and do consider someone px’d it for a reason.

Whilst i Completely agree that an mot is only an indication of the car on the day, at least you know it was decent and you’re not going to get a bill for discs and pads or a dpf etc.

Also, bloody hammer it on a test drive to see if any gremlins come out.

The biggest vit of advice is trust your instinct and if you get any red flags take your 10k somewhere else.

A lot of small traders use a garage nearby for MOTs, and these usually come advisory free, which I’m sceptical about.

I’d be happy enough to have a small discount if the car checks out otherwise.

I’d absolutely want it MOT’d. And not done by the trader themselves either (even if they have a cert to) or their dodgy mate’s garage.

I’d absolutely want it testing for emissions as a minimum. Most MOT fixes are not catastrophically  horrendous (brakes, brake lines,  tyres, can be several hundred or upwards of a grand (Ford wanted £1100 to replace discs and pads all round on my Kuga (done it myself for about £500 with decent parts and a coupleof new tools), and new Michelin tyres all round were £660 a few weeks ago. but not scrap the car time.  Fail engine emissions due to a **** Cat or worse worn piston rings and resultant burnt valves, and you’re in for £££ several thousands  Don’t ask me how I know how much worn rings and burnt iut valves cost to fix 😖.  That did get scrapped.

Going to look at a car tomorrow that on auto trader is advertised with 12 months MOT

This is common, bought by the dealer with an extant MOT that will be renewed before sale.

I wouldn’t travel 90 minutes for something that isn’t as advertised. What else isn’t as advertised?

If you travel you are at a disadvantage; three hour journey to return empty-handed? Maybe I’ll overlook this…and that…and…

MOT it and then I’ll come. Don’t be pressured

Probably a bit late to the party: ask them to put it up on a ramp, do your own MOT and if you’re happy buy it without further haggle. If there’s anything you don’t like, don’t buy it. If they won’t put it on a ramp take it for a test drive and park it one side on a high kerb, put on the old clothes you have in a plastic bag and grovel underneath till you’re happy.

MOT it and then I’ll come. Don’t be pressured

Save your breath just look for another car

He ain’t moting it till it’s sold.

MOT it and then I’ll come. Don’t be pressured

OP has already pressured himself with

So I’ve sold my car today and kind of pinned my hopes on this one being as good in real life as the photos show.

In reality I need to test drive tomorrow and buy and come away with it there and then as need it for work on Monday and have no plan B

Unless dealer is a STW reader they won’t know that but reality is that OP is looking for ways to mitigate risk, but ‘MOT and then I’ll come’ isn’t really in the arsenal. And risks giving the hand away if that’s their position

“MOT it and then I’ll come”

“OK, but can’t get it done until Tuesday”

“OK, I’m coming today anyway”

and back to one of my earlier posts

If OP MOTs it and there’s any significant fault found (subsequent to buying but quickly, I don’t mean in 6 months time) then as a dealer they’re still liable to repair or replace or refund as it’ll be assumed present at purchase.

Hence why, given the position the OP’s backed themself into already by selling their car and needing one for work on Monday, getting agreement that you’ll MOT it early next week and if any fault found you expect the dealer to repair is in essence stating your rights anyway, but getting that explicitly agreed in writing would go a step further.

As said, on a 7 year old diesel with nearly 85k on the clock all I’d be worried about is the exhaust, dpf, egr, etc, if you can see under the vehicle that’d be great, the only bit of the mot I’d be interested in is emissions, the garage will have checked it over on arrival and it’ll have had the mini pass an mot service and a clean.

I’d also say from the MOT history it was a sales reps car for 3 years, doing nearly 60k in that time, since then it’s done 4k, 7k and just over 9k annually, so not exactly thrashed in the last 3 years, so would say the second owner wasn’t killing it, but those distances do reiterate the worry about a ford diesel, has the DPF/EGR been getting clogged or so on, it’s my biggest hatred on modern diesels, especially fords or vauxhalls, the DPF/EGR are there for emissions, but can die or need a clean or refurb, which is very costly on these!

I wouldn’t travel 90 minutes for something that isn’t as advertised. What else isn’t as advertised?

This. It’s in breach of CRA. Buying from a dealer, your rights are as new. Goods have to be “as described.”

Buy it if you can get it in writing that they will fix any issues that come up on the MOT you’ll be putting it through. And you’ll expect a discount for the hassle.

Bear in mind, the MOT test is roadworthiness. It doesn’t mean that everything else works.

BE PREPARED TO WALK AWAY or you’ll have your pants pulled down. There is no better bargaining chip than “no thanks, bye.”

NEVER enter a car show room with a need to buy the car that day, always have a plan B.  You can’t afford to buy something that’s wrong, you won’t get the best price if you can’t walk away.  Car salesmen may not be very good at much, but they are good at sensing desperation.  They are also heaving incentivised for meeting targets at the end of a month/quarter and often need that pressure to focus their mind.

Personally I’d call him this morning and say, sorry given the travel time it’s not really worth your while coming over if the car is not ready to drive away (12 months mot).  Put the ball back in his court.  I bet he’s on the phone later this morning with a solution!   If he’s not public transport/bike/hire car for a few days until you find something else.  There’s probably a million cars for sale in the U.K. – no way is this one old Mondeo the only one to suit you!

oh, and don’t go all “CRA” “false advertising” etc on him – he’s under no obligation to sell it at all, certainly not to sell it today and any negotiating power you had evaporates as soon as you try these sort of arguments.

It baffles me how fixated people get on ‘one’ car. That Mondeo may have a good spec, but in a 90 minute drive you’ll be driving past hundreds of Mondeos for sale that would do the job just as well.

Driving a long way for a rare classic I get – but a Mondeo though? 🤷‍♂️

And any aftersales support will be a right pain in the arse.