Buying An Astra -No Service History
Discussion
Hi all,
I drive to work , 29 miles each way and my car is a 1.8 petrol,2009 Astra. It’s a Cat N write off due to some minor body damage and a keen to write a car off insurance company. Tax is expensive, £320 per year.
Anyway just popped to my local dentist and noticed a second hand car trader near it. Had a quick browse around it and saw a 2012 Astra, 1.7 diesel hatchback. It says AA warranty available- the salesman said 3 months warranty.
It has 12 months MOT with no advisories- and 117k on the clock. BUT- no service history, apart from a Vauxhall stamp in 2015. Also the change oil light came on and the service due light . The dealer said he can service it. Is this a red flag? The car is for sale at £2 k. Also has some wear and tear damage.
But only £20 to tax.
SO- would it best be avoided? Or could it be a case of an oil change and that’s it?
I just need a reliable and fuel efficient car to get me to work and back , as I said 29 miles each way.
Budget due in October - is Labour likely to hit diesel cars hard and change the tax for older cars, so it won’t be £20 after next year?
I’m hoping to keep the car as a work horse for the next 3 years or so, I don’t care about the re-sale value.
I drive to work , 29 miles each way and my car is a 1.8 petrol,2009 Astra. It’s a Cat N write off due to some minor body damage and a keen to write a car off insurance company. Tax is expensive, £320 per year.
Anyway just popped to my local dentist and noticed a second hand car trader near it. Had a quick browse around it and saw a 2012 Astra, 1.7 diesel hatchback. It says AA warranty available- the salesman said 3 months warranty.
It has 12 months MOT with no advisories- and 117k on the clock. BUT- no service history, apart from a Vauxhall stamp in 2015. Also the change oil light came on and the service due light . The dealer said he can service it. Is this a red flag? The car is for sale at £2 k. Also has some wear and tear damage.
But only £20 to tax.
SO- would it best be avoided? Or could it be a case of an oil change and that’s it?
I just need a reliable and fuel efficient car to get me to work and back , as I said 29 miles each way.
Budget due in October - is Labour likely to hit diesel cars hard and change the tax for older cars, so it won’t be £20 after next year?
I’m hoping to keep the car as a work horse for the next 3 years or so, I don’t care about the re-sale value.
Keep your 1.8 Astra, its far more reliable and simpler than the 1.7 diesel - cheaper tax can look good, but can be a false economy - also, the 1.8 petrol is pretty economical, and petrol is significantly cheaper than diesel still at the pumps.
I run the same engine in a bigger 2008 Vectra, and do some significant mileage in it - sometimes 100-200 miles a day, I really rate this petrol engine coming from driving diesels all my life.
Unless you really want a change, and who doesn't at times - I would keep running the Astra you have.
I run the same engine in a bigger 2008 Vectra, and do some significant mileage in it - sometimes 100-200 miles a day, I really rate this petrol engine coming from driving diesels all my life.
Unless you really want a change, and who doesn't at times - I would keep running the Astra you have.
Rogerout said:
Hi all,
I drive to work , 29 miles each way and my car is a 1.8 petrol,2009 Astra. It’s a Cat N write off due to some minor body damage and a keen to write a car off insurance company. Tax is expensive, £320 per year.
Anyway just popped to my local dentist and noticed a second hand car trader near it. Had a quick browse around it and saw a 2012 Astra, 1.7 diesel hatchback. It says AA warranty available- the salesman said 3 months warranty.
It has 12 months MOT with no advisories- and 117k on the clock. BUT- no service history, apart from a Vauxhall stamp in 2015. Also the change oil light came on and the service due light . The dealer said he can service it. Is this a red flag? The car is for sale at £2 k. Also has some wear and tear damage.
But only £20 to tax.
SO- would it best be avoided? Or could it be a case of an oil change and that’s it?
I just need a reliable and fuel efficient car to get me to work and back , as I said 29 miles each way.
Budget due in October - is Labour likely to hit diesel cars hard and change the tax for older cars, so it won’t be £20 after next year?
I’m hoping to keep the car as a work horse for the next 3 years or so, I don’t care about the re-sale value.
Are you happy with your existing car? I drive to work , 29 miles each way and my car is a 1.8 petrol,2009 Astra. It’s a Cat N write off due to some minor body damage and a keen to write a car off insurance company. Tax is expensive, £320 per year.
Anyway just popped to my local dentist and noticed a second hand car trader near it. Had a quick browse around it and saw a 2012 Astra, 1.7 diesel hatchback. It says AA warranty available- the salesman said 3 months warranty.
It has 12 months MOT with no advisories- and 117k on the clock. BUT- no service history, apart from a Vauxhall stamp in 2015. Also the change oil light came on and the service due light . The dealer said he can service it. Is this a red flag? The car is for sale at £2 k. Also has some wear and tear damage.
But only £20 to tax.
SO- would it best be avoided? Or could it be a case of an oil change and that’s it?
I just need a reliable and fuel efficient car to get me to work and back , as I said 29 miles each way.
Budget due in October - is Labour likely to hit diesel cars hard and change the tax for older cars, so it won’t be £20 after next year?
I’m hoping to keep the car as a work horse for the next 3 years or so, I don’t care about the re-sale value.
Look at the tax as less than £1 per day.
As they say better the devil you know.......
Rogerout said:
Hi all,
I drive to work , 29 miles each way and my car is a 1.8 petrol,2009 Astra. It’s a Cat N write off due to some minor body damage and a keen to write a car off insurance company. Tax is expensive, £320 per year.
Anyway just popped to my local dentist and noticed a second hand car trader near it. Had a quick browse around it and saw a 2012 Astra, 1.7 diesel hatchback. It says AA warranty available- the salesman said 3 months warranty.
It has 12 months MOT with no advisories- and 117k on the clock. BUT- no service history, apart from a Vauxhall stamp in 2015. Also the change oil light came on and the service due light . The dealer said he can service it. Is this a red flag? The car is for sale at £2 k. Also has some wear and tear damage.
But only £20 to tax.
SO- would it best be avoided? Or could it be a case of an oil change and that’s it?
I just need a reliable and fuel efficient car to get me to work and back , as I said 29 miles each way.
Budget due in October - is Labour likely to hit diesel cars hard and change the tax for older cars, so it won’t be £20 after next year?
I’m hoping to keep the car as a work horse for the next 3 years or so, I don’t care about the re-sale value.
Sounds a bit of a shed to me. Lets say you get 500 for your old car and the new one is 2k so that's £1500 to change and save £300 a year in tax. That's £900 over 3 years... doesn't make sense to me unless your current car is about to expire....I drive to work , 29 miles each way and my car is a 1.8 petrol,2009 Astra. It’s a Cat N write off due to some minor body damage and a keen to write a car off insurance company. Tax is expensive, £320 per year.
Anyway just popped to my local dentist and noticed a second hand car trader near it. Had a quick browse around it and saw a 2012 Astra, 1.7 diesel hatchback. It says AA warranty available- the salesman said 3 months warranty.
It has 12 months MOT with no advisories- and 117k on the clock. BUT- no service history, apart from a Vauxhall stamp in 2015. Also the change oil light came on and the service due light . The dealer said he can service it. Is this a red flag? The car is for sale at £2 k. Also has some wear and tear damage.
But only £20 to tax.
SO- would it best be avoided? Or could it be a case of an oil change and that’s it?
I just need a reliable and fuel efficient car to get me to work and back , as I said 29 miles each way.
Budget due in October - is Labour likely to hit diesel cars hard and change the tax for older cars, so it won’t be £20 after next year?
I’m hoping to keep the car as a work horse for the next 3 years or so, I don’t care about the re-sale value.
Petrol cars tend to be more reliable than diesels.
If it's definitely a 1.7 (not the 1.6) it will be the Isuzu based engine which was the best engine fitted to the Astra in my opinion.
The service light is only a time/mileage counter which can be reset from the stalk and doesn't mean a lot as people often don't reset it.
The 1.7 has a cam belt though, which will need doing if it hasn't already been done.
The service light is only a time/mileage counter which can be reset from the stalk and doesn't mean a lot as people often don't reset it.
The 1.7 has a cam belt though, which will need doing if it hasn't already been done.
15 yrs ago, I'd ran a '95 Cavalier with the Isuzu 1700 diesel engine for well over 2 yrs, I went to Spain and back in it twice. Had over 160k miles on it and was still running well, albeit a with corrosion in a few places. The only reason it is no more was using the government scrappage scheme in 2009. 
I really rate the Isuzu engine, yes they have a cambelt but I read a few stories about why NOT to have the 1700cc Vauxhall engine.
I really rate the Isuzu engine, yes they have a cambelt but I read a few stories about why NOT to have the 1700cc Vauxhall engine.
sixor8 said:
15 yrs ago, I'd ran a '95 Cavalier with the Isuzu 1700 diesel engine for well over 2 yrs, I went to Spain and back in it twice. Had over 160k miles on it and was still running well, albeit a with corrosion in a few places. The only reason it is no more was using the government scrappage scheme in 2009.
I really rate the Isuzu engine, yes they have a cambelt but I read a few stories about why NOT to have the 1700cc Vauxhall engine.
Vauxhall's own 1.7 diesel wasn't a very good engine but they stopped using those over 20 year ago.I really rate the Isuzu engine, yes they have a cambelt but I read a few stories about why NOT to have the 1700cc Vauxhall engine.
Mr E said:
Is there anything particularly wrong with your current car?
I think this is the key question. If it running well try to get another year or two (or more) out of it until there's a big bill that makes it worth changing.(I agree with others that the small MPG and tax gains aren't worth changing for).
Rogerout said:
I was thinking the diesel version might save me money , fuel wise other than the 1.8 petrol.
Evidently, it seem that maybe not the case for a 58 mile round trip each day?
It would probably save you money on fuel and road tax, yes.Evidently, it seem that maybe not the case for a 58 mile round trip each day?
However, you're buying a 12 year old car with no service history and work due on it.
You might buy it and it'll be fine for a few years. You might buy it and need to spend a load of money on it.
Depends on how lucky you're feeling? Personally, in your situation, I'd be inclined to run the car I already have into the ground, then replace.
As someone who buys sheds in the £2K range I would say service history means very little. Some of the best sheds I have bought have had no service history other than a couple of main dealer stamps in the book when it was a few years old.
I purchased a Shed Honda Civic that had been to a main dealer for everything and had every single receipt and bill since new. Even the MOT and tyres were fitted at a main dealer.
This was the main reason I bought it and it actually blinded me to the current condition of the car. I knew I had made a mistake on the way home and sold it on two months later. Obviously there was a lovely photo of all the paperwork and books laid out on my dining table. It was the baggiest car I have ever bought and felt absolutely knackered.
I purchased a Shed Honda Civic that had been to a main dealer for everything and had every single receipt and bill since new. Even the MOT and tyres were fitted at a main dealer.
This was the main reason I bought it and it actually blinded me to the current condition of the car. I knew I had made a mistake on the way home and sold it on two months later. Obviously there was a lovely photo of all the paperwork and books laid out on my dining table. It was the baggiest car I have ever bought and felt absolutely knackered.
If I were in the market for a shed, I would probably recommend the Kia Ceed, either this type, Ecodynamics with £20 tax, but lower powered engine:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202408172...
Or one of these, a little more power than the above and £130 a year tax, but its a nice place to be:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202406140...
I have been running the version above for almost 3 years, purchased with 101000 miles on the clock and now has 131000 miles on it, it has hardly missed a beat, fantastic car! I also have a similar daily commute to yours.
All that said, as others have mentioned, if your current car is working, it is probably not worth the exchange, you won't save much on the daily commute.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202408172...
Or one of these, a little more power than the above and £130 a year tax, but its a nice place to be:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202406140...
I have been running the version above for almost 3 years, purchased with 101000 miles on the clock and now has 131000 miles on it, it has hardly missed a beat, fantastic car! I also have a similar daily commute to yours.
All that said, as others have mentioned, if your current car is working, it is probably not worth the exchange, you won't save much on the daily commute.
Thanks chaps some sound advice. I’ll keep the car until it’s literally dead !
A good point was raised reference the cam belt. I think cam belts are generally changed every 70k miles or so , so atleast once in a cars lifetime.
The fact the car has 117k on the clock with no proof of it ever being changed could be an issue. I’d have to assume it’s never been changed. It could go on for years and be fine. Or it could snap tomorrow. That’s a big bill.
I find it odd that the service book only has one random stamp in it, 2015. And it was in a random place too- not on the first page or anything, it was literally just stamped.
So the person who brought it brand new presumably from a Vauxhall dealer-why didn’t they service it , atleast to keep it in warranty? Why would you spend a thousands on a new car and not spend a few hundred quid a year maintaining it ?
The car could be fine. But I’ve changed my mind and running my current one into the ground.
A good point was raised reference the cam belt. I think cam belts are generally changed every 70k miles or so , so atleast once in a cars lifetime.
The fact the car has 117k on the clock with no proof of it ever being changed could be an issue. I’d have to assume it’s never been changed. It could go on for years and be fine. Or it could snap tomorrow. That’s a big bill.
I find it odd that the service book only has one random stamp in it, 2015. And it was in a random place too- not on the first page or anything, it was literally just stamped.
So the person who brought it brand new presumably from a Vauxhall dealer-why didn’t they service it , atleast to keep it in warranty? Why would you spend a thousands on a new car and not spend a few hundred quid a year maintaining it ?
The car could be fine. But I’ve changed my mind and running my current one into the ground.
Rogerout said:
Thanks chaps some sound advice. I’ll keep the car until it’s literally dead !
A good point was raised reference the cam belt. I think cam belts are generally changed every 70k miles or so , so atleast once in a cars lifetime.
The fact the car has 117k on the clock with no proof of it ever being changed could be an issue. I’d have to assume it’s never been changed. It could go on for years and be fine. Or it could snap tomorrow. That’s a big bill.
I find it odd that the service book only has one random stamp in it, 2015. And it was in a random place too- not on the first page or anything, it was literally just stamped.
So the person who brought it brand new presumably from a Vauxhall dealer-why didn’t they service it , atleast to keep it in warranty? Why would you spend a thousands on a new car and not spend a few hundred quid a year maintaining it ?
The car could be fine. But I’ve changed my mind and running my current one into the ground.
A wise decision. As an aside, any dealer only offering a 3 month warranty rings alarm bells. After all, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 means a de facto 6 month warranty is written into law!A good point was raised reference the cam belt. I think cam belts are generally changed every 70k miles or so , so atleast once in a cars lifetime.
The fact the car has 117k on the clock with no proof of it ever being changed could be an issue. I’d have to assume it’s never been changed. It could go on for years and be fine. Or it could snap tomorrow. That’s a big bill.
I find it odd that the service book only has one random stamp in it, 2015. And it was in a random place too- not on the first page or anything, it was literally just stamped.
So the person who brought it brand new presumably from a Vauxhall dealer-why didn’t they service it , atleast to keep it in warranty? Why would you spend a thousands on a new car and not spend a few hundred quid a year maintaining it ?
The car could be fine. But I’ve changed my mind and running my current one into the ground.
Case in point, it became apparent that my Fiesta's aircon was not working when the weather started to warm. I noticed the fault after around 4 months, and the car's 12 month warranty specifically did not include aircon issues. Nevertheless the dealer checked for leakages and recharged the aircon all free of charge.
fflump said:
Rogerout said:
Thanks chaps some sound advice. I’ll keep the car until it’s literally dead !
A good point was raised reference the cam belt. I think cam belts are generally changed every 70k miles or so , so atleast once in a cars lifetime.
The fact the car has 117k on the clock with no proof of it ever being changed could be an issue. I’d have to assume it’s never been changed. It could go on for years and be fine. Or it could snap tomorrow. That’s a big bill.
I find it odd that the service book only has one random stamp in it, 2015. And it was in a random place too- not on the first page or anything, it was literally just stamped.
So the person who brought it brand new presumably from a Vauxhall dealer-why didn’t they service it , atleast to keep it in warranty? Why would you spend a thousands on a new car and not spend a few hundred quid a year maintaining it ?
The car could be fine. But I’ve changed my mind and running my current one into the ground.
A wise decision. As an aside, any dealer only offering a 3 month warranty rings alarm bells. After all, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 means a de facto 6 month warranty is written into law!A good point was raised reference the cam belt. I think cam belts are generally changed every 70k miles or so , so atleast once in a cars lifetime.
The fact the car has 117k on the clock with no proof of it ever being changed could be an issue. I’d have to assume it’s never been changed. It could go on for years and be fine. Or it could snap tomorrow. That’s a big bill.
I find it odd that the service book only has one random stamp in it, 2015. And it was in a random place too- not on the first page or anything, it was literally just stamped.
So the person who brought it brand new presumably from a Vauxhall dealer-why didn’t they service it , atleast to keep it in warranty? Why would you spend a thousands on a new car and not spend a few hundred quid a year maintaining it ?
The car could be fine. But I’ve changed my mind and running my current one into the ground.
Case in point, it became apparent that my Fiesta's aircon was not working when the weather started to warm. I noticed the fault after around 4 months, and the car's 12 month warranty specifically did not include aircon issues. Nevertheless the dealer checked for leakages and recharged the aircon all free of charge.
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