1000 mile a year Auris 2nd hand purchase?

[r.and.all]

Hi, I've seen an Auris for sale that only has 8,000 miles on the clock and is a 2016 model. Is this best left well alone because the miles are far too low? Or if it's been serviced by Toyota every year, will it be fine? It's had things like a rear nearside shock because it was leaking changed, but that seems to be the only major thing on inspections that have shown up. Should I be asking any particular questions or doing any particular checks before buying it?

 

Thanks

 

Oh by the way I'll be doing at least 6 to 8k

[Roy124]

Lloyd, check the MOT history.  First MOT at 3 years should show about 3,000 miles and increment by 1,000 per year if the mileage is correct. 

A long period between changes might show it has been laid up.

 

[r.and.all]

Cheers Roy

 

Date tested 29 June 2018 PASS

Mileage 3,724 miles

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Date tested 28 June 2019 PASS

Mileage 4,618 miles

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Date tested 27 October 2020 PASS

Mileage 5,689 miles

--

Date tested 1 October 2021 PASS

Mileage 6,177 miles

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Date tested 26 October 2022 FAIL

Mileage 6,966 miles

Do not drive until repaired (dangerous defects):

Nearside Front Tyre has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Offside Rear Tyre has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Nearside Rear Tyre has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Repair immediately (major defects):

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (5.3.2 (b))

THEN PASSED

--

Date tested 23 December 2023 PASS

Mileage 8,135 miles

Edited January 13 by r.and.all
Tidy up spacing

[r.and.all]

Apparently it was an old lady's car that's just used to drive locally around which sort of make sense. I expected it was something like this.

There's a few curbed wheels on the near side. The garage seems dodgy that selling it. I say garage but it doesn't seem to have a company's house listing or anything its bit weird, the website is also still standard wordpress stuff with random test and pictures of CEOs and customer service advisers who don't exist, or have us numbers to call them.

I'm slightly dubious but also slightly interested. Currently driving in Mitsubishi phev and fed up with plugging in but still like the idea of a hybrid for some of the smaller trips I do, but a petrol to do the longer journeys that I occasionally make so it's a tempting car but I don't know, still a bit confused about whether a low mileage option is bad if it's had all of the Toyota stamps. I take it that the warranty for the Battery is still ongoing, so that would be my major concern. Thoughts?

[mcntosh]

The Battery will be under warranty if it’s been serviced in the last 12 months by Toyota. Actually, the Relax warranty should also apply if it’s been serviced by Toyota in the past year. Keep in mind that the Relax warranty doesn’t cover everything and Toyota could try to wriggle out of it if anyone else has done work on it since they touched it.

As for the mileage, if it’s been getting annual oil changes then *probably* OK. 

However, my gut feeling about the dealership is walk away.

[Roy124]

Lloyd, that MOT history suggests in continuous use but the tyres, if original, were well out of date.  The other area that will have suffered is the brakes.  They will not have been used enough so discs/drums could be corroded,  also seals and pipes.  The exhaust will also have suffered as there will have been insufficient use to blow contaminants out.

Other rubbers such as wipers and door seals.   Under bonnet cabling might also be brittle.

Given the MOT history it has probably been serviced regularly but has coolant and brake fluid been changed?

[Bper]

2 hours ago, r.and.all said:

Apparently it was an old lady's car that's just used to drive locally around which sort of make sense. I expected it was something like this.

There's a few curbed wheels on the near side. The garage seems dodgy that selling it. I say garage but it doesn't seem to have a company's house listing or anything its bit weird, the website is also still standard wordpress stuff with random test and pictures of CEOs and customer service advisers who don't exist, or have us numbers to call them.

I'm slightly dubious but also slightly interested. Currently driving in Mitsubishi phev and fed up with plugging in but still like the idea of a hybrid for some of the smaller trips I do, but a petrol to do the longer journeys that I occasionally make so it's a tempting car but I don't know, still a bit confused about whether a low mileage option is bad if it's had all of the Toyota stamps. I take it that the warranty for the battery is still ongoing, so that would be my major concern. Thoughts?

Hi Lloyd, I think your concerns regarding the dealer would put me off. Personally I would leave it alone. It isn't worth the grief There are plenty more cars to choose from.

 

[r.and.all]

I know re dealer, it's just the car seems so nice. I'd love to see how an 8 year old new car is. Re brittle under bonnet, is that through lack of use? As in had it been used an 8 year old should be ok?

[Rhymes with Paris]

Dodgy cars and dodgy dealers go together like bangers and mash, always together.

Have you met the dealer face to face? 

A good way of ascertaining if a dealer is lying, just look at the lips when they are talking,if they're moving, they're lying.

Having said that, it may possibly be a good buy, depending on price compared with higher mileage cars of the same year.

Have all the tyres been replaced?

But be aware,as others have said,a car stood for a good while is not good for it.

And nobody wants to buy someone else's trouble, I would only consider it a possibility after an extended test drive, say 40 miles or more, good luck getting that from a dodgy dealer.

And even then it would have to be at a price to allow for repairs due to lack of use.

As Bob says, there are always plenty more.

[Willss]

My first car was a 8 year old Citroën with 16k on it.  Brake callipers, discs etc all needed replacing. Never ran smoothly/as it should have IMO.  I know it was a Citroën but...... it was a whole host of issues from having sat around a lot and never having driven more than a handful of miles at a time.  I decided to never buy a car that that had done less than about 5k per year if it was more than 2-3 yrs old.  

[r.and.all]

Cheers all.

Interestingly another one popped up with 2k per year at a Toyota dealer!

I feel.bad for whoever bought these, and also wonder how Toyota dealers felt selling them to people who were never going to use them enough.

[TonyHSD]

All these low mileage cars can be a real treasure or a pure garbage. Each case needs to be seen very individually. Battery is one thing to come to mind as possible premature failure, and corrosion is another. Also some of those can be owned by elderly or people with disabilities which often leads to worn out interiors and poor body work condition of exterior. Apart from that they can be mechanically sound and represent a good value for money used cars.
Some Toyota hybrid owners buy hybrids because they have automatic transmission and not because they drive a lot, perhaps a main reason why they have so low miles. 

[AndyN01]

If you think the dealer is dodgy then absolutely walk away. Don't rationalise it, just walk.

Completely agree with the above: Bper and TonyHSD:

I'd actually rather have a high mileage car with a shed load of invoices/receipts and an owner who knows every nut and bolt.

Andy.