VW Polo MOT History

[Philbus20]

Hi all,
I'm buying my daughter her first car and have found a VW Polo 2006 in good condition.
The MOT history looks like this: https://car-check.co.uk/check/GU06FKG

Not sure if there's anything major I should be worried about on the advisories (and things in the past that have since disappeared I assume have been repaired?)

They're asking £1445 and I offered £1000 on the basis that I'd want to get the work done (and also looking at online valuation) - still waiting for a response.

First used car I've had to buy in a while so I'm a bit rusty!

Thanks for any help.

[Dieci]

Previous owner should have replaced 2 front tyres in September when 1 failed MOT , then failed again on the other tyre 3 weeks later .

What make of tyres is on the front ? ....something you've heard of or Ling Long ditchfinders ?

[Philbus20]

Hmm - nothing I've heard of… See image

[Philbus20]

Although I see they are fitted at Kwik Fit and Halfords

[Dieci]

Hankook are decent mid range tyre ,better than many others .

[Philbus20]

Ok. thanks. So apart from the tyres what do you think of the rets of the MOT?

[Dieci]

I'd replace the brake hoses , a fairly cheap job and also maybe fix the exhaust leak and leave the other 2 advisories .

[lost in espace]

£180 pa to tax, last changed hands 26 Jul 2019.

Is it a private sale or dealer? A grand is very cheap.

[davek_964]

Based on the MOT history, I don't think I'd buy it.

Tyres needing replacing at the MOT because they're down to the cords screams neglect to me. I know it's an old car, and not particularly expensive - but stuff like that makes me close the ad and look elsewhere.

[Philbus20]

Thanks all.
Yes, it's a private sale. Having been to look at it I'd say it hasn't been neglected, it was in good condition.
It seems hard to find a car that's around the £1000 mark in a low insurance group that's in a relatively good state!

I found a list of Group 1 cars and have been systematically taking the reg and running through quotes to get an idea of cheapest insurance.
Polos seem to come in pretty cheap.

[Dieci]

I wouldn't dismiss this ,no mention of rust in the MOT history .
Rust ,the most difficult and costly thing to repair .

[Jordie Barretts sock]

Offering 2/3 of the asking price for what are, very minor defects on a 16yo car, would get a very polite but very firm goodbye.

Your expectations are unrealistic.

[Sir Bagalot]

£180 pa to tax?

I'd be looking for a 107/C1/Aygo. Cheap to run and insure. Your problem will be finding a good one. Half of them seem to have CAT markers

[Shappers24]

Jordie Barretts sock said:

Offering 2/3 of the asking price for what are, very minor defects on a 16yo car, would get a very polite but very firm goodbye.

Your expectations are unrealistic.

This.

In this day and age £1500 for a car with an MOT is a good buy.

[cuprabob]

Dieci said:

Hankook are decent mid range tyre ,better than many others .

I bought a VW Up new back in 2014 and it came with Hankook tyres from the factory. Perfectly good tyres.

[andymc]

Jordie Barretts sock said:

Offering 2/3 of the asking price for what are, very minor defects on a 16yo car, would get a very polite but very firm goodbye.

Your expectations are unrealistic.

yup, fk right off

[andymc]

Shappers24 said:

Jordie Barretts sock said:

Offering 2/3 of the asking price for what are, very minor defects on a 16yo car, would get a very polite but very firm goodbye.

Your expectations are unrealistic.

This.

In this day and age £1500 for a car with an MOT is a good buy.

a half decent push bike is that price

[davek_964]

Philbus20 said:

Having been to look at it I'd say it hasn't been neglected, it was in good condition.

I guess we differ on what we consider neglect. Running a car to the point where the tyres are illegal suggests that it's driven without anybody - except the MOT tester - ever checking anything. If they don't check tyres enough to avoid this, it's pretty likely they don't check stuff like oil either - which on a car with well over 100k miles, might bite you.

Each to their own though. As I said, there are a few red flags that stop me considering certain cars - MOT failures on tyres like that is one of them for me.

"Good" condition is a completely different thing to mechanical neglect.

[Shedding]

Dieci said:

I wouldn't dismiss this ,no mention of rust in the MOT history .
Rust ,the most difficult and costly thing to repair .

I agree with this. It looks OK for a cheap car. The only thing which might concern me would be the "Exhaust carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits" but that could be to do with the leaking exhaust and seems to have disappeared anyway. If no smoke from the exhaust, I'd buy it.

[123DWA]

davek_964 said:

Running a car to the point where the tyres are illegal suggests that it's driven without anybody - except the MOT tester - ever checking anything. If they don't check tyres enough to avoid this, it's pretty likely they don't check stuff like oil either - which on a car with well over 100k miles, might bite you.

What you're describing there is anybody who is not a car enthusiast. I highly doubt you're going to find an enthusiast owned 16yr old Polo