Reasons that you didn't buy a car.

[Aston Martin]

We probably have 17 threads already.

 

When I was looking for a 100hp, I looked at a few and I loved this white one. However, the number plate ended EDL.

 

 

[DoctorRetro]

Have I ever walked away from a car I've gone to view? I don't think so, unless you count dealership ones. 

How about what silly things have put you off a potential car purchase? 

Ash tray full.

Boot won't open. (MG Montego) 

Legitimate reasons? 

Can't fit in (Mini) 

Pedals too small (Citroën AX) 

 

Reasons I probably should have walked away but didn't 

Car had been vandalised due to the previous owner grassing up a drug dealer (Fiat Panda) 

Sticky steering wheel and interior trim - makeup I hasten to add (VW Golf Mk2) 

Bonnet wouldn't open (Volvo 440)

[anonymous user]

One where the owner decided to sell it to someone else after accepting my offer and deposit, he did return my deposit, but I didn't get the car (and as they only built about 200 have never been able to find/afford one since).

Have had to walk away from some where I was too big/fat to fit in them, quite sad when it's something I've owned before.

Generally my rose tinted poor eyesight let's me buy very unsuitable cars.

Just remembered two that spewed out all their coolant on test drives (4.2 Daimler and a Mercedes 230) And a Range Rover that died within yards of the forecourt, I walked back without it.

[Peter C]

Years ago I went to see a Nissan Almera Tino (not sure why I wanted one) over in High Wycombe.

The car was properly cleaned by the trading from home chancer except where he rubbed fresh mud on the bodywork to cover up various dents and scratches. When I looked at the mud he commented that his wife got the car dirty whilst driving through a field. Complete bollocks.

The seller was a complete dickhead so I walked away.

[83C]

Walked away a few days ago from a deal on an Astra van after I took a quick look at the MoT history just before going to collect. 

Fail lists long enough to qualify for the Man Booker prize on a yearly basis, and the small matter of 4 years where the mileage didn’t change at all but the fail list was different each time. Not the ‘low mileage, looked after’ motor that it claimed to be....

[HMC]

Most recently I went to see a bmw 645i, 05 plate. Lovely thing in black but some sort of adaptive drive suspension thing was throwing up various messages so atypically I dodged that particular bullet, despite it being cheap as; instead I bought a safe bet golf which promptly blew its turbo.

[bunglebus]

Lost out on a £125 Beetle when I was 16 cos I could only give him the £25 a month allowance I got. Still irks me now.

[LightBulbFun]

because I helped the guy sort out the cars dodgy registration so he could keep it rather then be forced to sell it!

[MikeR]

having a long spine , my head had a habit of hitting the roof lining on many cars to the extent my head was bent over .......

which ruled out a lot of cars , and sun roofs did not help

things seem to have got better recently with these up right cars with tall door openings

 

[egg]

I was lukewarm about a Focus, but put a deposit down with an emigrating owner.

Said owner took V5 and all other documentation to Australia with them.

I just got my money back.

[lanciamatt]

Went to look at a fiat regata 100s at Manor top in Sheffield, the woman selling was a cross between the governess off the chase, and a prison warden, car wasn't that bad, but she insisted on taking me on a test drive and took her about 90 year old in her words daddy with us. Scared the shit out of me. When got back she listed all the faults as just bullet points. Didn't buy it 

[Tadhg Tiogar]

In at least one case, someone else came along waving even more cash at the seller.

[Andyrew]

Looked at a 2 owner from new disco 300tdi before buying my green disco.

"Small patches of welding done on the cills"

They certainly was small patches, issue being there was no less than 30 of them layers upon layers.

Didnt bother taking it for a test drive.

[loserone]

I test drove an Almera from a dealer before I bought mine. The brakes weren't connected, as I found out approaching the first roundabout.

 

I just test drove a car for someone else, and I'm finding it difficult not to buy it myself.

[omegod]

Wife was a week overdue and I'd clung on to my Mk1 MR2 to the last minute, went to look at a mint last of line cavalier with the biggest history I'd ever seen, twas full of dog hair so I fucked it off, ended up panic buying a Mazda 323 gti ( pop up light one) on the day she went into labour ( 13 days over ) with mega miles and a leaky boot 

[Split_Pin]

Astra Coupe Turbo: 40,000 miles, described as mechanically perfect by the owner who then admitted "I'm not really an engines man" when I noted the turbo billowing smoke out the exhaust.

Rover 75: comically overpriced by a n00b who fancied himself as a car trader.

Rover 75: collapsed rear suspension arm, taxed and MOTd.

Mini r50: Scruffy as fuck, valeted by Stevie Wonder, zero oil or coolant. Didn't even start it.

[Shirley Knott]

I've walked away from loads TBH. Most recent was an Aygo with 100k that was described as running well, in reality it had a slipping clutch, a pronounced misfire and an oil cap full of mayo. FRO. Before that it was a Golf, local used car dealer who has cars jammed tightly in rows into his yard, a test drive would have required moving some other cars out of the way and so I was told if he was going to go to the bother of shifting them I'd have to pretty much agree that I'd be buying it. Get in the sea.

[Cavcraft]

Quite a few because I didn't like the seller when I met him or her.

[treehugger]

Being a tight cunt.

[Split_Pin]

8 minutes ago, Cavcraft said:

Quite a few because I didn't like the seller when I met him or her.

Mind that time you tried to buy that corsa off a lad that wouldn't come to the door and you had to communicate with him via his mum from the doorstep to where he was sat in his room? That was hilarious.

[Spiny Norman]

I walked away from an XJ6 that caught fire on the test drive, does that count?

[sutty2006]

I don’t think I’ve walked away from many motors I’ve gone to view. Mainly because I tend to go and look at stuff I actually want. One was a mk6 escort zetec, over priced and had a slipping clutch, owner was old and adamant that the clutch was fine. It definitely wasn’t. Another was a Mk3 Mondeo I went too look at at a dealer in Birmingham. Right pile of dog shit that was, didn’t even bother test driving it, just left. Sales guy said he’d chuck a new tyre on it before it went, I replied with “that’s the least of its worries”. 

[AnthonyG]

Years ago I went to have to have a look at an Allegro 3 for sale in a nearby village. I can’t remember the price but it would have been around £400 (this was circa 1999). 

It looked smart enough but, there was a hole in the rear sill/wheel arch area, and he insisted that the Philips AM radio cassette player wasn’t part of the deal, which seemed strange as even then it would only have been worth about £3, and it wouldn’t have fitted in his other car, which was a low spec 3 series in E36 flavour.

I said I would only offer £300, he said no, and that was that. 

 

[pilninggas]

I remember going to look at a mark 3 supra turbo when i was 21. 

The lad wanted £550 and it had mot and no corrosion. i didnt go for it as i was worried about insurance costs.

Damn i wish i bought it.

I also remember going to look at a Vectra estate and 2.5 Omega [both dogs], glad i bought neither of them.

[EssDeeWon]

1987 Rover SD1 2600 VDP - Moonraker Blue, same owner since 1988, for sale on the SD1 club, looked good, location Darrington oop north.

Nice old boy selling it, kept it garaged, agreed £1500 over the phone, said it has history blah blah cambelt done...

Book half day off work and get a train out of Kings Cross to Donny then cab to Darrington.  He pulls it out the garage, big gash out the lower part of the NS doors  "Oh you noticed that" he replied then showed me the history which consisted of a logbook and current MOT.  Turns out cambelt was replaced, EIGHT years ago ffs!!

Called a cab and left, walk on fare at donny and home in time for tea.  Snide old sod.

Of course I now regret not taking it away. 

[Six-cylinder]

I wanted another Visa Diesel and even back in 2008 there were few about so I decided to settle for a 10E (954cc petrol) as there were two for sale, but which one. One in Essex and the second not too far away, we set off for Essex with an appointment to see the second car later and I asked Mrs6C what if we like it should we cancel the second appointment, no she said if they are both good we will buy them both and get them home, then decide which one to keep. 

So arriving in Essex we found a nice little car but the reason we did not buy it was the seller a motor trader was so obnoxious we could not deal with him.

We did buy the local car that was no better than the first, but the seller was pleasant to deal with. We kept it a year until we found another diesel that I still have.

[catsinthewelder]

Mk1 Ford Orion I'd seen on the advert board in the local motor factors.

It was doom blue and owned by an old boy who couldn't drive it anymore because he was confined to a wheelchair.  My first BX estate had just expired and I needed a new family car (about 2012).  It didn't have an MOT but I think the deal was it would be £600 including a fresh one.  It could pass with horrific rear arch rot as it didn't have rear seatbelts.  I knew that if I fitted some it would need fixing within a year so bought the BX of many shitters instead.  To be honest I viewed it hoping it would be a minter I could turn a small profit on.  I could possibly have made a bit but not enough to justify the hassle.

[Lanciaman]

Black Alfa 75 twin spark. Nice car. Reg was H26 NOB.  Couldn't do it...

[Schaefft]

Too rusty/serious drivetrain issues, both things that I cannot handle myself and are too expensive to fix at the price ranges I usually shop at. Sometimes even that doesn't keep me from buying a car I want though if the price is right and I know I can get most of my money back (see S8  Final Edition and E39 540i 6-speed). The only car I can remember walking away from after moving here was an '95ish S500 that was just generally too risky. Someone actually bought it and got it back on the road, to my surprise. Other than that I usually get as much info as possible before and only really have cars in my sight that are very good deals if they are as described.

[EssDeeWon]

23 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

So arriving in Essex we found a nice little car but the reason we did not buy it was the seller a motor trader was so obnoxious we could not deal with him.

I could start a new thread on how many cars have I phoned up to view but not viewed purely because of the annoying obnoxious dealer hurling BS down the phone.   How do these bellends ever sell a car, I wonder.