Newbie Alert! Q on 306 with warranty?

[timjackson]

I've just come across this on Autotrader and wanted to add it to my list of runabouts. I did an MOT History Check on www.carguide.co.uk and it shows the mot has expired yet the dealer is offering a warranty on it! Do you think it's worth the risk?

[Mighty306]

Hi there. A lot of dealers won't actually sort the MoT until you've bought he car n are ready to take it off the forecourt.

The rear tyres could have been worn to the cords by a collapsed rear beam. You'll need to check there isn't excessive camber on the rear wheels n that the rear suspension moves freely. If that all ok n theyve sorted the back tyres n other major defected (none of which are a big deal to fix) I don't see why you shouldn't risk it. I doubt you'll get a warranty worth the paper it's written on though .....it's a 20+ year old car after all. Anything could go wrong!

If you aren't mechanically knowledgeable then get someone to check it over with you who is. It's a cheap car but £500 is still a lot of money to throw away if it's knackered. Don't hand over any money until you' can see the repairs have been done would be my advice.

[Toms306]

Some poor old lady would have got £100 for it as PX. The dealer will get a 'mates rates' MOT for £35. Nice bit of profit for him!

Legally you get rights to a roadworthy car with any purchase. Though you have to prove the fault was present when sold. Putting MOT on cars is a good way to show the car must have been ok before you took it.

[ekjdm14]

TBH the rear axle does look cambered on the photos, particularly the nearside although it could be the camera angle...

It's not cheap for a petrol 5 door, but then again the history seems to show a solid shell which is nice. The warranty is probably a moot point, but if it is sold with a fresh ticket and you find the rear axle or anything else (MoT-wise at least) seriously wrong with it you could make noises to the dealer about going to VOSA and appealing the test result if they didn't want to sort it.

Really it depends how much you want this particular spec, there's usually a few 5 doors about in this sort of price range with long MoT so if you really want a diesel, for example, or a different trim spec, then best to hold on until one comes up. (Having said that, it's a 306 so buy it & save it lol!)