Would you buy a car that's been used for towing?

Looking at an Smax, 20K on the clock with factory fit towbar. It has been used for towing, as the towballs worn, should I be concerned?

Of course I would.

*ponders trick question*

not really. they sign them off by towing a trailer around the proving ground

Why trick question?

I wouldn’t buy one, but I am very risk averse by nature. Even if it were discounted I would still be wary, so no win for me. No shortage of 2nd hand Fords, so a buyers market?

EDIT. Actually I would never buy any second hand car, so my opinion is worth SFA 😳

why not?

Most people would buy a car that could easily tow what they wanted to tow so why not

Peak torque is nowhere near peak revs

smax = big family + towbar = walk away fast.

Especially if its registered in Basildon.

it’s been used for towing what? I have a towbar fitted, I use it for a bike rack…

Warton, yes but nobody else, especially the buyer may know that, you may have been axle deep in the sea launching your speedboat, or pulling a huge chavavan.

and if it hadn’t a towbar, they could have still used it for towing – just removed the bar…

I’d buy one if everything checked out OK.
Done it before a couple of times, no problem.

SB

yes you may have been axle deep in the same way as it may have driven everywhere at full speed and ragged the hell out of it or pootled everywhere at 50 mph

NO

i might, depends if it drove ok.

Did you ask what it had been towing?
Don’t think I’d be too bothered, just check the clutch is ok, maybe check the inner boot seals, and check the quality of the fit on the towbar.

Strangely, I’ve just posted my Ford with a towbar in the classifieds HERE

I thought having a towbar would have been a good thing 🙂

No good to you though OP – mileage considerably higher than what you’re looking at!!

The salesman said that is was a factory fit towbar, but because it was a Ford Direct car, it would have not have been used for towing. A spare reg plate (from whatever was being towed) turned up in the boot with the detachable (used) towbar, so he backtracked on that one 8O.

Think I might give this one a miss, but it’s a bummer, as I need to get a car with a towbar for friday, and I liked this one. There were a couple of other things not quite right, so I think i’ll keep looking.

😐 Ummm… excuse my confusion, but you need a car with a towbar, but are worried about buying one with a towbar?

no you are confused he is worried about one with a towbar that has been used. Fitted is fine used not fine

What is the fear?

Worn clutch or strain on the car overall? (would like to know)

WTF

you want a tow bar but not one that’s been used…

It’s only done 20k. It has a tow bar. You like it.

Does it come with a warranty? Does it look a mess?

if it all checks out then why not? Use it as a haggling point. As soon as you tow with it then it’s been used to tow anyway so you will be no better off.

I have a tow bar on my new car, also came with a spare plate which saves be buying one. The guy had it fitted to tow his semi inflatable rib. Saves me getting one fitted when I get my sailing boat 🙂

If you are completely paranoid why don’t you ask the previous owner what he towed with it? …. A supertanker (bad) or a caravan/boat (good)

Supertanker bad lol

Also if it has single electricks – won’t be a caravan will it?

20K miles is nothing.

I bought a Toyota 4Runner with a tow bar, they even had a couple of different size hitches with it, so it was obvious that it was used for towing. It had 80k when I bought it, now has 180k and runs like a dream. I expect to get another 100k.

Having a used towbar isnt a problem when the dealer lies saying it would never of been used then has to back track is a problem. Id walk away not like its hard to find a used smax.

There are no factory fit towbars on S-Max, all dealer fit or aftermarket. I bought a 60 plate (December) one two weeks ago with 1340 miles. £16400 Zetec 140

a car with a tow bar? yes! would save me the bother of fitting one. Buying a car from a used car dealer? No, they are all sharks and liars (I used to run two used car sales sites) and you have already caught him out as a liar!

If it’s type approved etc and been looked after, why not. And it could be caravan with single electrics, ours is.

Frankenstein – I tow a lot of caravans on an almost daily basis, and i only ever have one socket on the car, I never use the auxiliary socket (grey) as it only runs the fridge and the fog light. I can cope with warm beer (just) 🙂

No, my bss had a perfectly nice car. Then, as a swap for free stables she agreed to cart around some of the horses, her car is now knackered (only 3 years old).

Thanks for info! It also means this buyers guide I kept handy is a load of rubbish lol 😆

No, my bss had a perfectly nice car. Then, as a swap for free stables she agreed to cart around some of the horses, her car is now knackered (only 3 years old).

There aren’t many cars that could (legally) tow a loaded horse box…

Frankenstein, not sure abot the buyers guide but using the second socket on the old twin 7 pin systems is entirely optional. I also tow horse trailers, mini diggers, sheep trailers etc. and i’ve only had one new cluth this year 😳

my last car had a tow bar on it. I had it fitted. I did 135,000 miles in it (had 12,000 when I got it) before I sold it and it probably towed for 5000 of them. – 3% of its miles then?

My current car now has 48,000 miles on, owned since 400 miles. It has a tow bar. It has towed gravel in a trailer to the dump 5 times (dump 3 miles away) and our caravan to France this year (2000 miles) and a few other much smaller caravan holidays in 2009 and 2010 so probably totaling 1000 miles total. 6% of its miles spent towing?

In the grand scheme of things, its not much. Don’t worry.

Yes, but depends on the car. A small petrol engine – forget it. A modern 130hp+ diesel – no problem.