can i find out the history of a car with the number plate?

[slugger]

Going to test drive a car on Saturday. Passat Estate. I drove past the garage this morning and took a note of the reg number and did a wee bit digging. All i could find out was that it's been serviced at least once at an arnold clark motor store. they couldn't tell me if they sold it or not???

anyway, reg no. is AD57 NTL if anyone knows any way to get a service/repair history???

 

[Redwood]

Slugger,

Sorry to say mate, but I could be wrong, but my guess is that it is ex fleet, or hire. Most of the AD plates are, which is exactly what mine is!!! AD57.

Just ask the salesman flat out what the history is, and ask him who the previous owner was. If it was Provincial Securities then it is ex hire. Not necessarily a bad thing, as mine has been fine since I bought it about 15 months ago, but it still irks me a little.

 

[tonto768]

Fleet cars have usually been well serviced

 

[slugger]

I called the vw dealership in Peterborough, where the AD and AF plates are registered, and it turns out it was VW supplied to Avis.

i've read stories of people who wouldn't go near them, and some of people saying they'll be a well serviced and looked after used buy.

Whatever it is, it's going to cost in the region of £12k so i want to know that i'm getting a well looked after car. It is absolutely spotless though.

I've registered with a VW/Audi forum and asked some questions there so hopefully that'll give me something to work with.

Anyone any experience here?

I have a choice to make; either walk away from what could be a bargain, or buy something that could be trouble...

My head is confused!

 

[CliveW]

Surely if you get a decent warranty there shouldn't be a problem.

 

[slugger]

Surely if you get a decent warranty there shouldn't be a problem.

hope not, it's a question i'll be asking of the dealer.

 

[viscount17]

we have an on-site Avis office (switched from Hertz).
good and bad - they all get caned between services

had a Galaxy out from them once - didn't ask for it, just what we were given (it had been shifted up from Heathrow). went like a train, really good mileage for the size of the thing but someone had had a go at melting some of the door trim!

 

[madandra]

Although fleet cars are well maintained they are also well battered. My car is from ALD and has done 26,000 miles in 7 months and although it has a full service that 2 years driving in a quarter of that time. I wouldnt want to buy an ex fleet car let alone a rental.

I know a guy who hires a nice car, diconnects the speedo and takes it to Knockhill hot hatch days and knocks the B-G-zus out of them. He then gets his suit on and returns it spick and span.

 

[Redwood]

Like I said Slugger, I've not had a peep out of mine since buying it, and I've had mine for about 14 months.

My wife made a good point regarding Passat Estates; basically what type of person is going to rent a Passat Estate and then absolutely thrash it? Not really the sort of person who would rent one. That said, if I had hired a car for a week, would I be too worried if the oil light came on about driving it for another 50 miles or so; probably not.

If your that worried about it, ask him for an extra year on the warranty or something.

 

[slugger]

well, we're taking it for a drive in the morning and i'll ask the questions there and then. i'll try and get a bit off the price and an extended warranty. can only ask.

Redwood, i was thinking the same thing as your wife. It's a diesel passat and looks absolutely minted. not a mark on it (well, one stone chip).

i'll report back after the weekend.

 

[madandra]

I overlooked the fact it is an estate guys. Because I have had company cars for years I brick myself when HID decides to change hers as I get the feeling I am gonna get shafted no matter where I go.

 

[Redwood]

It's definitely worth asking.

To be honest, if I had know aboout ours before we bought, I would have haggled a lot more for money off and some free services\extended warranty and had they not budged, would have walked away.

 

[slugger]

just spoke to the salesman i'm dealing with. he said he had noticed it was ex hire! Why didn't he tell me then when i asked who had owned it the first time!

If i decide to buy it, i'll use the ex-hire thing as a bargaining chip. Will report back at the end of the weekend.

 

[DCB]

Is it a main dealer or is it just a car sales place ?

What sort of mileage has it done ?

My last company car was a Passat Estate and it was excellent. It's certainly on the list when I change my current (own) car.

 

[vig]

Just to balance the argument for the fleet car.
I had a sierra a number of years ago that had done 65k when I bought it.

By the time it got "tired" it had done 155k, never let me down, regularly serviced. Was one of the few cars that I was sorry to see go.

 

[Smiffy]

Absolutely nothing wrong with buying a fleet car as long as it has service history.
Accept that it's cheaper than a privately owned one for a good reason

 

[RGDave]

Surely if you get a decent warranty there shouldn't be a problem.

Hmm.....good point.

However, I wouldn't go near a car without the service book. End of....

Although a solid/reliable warranty should help ease the worry of early-day issues, the mileage can probably not be verified 100% and if it was a hire car it would have been driven with less care than a private car.

Service book and warranty (either independent or from the dealer)....accept no less.

- - - -

My old next door neighbour bought an ex-fleet ***** from **** with no book but 12 months warranty. 18 months in, the engine fell apart and the car lived out it's final days as the subject of legal wrangling....

 

[RGDave]

My wife made a good point regarding Passat Estates; basically what type of person is going to rent a Passat Estate and then absolutely thrash it? Not really the sort of person who would rent one.

That's a pretty daft idea.
I rent cars now and again (I don't pay for them) and I'd red-line it all the way from London to Prague if I was in a hurry.

 

[Tommo21]

Walk away………..the car might be absolutely fine, but if you have doubts then don’t get it, don’t even try it. That way, if you buy it and anything goes wrong, you will kick yourself knowing you had doubts.

I will get the Reg checked with audi/vw on monday first thing and let you know, if you can wait...I would. Some fleet cars, or leased jobs are serviced independently.

Remember there is hundreds of them out there, if in doubt, walk away. I've had 6 or 7 VW passats, get one every year or so and I'm on my second estate, the third with the new shape.

Look, it's hard to hammer one of these. A 140 hp job is only doing 3 thousand revs at 90mph

 

[RGDave]

Walk away………..the car might be absolutely fine, but if you have doubts then don’t get it, don’t even try it. That way, if you buy it and anything goes wrong, you will kick yourself knowing you had doubts.

Sagacious.....