Small things that put you off buying a car?

[fjord]

Towbars.

Never ever will I buy a car with a towbar on. Ok, it might have spent two days a year pulling a 250kg trailer to the tip at 20mph, but I also cant avoid the thought it's been towing around a one tonne trailer with a two tonne car on the back every day for the last 4 years.

Oh, and beige interiors. fk beige interiors.

[shiftydave]

Agreed on the towbar. Any advert described as "One lady owner" puts me off as well. I could give reasons why but would be branded a sexist

[kambites]

I don't think I'd ever buy a family car without a tow bar again; they're just so useful.


For me, trivial absolute no-nos are:

Silver/grey/white paint
An all grey/black interior
A non-round steering wheel
The smell of cigarette smoke

[J4CKO]

Photo in the ad that looks like a demilatrarized zone

[LuS1fer]

Perfectly servicable cheapo tyres puts me off but didn't stop me buying my current car based on a pros and cons basis.

Any hint of it having been smoked in.

Aftermarket tinted windows, innit.

[GregK2]

Cheap / mismatched tyres

[jimmy156]

Any form of exterior modification at all (wheels included)

crap photos

[skyrover]

Not keen on cigarette smoke, nor buying from a neighbourhood that looks like

[Palms]

Towing eye cover missing
Gets me everytime

[5pen]

White paint, kerbed wheels, ads that begin "Here we have..."

[richs2891]

Inaccurate information in the advert
As already said - been smoked in

Described as custom or modified.
Described as perfect condition when the picture clearly shows its not

[KungFuPanda]

Aftermarket wheels or wheels sprayed a different colour from factory.

I went to look at this 4200 at a garage but bought a 996 C4S they had instead due to the fact that this had black wheels...

http://www.christopherjacksonltd.com/vehicle.asp?i...

[RedCarsAnonymous]

Greasy/shiny tyre sidewalls Just screams "never cared for until tarted up before sale"

[anonymous-user]

Without a doubt it's cigarette smoke for me.

Even more so when I've asked the owner if it has been smoked in, and they say no. It's a tad annoying to travel 200 miles to the car and find out they were lying.

Some choice words and a few hundred quid off the agreed price to get it professionally cleaned made it a bit better.

If I was closer to home I would have just walked away though.

[redtwin]

Aftermarket bodykit is about the only thing I can think of. I have bought cars that have had one or more of all the above mentioned "faults".

[Wheatley173]

I generally don't like any car that has been modified from standard factory spec. How ever on that note, my wheels could do with being refurbished. It is a 56 plate e90 320d m sport in lemans blue. The face lift version have a slightly darker grey coloured wheel. Think it's called ferric grey. I would be interested in knowing if people would be put off looking at the car if I was ever to sell it my self, as people would know it's not standard for its age?

Currently


What I would like

[Jordan210]

None matching tyres.

Went to dealer to look at a car for the GF car was 6 months old and had 4 different brands of tyres on !

[Porkupine]

My list:

- 'Never been tracked' in the description - how the hell do you know if it is not one owner!??
- Car that has been remapped or modded. Not sure why, as recently mildly remapped my Mercedes and love it. But still wouldn't buy one mapped!
- 'First to Call will Buy' in the description
- The colour Green
- 'Cheapest in country' in description
- Cheap brand tyres (as previously noted by others)

I am sure there are other pet hates, but these are the first that sprung to mind...

[Spare tyre]

ask em where the dipstick is - if they dont know they dont look after it - not always a dead cert mind as my mother wouldnt know -
what oil do they put in - if they say any = dodgy

[Snowboy]

Cigarette smoke is not a small thing.
It's a HUGE thing.