Missing service history help!
Missing service history help!
Author
Discussion

va1o

Original Poster:

16,081 posts

223 months

Saturday 5th February 2011
quotequote all
Hi,

I've just gone to look at a car I may purchase. It is a 58-reg vehicle with 9.5k miles. The car itself is immaculate and exactly the spec I want, however there is no service history for the car.

The current owner purchased it from some other bloke who had the car from new. The original owner apparently lost the service book and all the manuals for the car.

I've rang up the original supplying dealer who confirmed they supplied and PDIed the car, but say they never had it back for servicing and the only information they have on it is its come back for some recall work and had a couple of bits looked at under warranty.

The large manufacturer with its head office in Milton Keynes has no history for the car either, however there records only span back 12-months.

The current keeper is telling me he has had it serviced, but he didn't confirm where and he hasn't got the invoice available for this.

My issue is how much do I knock off the asking price for the lack of history, or should I just avoid the car all together? I'm a bit concerned that I can't verify the low mileage without seeing the history, and the original dealer has no mileage recorded for when they did the recall/ warranty work. Obviously if I was to buy would need to factor in a service now before it hits 10k miles, and a replacement book. Would this affect its value later on down the line?

Thanks for reading.

clarkey

1,391 posts

300 months

Saturday 5th February 2011
quotequote all
I'd assume it's been used as a minicab and has 5 times and the mileage, and value to appropriately....

pacificf1

93 posts

195 months

Saturday 5th February 2011
quotequote all
clocked?

hornetrider

63,161 posts

221 months

Saturday 5th February 2011
quotequote all
clarkey said:
I'd assume it's been used as a minicab and has 5 times and the mileage, and value to appropriately....
This. Avoid.

alcovrugbyfan

351 posts

175 months

Saturday 5th February 2011
quotequote all
in the words of the tellytubbies "run awaaaayyyyyyy"

BlueMR2

8,894 posts

218 months

Saturday 5th February 2011
quotequote all
It could be genuine mileage but never have been serviced.

Some people seem to think that they can wait 4 years before having it serviced as they only do 5k a year. Conveniently missing the or 1 year part of the sentence.

alcovrugbyfan

351 posts

175 months

Saturday 5th February 2011
quotequote all
out of interest is it HPI clear?

northandy

3,519 posts

237 months

Saturday 5th February 2011
quotequote all
Say it was a BMW you were looking at that could not have needed a service yet, conditioned based servicing would be around 19k miles or 2 years, being a 58 plate just over 2 years old?.

Sir Bagalot

6,784 posts

197 months

Saturday 5th February 2011
quotequote all
58 reg means the earliest it was registered was Sept 08 so you still have 7 months warrenty left.

Problem is no service history, and no trace, so warranty is null and void. Funny how neither of the first two owners can find any service invoices...... TBH with such a new car I would walk

va1o

Original Poster:

16,081 posts

223 months

Saturday 5th February 2011
quotequote all
Well I think I could potentially get it at a very good price, and a new book and service won't break the bank. Would it be a nightmare to sell on? If it has been clocked there is no evidence of this as its got no wear to the interior, it drives like a low mileage car too.

va1o

Original Poster:

16,081 posts

223 months

Saturday 5th February 2011
quotequote all
Sir Bagalot said:
58 reg means the earliest it was registered was Sept 08 so you still have 7 months warrenty left.

Problem is no service history, and no trace, so warranty is null and void. Funny how neither of the first two owners can find any service invoices...... TBH with such a new car I would walk
Yeah I see what your saying, it is quite suspicious and I'm really unsure what to do. The dealer I spoke to said it has still got the warranty though, even with the lack of history.

alcovrugbyfan

351 posts

175 months

Saturday 5th February 2011
quotequote all
va1o said:
Yeah I see what your saying, it is quite suspicious and I'm really unsure what to do. The dealer I spoke to said it has still got the warranty though, even with the lack of history.
You try claiming on that warranty, they will ask for service history to ensure it's been properly maintained. They will never pay out.

It sounds to me like you have enough niggling doubt. Walk away mate

bigandclever

14,049 posts

254 months

Saturday 5th February 2011
quotequote all
va1o said:
Would it be a nightmare to sell on?
Think about the doubts you're having. You're not alone wink

va1o

Original Poster:

16,081 posts

223 months

Saturday 5th February 2011
quotequote all
anonymous said:
[redacted]
It's just a normal dealer that sold it. And FWIW its a 2-door, so I don't think it was a minicab.

redtwin

7,518 posts

198 months

Saturday 5th February 2011
quotequote all
What would the same car be worth with 100,000 miles and no warranty?. Offer them that price or walk away.

What car is?, any reason why you are so reluctant to name it?.


Monkeylegend

27,797 posts

247 months

Saturday 5th February 2011
quotequote all
redtwin said:
What would the same car be worth with 100,000 miles and no warranty?. Offer them that price or walk away.

What car is?, any reason why you are so reluctant to name it?.
Probably a Merc with the Milton Keynes connection.

va1o

Original Poster:

16,081 posts

223 months

Saturday 5th February 2011
quotequote all
Thanks for the replies. Any more thoughts on this? Probably going to let it pass as I'm not happy about all the missing books.

vxrandy

1,785 posts

199 months

Saturday 5th February 2011
quotequote all
va1o said:
Thanks for the replies. Any more thoughts on this? Probably going to let it pass as I'm not happy about all the missing books.
Has it been priced as no service history.

va1o

Original Poster:

16,081 posts

223 months

Saturday 5th February 2011
quotequote all
vxrandy said:
Has it been priced as no service history.
Its priced at roughly trade money for that model, could probably negotiate down further on account of the missing service history and owners books.

vxrandy

1,785 posts

199 months

Saturday 5th February 2011
quotequote all
Could you have the ecu interigated to check the mileage.