Ex-Volvo UK Cars

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Discussion

cmscotland

Original Poster:

4 posts

108 months

Tuesday 3rd March 2015
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Hi,

Looking at buying an ex-volvo uk car. Only 4 months old and a few thousand on the clock. The car seems in ok condition and has good spec. However I noticed the front tyres had been changed from the bridge stones normally fitted and two used Goodyear tyres were fitted! Wear is just above wear markers and pretty worn on shoulder. Tyre change compound put on alloy still visible. So my question to those that may know: Is it common practice to put old tyres on an ex-Volvo UK management cars? And has anyone bought one if these cars and their thoughts on it?

Much Appreciated

BL Fanboy

339 posts

141 months

Wednesday 4th March 2015
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I'd give that car a miss to be honest.

Its wrong for all the reasons you state, and unless a suitable reason is given along with new tyres provided on sale I wouldn't be going ahead with it.

A senior Volvo managers son has probably been "borrowing" the car whilst it was at home and doing burnouts.

Else, the relatively new tyres have been stolen whilst it was in a garage for something.

Or, it could have damaged front suspension from a kerbing incident that has been covered up on the cheap by an employee.

cmscotland

Original Poster:

4 posts

108 months

Wednesday 4th March 2015
quotequote all
Thanks BL Fanboy. Yeh that's kind of my fears at the moment. It has just about every option clicked, but don't want a duff car that ends up costing in the future. The dealership said they would change the tyres and it had only arrived at the garage. Do I trust the workshop to check it over and fix any issues. Probably not. I remember talking to a tyre fighter who said they change the tyres on hire cars ready for disposal to auction houses/dealerships so as to keep their current cars with good tyre stock. The car I'm looking at is D2 se lux nav with driver convenience, winter pack, hard man sound system and TFT display. I'm trying to see past the shiny shiny

BL Fanboy

339 posts

141 months

Wednesday 4th March 2015
quotequote all
Sounds like a lovely spec - I'd try to find another / hang on a bit until the right car turns up.

I bought a 9 month old car, an Astra from a car supermarket. I'd not had it a week when the police pulled me because there was a "marker" on their system against the car - apparently my car had been a rental car (disposed of at 9 months through said car supermarket) and previous renters had been up to no good and had been using the car for dodgy purposes - don't know what.

Never got stopped again as the police were then satisfied the car was no longer of interest.

I had to have a very expensive reconditioned gearbox and dual mass flywheel at only 60K miles and I always wondered wether its premature failure was down to the above mentioned miscreants abusing the car in its early life.

So, when a garage says its a "management" car - it could be a euphemism for hire car, courtesy car, or a demo car - which it might be if it has all the options ticked. It might not have been "run" by a middle aged conscientious desk jockey that gets a car every 3 or 4 months to get the registration figures.

Elderly

3,486 posts

237 months

Wednesday 4th March 2015
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I have an ex-Volvo 'fleet' car and when I was looking at model/year options
I came across a car that I liked, but it had a few issues such as brand new crapbrand tyres on the front at a mileage that suggested it didn't need them - I walked away from that car.

A lot of them are sold off by Volvo UK at various mileages and ages to their dealerships in closed auctions and I was told that anything that needs sorting before the dealer sells it to the public is then down to the dealer.

After_Shock

8,751 posts

219 months

Thursday 5th March 2015
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The cars see mixed uses but trying to find out who by and how they have been used is impossible.

A lot of the cars will be ex press cars, hence they wont be driven kindly and probably explains the shagged tyres.

However a lot are allocated staff company cars which get changed 4-6 months and they tend to be well looked after in general, but as always some staff will hammer them same as any privately owned cars, just down to the user.

norchi

350 posts

221 months

Thursday 5th March 2015
quotequote all
All Volvo UK press and fleet vehicles were managed and maintained by Paragon in Bicester the last time I looked. http://www.paragonautomotive.co.uk/


They would presumably be expected to operate within a set of parameters agreed with any customer, both in the day to day availability and fitness for purpose of said vehicles and ultimately they may have some part in controlling the condition in which vehicles leave their care on route to disposal.... or otherwise.....

Recently a good friend had a 'demonstration' V60 p* delivered for a week's trial: that turned up with incorrect tyre pressures and improperly set-up adjustable damping that caused it to handle very poorly, a remarkable oversight when you consider the BS surrounding this overpriced, overhyped vehicle that would require perfect presentation if a prospective buyer wishes to evaluate its particular attributes........

Don.

Edited by norchi on Thursday 5th March 09:53

loskie

5,144 posts

119 months

Thursday 12th March 2015
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I don't think you state the model other than D2. But there are huge amounts of D2 V40 and V60's used as hire cars. It is likely these are defleeted at 10000m maximum and sold as nearly new ex Volvo cars. the fleet co may have had free use to boost reg figures and get used cars into the market.

cmscotland

Original Poster:

4 posts

108 months

Thursday 12th March 2015
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It is a D2 SE LUX NAV with driver pack, winter pack, hardman and karman sound system!

oldcynic

2,166 posts

160 months

Thursday 12th March 2015
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I'd hazard a guess that someone with access to the car has swapped their shagged tyres for the nearly new tyres from the Volvo. Not a great advert for the car, but if the explanation is that simple and the car checks out OK in all other respects then it's still worth a look.

Are the tyres a common size? You still haven't stated the model (v50/60/70 etc) so it's difficult to guess. Given the evidence on the wheels it would seem that the tyres have been put on when they were well worn rather than having been on for months.

cmscotland

Original Poster:

4 posts

108 months

Thursday 12th March 2015
quotequote all
Oops sorry it was the V40! The tyres have been taken off a new car and have been fitted to the car I was looking at. I remember one if the tyre fitters who does our works vans that enterprise will ask him to inspect all the cars being sold at auction and take off any good tyres to be used on the other hire cars. I had a good look at the car recently. Looks in good condition. Engine bay clean, oil still looks good and no damage apparent at the moment. Drove ok and no damage visually.

loskie

5,144 posts

119 months

Friday 13th March 2015
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From your name I see you may be in Scotland may i be so bold as to suggest avoiding Parks Volvo in Ayr, I bought a new v50 there experience was very poor. Similarly A Clark

Sheepshanks

32,530 posts

118 months

Friday 13th March 2015
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Used tyres would indicate the others have been nicked so if they were worth nicking that implies the car hadn't been mistreated.

Generic comments - we had a V6 Peugeot 406 delivered by Peugeot Corporate to work to try - I reckon the front tyres were borderline illegal and it had done 4K miles, so it must have a had a hard life.

I bought an ex-management Merc with 6K on it and the whole car, including the tyres, looked good as new.

After_Shock

8,751 posts

219 months

Sunday 15th March 2015
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norchi said:
a remarkable oversight when you consider the BS surrounding this overpriced, overhyped vehicle
Don.

Edited by norchi on Thursday 5th March 09:53
Your clearly a fan of it then? Not entirely sure how its overpriced when its the same price a full spec normal one (almost), get quite a few tasty extra bits for the same money really.

timlit

38 posts

154 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
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Bought an ex Volvo UK V60 D5 SE satnav geartronic, just over a year ago from Volvo chester.

Great car, have done 17k miles so far with no problems at all.

Really good price with still over 1 years warranty on it, and well prepped apart from the brakes.

Very juddery even at 15k on the clock, but discs and pads changed by dealer, no quibble.

Just coming up to end of warranty in May, no other car on horizon for spec. or price so am keeping

it with an extended warranty for approx. £400 for 1 year.

After_Shock

8,751 posts

219 months

Tuesday 7th April 2015
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cmscotland said:
Oops sorry it was the V40! The tyres have been taken off a new car and have been fitted to the car I was looking at. I remember one if the tyre fitters who does our works vans that enterprise will ask him to inspect all the cars being sold at auction and take off any good tyres to be used on the other hire cars. I had a good look at the car recently. Looks in good condition. Engine bay clean, oil still looks good and no damage apparent at the moment. Drove ok and no damage visually.
Its very difficult to burn tyres off in a D2 it simply doesn't have the power and if you are its purely deliberate as opposed to just accidentally accelerating too quick out of a junction etc, will be a story behind the tyres but finding out what it is wont be easy.