Getting a used car mot'd straight away
Discussion
Buying a used Tesla from a car supermarket in Peterborough. Seems to have a good reputation but the car currently has no MOT. They are going to put it through this week. I plan to pick the car up Monday. If I took it straight away for an MOT and it failed on something would I have a recourse for getting that work done or is it wear and tear on the way home? I haven't seen the car yet and the chap is going to send me a WhatsApp video and all being well il leave a deposit. Tyres are obvious but suspension arms on these cars less so and they tend to wear quite quickly. Advice please appreciated as I've never bought a used car from a dealership before.
dba7108 said:
Buying a used Tesla from a car supermarket....
I've never bought a used car from a dealership before.
Note that a "supermarket" is not a "dealership". The supermarkets will typically sell anything to anyone and don't tend to have a "reputable track record" to back up the particular brand of car you are buying.I've never bought a used car from a dealership before.
If you want reassurance you'd need an inspection by a Tesla expert - preferably before you part with your money.
What age is the car? Have you done a check for previous MOTs (if any)?
paul_c123 said:
Sorry but buying a car in this scenario with no MOT is bats
t crazy. Let them sort out the MOT, then collect it. If it fails on anything they would be paying.
That is what he's doing.t crazy. Let them sort out the MOT, then collect it. If it fails on anything they would be paying.But he also seems to be wanting to use his local MOT place as a cheap "PPI" immediately after buying, and any MOT failures they find should be fixed by the dealer.
Which seems a bit unlikely.
Any car salesman isn’t going to tell you wear and tear levels of components over a video/call, its not their job.
If it has an MOT, then legally it meets the standard required to be fit for purpose.
If you want any more than that, I’d suggest getting your own hands on it before handing over any money, or attempting to get a warranty to cover your expectations.
If it has an MOT, then legally it meets the standard required to be fit for purpose.
If you want any more than that, I’d suggest getting your own hands on it before handing over any money, or attempting to get a warranty to cover your expectations.
davek_964 said:
That is what he's doing.
But he also seems to be wanting to use his local MOT place as a cheap "PPI" immediately after buying, and any MOT failures they find should be fixed by the dealer.
Which seems a bit unlikely.
But he also seems to be wanting to use his local MOT place as a cheap "PPI" immediately after buying, and any MOT failures they find should be fixed by the dealer.
Which seems a bit unlikely.
dba7108 said:
Sorry I don't think I made myself clear. They are putting it through an MOT today. The car is due an MOT and has just come into their stock. It's a 2022 and the mot ran out 1 week ago. The previous mot history is obviously available online and it passed.
You've still not made it clear, but if you're going to take your newly-purchased car for another MoT, just after its had its fresh 12 months MoT by the dealer, I'd say that's a waste of £50 and the time doing it.1) If the MoT the dealer puts on is dodgy, I'd be steering well clear of that dealership entirely
2) If the MoT the dealer puts on isn't dodgy, then its no value to get it checked again.
There are so many things that aren't tested on an MoT that it has limited value as a second opinion check.
Panamax said:
Philvrs said:
If it has an MOT, then legally it meets the standard required to be fit for purpose.
Not correct.Dent in the body?
Paint peeling off?
Air-conditioning not working?
ICE out of action?
etc
Edited by Super Sonic on Tuesday 26th May 14:20
I understand you OP
You don't trust the seller, or their Mot centre, or tester.
I've seen so many freshly sold cars that have had issues that the Mot test should have flagged.
Rather than get another Mot done, just book it into your local workshop for a general check over, and do it preferrably same day you collect. (Tell them your concerns)
Then if they find a tear, or a bulge, in a tyre, the dealer will be less likely to argue "it must have been a pothole after you left the dealership"
If they find something that should have failed the Mot, then tell the delarship you'll be reporting to Vosa. See how quick they invite you back to get it sorted.
Vosa would then get the car looked at by another tester, and decide whether to talk to the dealerships tester.
And before anyone says "all Mot testers the same"
They're not.
Many dealerships demand zero advisories.
Many in house testers have overlooked stuff.
I've heard many dealership staff say "after a week it wont be our problem" when shown damage to a tyre, or wheel.
You don't trust the seller, or their Mot centre, or tester.
I've seen so many freshly sold cars that have had issues that the Mot test should have flagged.
Rather than get another Mot done, just book it into your local workshop for a general check over, and do it preferrably same day you collect. (Tell them your concerns)
Then if they find a tear, or a bulge, in a tyre, the dealer will be less likely to argue "it must have been a pothole after you left the dealership"
If they find something that should have failed the Mot, then tell the delarship you'll be reporting to Vosa. See how quick they invite you back to get it sorted.
Vosa would then get the car looked at by another tester, and decide whether to talk to the dealerships tester.
And before anyone says "all Mot testers the same"
They're not.
Many dealerships demand zero advisories.
Many in house testers have overlooked stuff.
I've heard many dealership staff say "after a week it wont be our problem" when shown damage to a tyre, or wheel.
Super Sonic said:
Panamax said:
Philvrs said:
If it has an MOT, then legally it meets the standard required to be fit for purpose.
Not correct.Dent in the body?
Paint peeling off?
Air-conditioning not working?
ICE out of action?
etc
Edited by Super Sonic on Tuesday 26th May 14:20
In the context of the OP, the salespersons video should address all those issues, but I wouldn’t expect the wear and tear levels of suspension arms to be communicated by a salesperson, thats where any used car purchase should be in your hands only, dont rely on a third party, best way to avoid disappointment is not to hand over any money unless completely happy otherwise walk away/ find another.
Teslas are notoriously easy for MOT passes - they are fully enclosed underneath and the arms, arbs etc are all pretty solid (there were a couple of years with issues though). They are also mostly ali so there is basically no corrosion. The main issues for MOT would be tyres and corrosion on the brakes.
So I would not worry about that tbh as they are all the same and obviously they would be nuts to put in for test with tyre issues.
I would be more concerned about checking on collection:
Accident repairs. Make sure super charging is enabled. Before you drive away.
Paint - especially the front and rear bumper if its white. Check for peeling. They can be bad.
Interior. Steering wheel and seats. The leather on the steering wheel is a weak point as are the seats and also the seat bases.
Boot struts - they can fail - check is smooth and fairly quiet and the rubber boot shows no damage - they get chewed up if its a bad strut.
Condensation / water in the lights.
What model and mileage and age? You know the warranty is 4 years right?
The paint, IMO, is quite soft so look out for stone chips. A lot of them.
The chassis is usually good for 80-100k before you need to worry about wheel bearings, shocks etc.
So I would not worry about that tbh as they are all the same and obviously they would be nuts to put in for test with tyre issues.
I would be more concerned about checking on collection:
Accident repairs. Make sure super charging is enabled. Before you drive away.
Paint - especially the front and rear bumper if its white. Check for peeling. They can be bad.
Interior. Steering wheel and seats. The leather on the steering wheel is a weak point as are the seats and also the seat bases.
Boot struts - they can fail - check is smooth and fairly quiet and the rubber boot shows no damage - they get chewed up if its a bad strut.
Condensation / water in the lights.
What model and mileage and age? You know the warranty is 4 years right?
The paint, IMO, is quite soft so look out for stone chips. A lot of them.
The chassis is usually good for 80-100k before you need to worry about wheel bearings, shocks etc.
paul_c123 said:
You've still not made it clear, but if you're going to take your newly-purchased car for another MoT, just after its had its fresh 12 months MoT by the dealer, I'd say that's a waste of £50 and the time doing it.
1) If the MoT the dealer puts on is dodgy, I'd be steering well clear of that dealership entirely
2) If the MoT the dealer puts on isn't dodgy, then its no value to get it checked again.
There are so many things that aren't tested on an MoT that it has limited value as a second opinion check.
So how do you decide if it is dodgy or not? 1) If the MoT the dealer puts on is dodgy, I'd be steering well clear of that dealership entirely
2) If the MoT the dealer puts on isn't dodgy, then its no value to get it checked again.
There are so many things that aren't tested on an MoT that it has limited value as a second opinion check.
Super Sonic said:
Panamax said:
Philvrs said:
If it has an MOT, then legally it meets the standard required to be fit for purpose.
Not correct.Air-conditioning not working?
Or how about a hole in the roof - "No problem, the car drives just fine."
Or one door's been replaced by one from a scrapyard in a different colour - "No problem, the car's just fine."
You must truly be the salesman's dream customer.
Panamax said:
So you buy a new car, find the A/C not working and say to yourself, "I'm happy with that".
Or how about a hole in the roof - "No problem, the car drives just fine."
Or one door's been replaced by one from a scrapyard in a different colour - "No problem, the car's just fine."
You must truly be the salesman's dream customer.
For some reason you've resorted to reductio ad absurdum. Or how about a hole in the roof - "No problem, the car drives just fine."
Or one door's been replaced by one from a scrapyard in a different colour - "No problem, the car's just fine."
You must truly be the salesman's dream customer.
The original list you did were 'satisfactory quality' issues. 'Fit for purpose' just means a car has to function as a car, which it would do even with the original issues you listed.
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