I’m interested in buying a car with 3 months mot left on the car but the previous 6 years the car has passed the mot with no problem. Does anyone think it’s worth buying?
Do you know the seller? How much will it cost? If you can be sure the MOT records are genuine and the person selling it is known to be honest then it could be. But the MOT only tells you that it was legal to drive on the day the MOT was done; it could still be riddled with rust and have an engine on its last legs.
My first car had more than three months left on the MOT but it wouldn't even start. As it turns out it was very cheap and I had the assistance of a very knowledgable person who was able to see that it was basically sound and just needed a basic service. Essentially the opposite problem, I would have walked away from it and missed out on what turned out to be a reliable car. It was a 1965 Min van, I bought it for 65 GBP in 1975, kept it for two years.
So if it will cost more than pocket money you need to look closely at the car as it is regardless of the MOT. Get someone you trust who knows more about cars to look at it with you and ask them if it is worth it.
Edit: I see from another response that it's a 2002 car. That means that it's close to the end of its life, you can expect a steady stream of things needing replacement. That's not necessarily a problem as BMW is still in business and it was a fairly popular car. I'd check carefully for rust in important places if you can though.
According to Exchange and Mart you are getting a bargain: https://www.exchangeandmart.co.uk/used-cars-for-sale/bmw/3-series/any-distance-from-sn6-6bp/transmission-automatic/year-between-2002-and-2002?sort=price
BMW's are very expensive and difficult to maintain, at least here in the USA. Unless you have a lot of money to throw around, best to avoid.
Even if you are a good home mechanic, you could run into problems with BMW that you never imagined could even exist. German cars are a mechanical nightmare beyond anything else.
Depends how old it is Type of vehicle. Whether the mileage is accurate Whether the log book is up to date Whether it's been in an accident and repaired.... Lots to consider when buying a second hand car. Probably some good sites online these days where you can get some idea on that particular make and model
You havent mentioned the price, or model of the car. But lets assume those things are favourable to you. What you do want to see is the original MOT reports to identify any faults corrected to pass the previous MOTs. This gives you a clue as to whether maintainance has been kept up or whether the car has been hanging in there and waiting to give you a lot of trouble..😷
@Ian1892 I cant speak to the quality of the car. (My son loves Beemers) But I do know you have to keep the maintainance up to them.. Being on the other side of the planet, I'm afraid thats all I have for you..😷
The MOT is just a test to say that a car is roadworthy on the day of the test. Anything can crop up, even well-looked after cars can fail an MOT occasionally. What advisories (if any) did it have in the last MOT?
@Ian1892 Was it the same garage that MOT'd it each time? There are garages that'll issue an MOT and the car isn't roadworthy. If you're really wary buying used car, suggest you get it looked at by reputable independent garage/technician rather than relying on MOTs. Service history can be helpful if it has one. Also Aircon isn't checked as part of MOT and that can be expensive fix if there's something wrong or likely to wear out. Eg replacement condenser from £650.
@Ian1892 That's low mileage for the year. It's an auto so less likely to be thrashed by a boy racer than a manual 😂. It's oldish but if it's been well looked after that's not such a prob. If it's been regularly serviced sounds ok.
@Musicman The MOT test (or simply MOT) is an annual test of vehicle safety, roadworthiness aspects and exhaust emissions required in the United Kingdom
