What to do with my lemon of a car - advice welcome

[Antonia]

This is a tale of stupidity and woe, and now I need some help before I make the whole situation worse (please be kind ).

4 Years ago I needed a cheap run around for 1 year. My sister-in-law was emigrating and said "Why dont you buy my little Fiesta, it is an automatic, low mileage and blue?" Not having much time to go looking I foolishly said "Yes", what could go wrong with that pedigree? I said I'd pay the value listed in the guide book (value based on the reg number), she said "They are listed for 1.5k more than that on autotrader". I said "Don't push your luck I'm saving you the hassle of selling". Much wailing and interference from in-laws I agree to pay the "immaculate" price for the car. My mistake was buying it unseen on the basis of the sister-in-laws evaluation of it being a perfect little car. I also ignored the a few words that kept coming back on the valuations. These were "manual gearbox, durashift".

When I collected the car, the condition was not immaculate and I realised it was not an automatic, but a truly awful semi-automatic system. But to keep the peace in the family I accepted my stupidity and took my mistake on the chin. Within a year I had to replace the clutch (at 25,000 miles) and the guy at the garage suggested I get rid of the car ASAP. I didn't need another car, I am not ruthless enough to sell privately so I took the easy option and lent it to my brother who needed a stop gap car for a few years. He knew it was a heap of junk.

It has kept going for 3 more years and now has 45K on the clock. But the motors in the gearbox have now seized. It will not move. 2.3K for a repair or 900 to have the motors refurbished. If I pay to get it moving again, it is worth between 1.2K and 1.5K trade in and max 1.9k private sale but I couldn't pass it off as being immaculate in all honesty.

I have since learnt that the "Durashift" was never a good move and dealers will avoid taking them at all costs. The dealer who sold it to my sister in law must have been extremely chuffed.

So I see my choices as:
1. Pay 900, hope it works long enough to then sell/trade in ASAP for more than 900.
2. Do nothing and scrap it.

Does anyone have any other (legal) suggestions or advice? Is there any chance someone would buy it from me in its current state to repair it themselves by replacing the gear box?

Thank you!

[Jazoli]

I'd stick it on Ebay/Gumtree with an honest description (although I'd not mention the estimated repair costs) and let someone else sort it.

You will get some money back, probably enough to buy a reasonable 10 year old car to replace it.

I would not spend another penny on it personally.

[storminnorman]

Expensive lesson. Get rid

[fjord]

You sound like someone with moral conscience. Could you really sell it to a private buyer knowing the history? If it's as bad as you say, and you're honest, it won't sell.

Scrapping it is a silly idea, in terms of just binning it.

Personally? Put it on e-bay as spares or repair. You'll hopefully get a reasonable price for it, not as much as selling it in working order, but you can gurantee some trader will tow it away on a truck, hand you some cash, and you never need worry about it again.

[DKS]

Could you convert it to manual?

[moebiusuk]

Get rid but just out of curiosity what was the age and mileage when you bought it and how much did you pay for it?

EDIT: By get rid, I mean with honest description on ebay

[Northernchimp]

eBay, list the faults, £300 start price and cross your fingers,

[Antonia]

DKS said:

Could you convert it to manual?

Apparently it can be done without too much stress and people do do it. But personal circumstances mean that neither I nor my brother have the time or inclination to take that on.

[SMcP114]

Take your sister in law to the small claims court on the basis of misrepresentation.

[Antonia]

fjord said:

You sound like someone with moral conscience. Could you really sell it to a private buyer knowing the history? If it's as bad as you say, and you're honest, it won't sell.

This is my feeling as well.

fjord said:

Scrapping it is a silly idea, in terms of just binning it.

It feels terrible from and ecological point of view.

fjord said:

Personally? Put it on e-bay as spares or repair. You'll hopefully get a reasonable price for it, not as much as selling it in working order, but you can gurantee some trader will tow it away on a truck, hand you some cash, and you never need worry about it again.

I am bit naive here, but would someone really buy it given it won't move? I must admit I hadn't thought of ebay. Thanks!

[Antonia]

SMcP114 said:

Take your sister in law to the small claims court on the basis of misrepresentation.

Yessssssss, my in-laws dislike me enough as it is. My that has made me chuckle though.

[fjord]

Antonia said:

I am bit naive here, but would someone really buy it given it won't move? I must admit I hadn't thought of ebay. Thanks!

Hell yes. £150 is the standard price for scrapping it and melting it down.

Even if you don't do it yourself (which tbh is a chore, pain in the arse, and needs a lot of individual ebay auctions), a breakers yard would break it down and use the parts, or sell parts individually. Engines, seats, interior trim, headlights, body panels etc. All these things are in demand for people looking for cheap alternatives to dealership prices.

I don't know the age and mileage of the car, but as an example, here's an 80k astra which is 8 years old and is already up to £800, with the actual engine rattling it's bks off (which could be super-serious).

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2005-VAUXHALL-ASTRA-LIFE...

And this is nothing to do with me, i just typed 'spares or repair' into e-bay and picked the first semi-decent car that popped up.

[manitou]

Cut your losses weigh it in & put it down to experience.

[SMcP114]

Antonia said:

SMcP114 said:

Take your sister in law to the small claims court on the basis of misrepresentation.

Yessssssss, my in-laws dislike me enough as it is. My that has made me chuckle though.

In all seriousness, throw it on ebay and be clear as to what it needs. You'll be surprised the amount of people would buy it thinking they're getting a bargain.

[Antonia]

moebiusuk said:

Get rid but just out of curiosity what was the age and mileage when you bought it and how much did you pay for it?

Don't judge me (or try and sell me anything I am an easy target).

Looking back at the emails I paid 4.8K, it was 4 years old with two previous "careful" lady owners and I think 20k on the clock.

I hang my head in shame.

[rossub]

fjord said:

Hell yes. £150 is the standard price for scrapping it and melting it down.

Even if you don't do it yourself (which tbh is a chore, pain in the arse, and needs a lot of individual ebay auctions), a breakers yard would break it down and use the parts, or sell parts individually. Engines, seats, interior trim, headlights, body panels etc. All these things are in demand for people looking for cheap alternatives to dealership prices.

I don't know the age and mileage of the car, but as an example, here's an 80k astra which is 8 years old and is already up to £800, with the actual engine rattling it's bks off (which could be super-serious).

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2005-VAUXHALL-ASTRA-LIFE...

And this is nothing to do with me, i just typed 'spares or repair' into e-bay and picked the first semi-decent car that popped up.

Agreed. It's still a Fiesta and that means parts that are useful to a hell of a big market.

[Antonia]

rossub said:

Agreed. It's still a Fiesta and that means parts that are useful to a hell of a big market.

Yes, of course. I had forgotten that.

[Murderlamb]

[V8RX7]

Stick it on Ebay.

Recently my cousin's golf with 140k blew it's chocolate gearbox - known issue £1k to fix.

Working cars sell for £2k

I managed to get £1500 on Ebay as spares / repair - it sold to a mechanic

[TooMany2cvs]

What'd it be worth as a healthy manual-box Fester?

Now take the worst-case value of it currently (couple of hundred quid for weigh-in), and add the 'box conversion cost to that. If that's a healthy chunk less, then convert it. Otherwise, fleaBay it. 99p. No reserve. Absolute honesty about the faults.