To buy or not to buy.
Author
Discussion

pad58

Original Poster:

12,549 posts

197 months

Monday 22nd November 2010
quotequote all
Tonight we went to look at a astra on a 56 plate with 32k on the clock.

Nice drive, The service book was in the clovebox and was blank nothing stamped no history no record of anything.uh!
On returning to the network Q garage i asked the salesman about the histroy etc,and because the car was sold by this garage. he was helpful and checked the computer.
There was a new ecu put in the car and a new alternator??????
Alarm bells ringing 32k and a new ecu,alternator why,and why no paperwork?
All this for a bargain windscreen price of £5425.

So i ask the PH massive to buy or not to buy? that is the question.

(I don't want the missus to drive around in a car that could pack up any minute and cost
£5k.)
To you lot.

zippyprorider

736 posts

222 months

Monday 22nd November 2010
quotequote all
walk away thats some big problems its had and dont sound like much of a bargin price to me!

Stitch

933 posts

233 months

Monday 22nd November 2010
quotequote all
+1

Doen't seem cheap regardless of service history.

Why cna the dealer only find a bill for the alternator? Surely if it had been serviced at franchised dealers this would be traceable?


kentmotorcompany

2,471 posts

226 months

Monday 22nd November 2010
quotequote all
I just sold a 21k 1.8vvt Design Auto 5 door, 2007/07 with three Vauxhall service stamps, for £5,150 this weekend just gone, so it does not sound super cheap.

However you have to take into account that a car from a main dealer should come with 12 months Vauxhall warranty, and that has to be worth something.

Although a main dealer approved used car should also come with full service history. If the chap looked on the system and all he found was some was warranty work, I would have thought that a main dealer should not be selling it as a NetworkQ car.

I think the price reflects being sold by a main dealer, and the warranty work should also not be too much of an issue, but I would advise leaving it because of the history.

At the end of the day its a Vauxhall Astra, there will always be plenty more.

HellDiver

5,708 posts

198 months

Monday 22nd November 2010
quotequote all
Mk5 Astra - alternators can die early. ECU? Chances are it was the CIM, which is a common fault on the Mk5. I know of a few which are on their 3rd one. The CIM used to be called the BCM (body control module) - it basically runs everything from the bulkhead backwards, including the immobiliser which is often the problem.

Really, I'd walk away from the Mk5 and go look at a Focus. I had a top-spec Mk5 Sporthatch and hated it, it wasn't half the car of the Mk4.

STW2010

5,864 posts

178 months

Monday 22nd November 2010
quotequote all
It's a Vauxhall.

Don't buy

The Moose

23,413 posts

225 months

Monday 22nd November 2010
quotequote all
STW2010 said:
It's a Vauxhall.

Don't buy
That would be my thoughts on the matter...but I doubt it's overly constructive!!

Cheers

The Moose

pad58

Original Poster:

12,549 posts

197 months

Thursday 9th December 2010
quotequote all
Sorry to bring this one up again,but the missus told me last night that a fr iend of hers
well a workmate went to look at this car i mentioned (astra 1.6 ) and was going to chop her
1.4 tigra T plate in .
Now she was told by the garage that the car had a full service history and they where happy
to give her £5k for the tigra WTF.
I smell somthing fishy ,how are the garage able to make a service history up?
And further more £5k for a clapped out tigra EH!.

Papa Hotel

12,760 posts

198 months

Thursday 9th December 2010
quotequote all
pad58 said:
Sorry to bring this one up again,but the missus told me last night that a fr iend of hers
well a workmate went to look at this car i mentioned (astra 1.6 ) and was going to chop her
1.4 tigra T plate in .
Now she was told by the garage that the car had a full service history and they where happy
to give her £5k for the tigra WTF.
I smell somthing fishy ,how are the garage able to make a service history up?
And further more £5k for a clapped out tigra EH!.
Have a word with trading standards people. Yes, I concur, this smells.

dave0010

1,405 posts

177 months

Thursday 9th December 2010
quotequote all
its a 5k vauxhall walk away and go buy a focus much much better cars in my view and surely any garage could just go an get a service history book and bang a few stamps in it yes this is wrong but they have all the computers and ability to print paperwork to make it so who be any the wiser

andye30m3

3,493 posts

270 months

Thursday 9th December 2010
quotequote all
The Moose said:
STW2010 said:
It's a Vauxhall.

Don't buy
That would be my thoughts on the matter...but I doubt it's overly constructive!!

Cheers

The Moose
having rented a few Vauxhalls I'd also agree.

I'd be looking at the equivalent for focus over an astra

SlimRick

2,267 posts

181 months

Thursday 9th December 2010
quotequote all
Sold our 07 plate Astra in March of this year. Never had any reliability problems with it apart from needing a new battery. Would've bought another one to replace it but just don't like the shape of the new ones.

NiceCupOfTea

25,439 posts

267 months

Thursday 9th December 2010
quotequote all
£5k trade in on a T-reg Tigra? I doubt he will be in business long, £500 sounds more like it.

Prof Prolapse

16,163 posts

206 months

Thursday 9th December 2010
quotequote all
Correct me if I'm wrong but I seem to remember Vaxhall doing quite well in the reliability index stakes these past years.

I always think there's a bit of badge snobbery when it comes to vauxhalls.

Always struck me as quite good value cars but admittedly always pipped at the post by Ford. But of course their price takes this into account...

pad58

Original Poster:

12,549 posts

197 months

Thursday 9th December 2010
quotequote all
The Crack Fox said:
pad58 said:
Sorry to bring this one up again,but the missus told me last night that a fr iend of hers
well a workmate went to look at this car i mentioned (astra 1.6 ) and was going to chop her
1.4 tigra T plate in .
Now she was told by the garage that the car had a full service history and they where happy
to give her £5k for the tigra WTF.
I smell somthing fishy ,how are the garage able to make a service history up?
And further more £5k for a clapped out tigra EH!.
Just because the book isn't stamped doesn't mean is wasn't serviced, maybe the garage gave a print out of the service history ? It does sound dodgy though...
No i checked ,and also the salesman phoned the former owner ,she said it had never been serviced.


rallycross

13,580 posts

253 months

Thursday 9th December 2010
quotequote all
the tigra is £500 not £5000. not possible to be £5k

longdogger

78 posts

183 months

Thursday 9th December 2010
quotequote all
^^true. I'd snap his hand clean off it were £5k