Car garage won't allow extended test drive or independent inspection

[MrGreedy]

Don't know if this is normal, as I don't buy cars very often. Looking (online) at a nice S211 2008. Has decent kit I think (I've checked the datacard). £5.5k

I asked about taking the car for an extended test drive and said that I was happy to pay any sensible security for this plus I'd be happy to leave my car and keys, and also that I would pay reasonable costs/processing/fuel i.e. I'm thinking £20-50. I was told that I'm allow 10 minutes, 15 max due to insurance limits, but this would be free.

I then said I would like to get the car inspected at a local garage (Merc specialist btw) at my cost, but the garage owner said 'no way'. They then went on to say that with older secondhand cars like this, 'you don't get longer test drives than this and you won't be allowed to get one inspected'.

Is this true, or is this an immediate red flag to walk away?

I don't expect to have all this handed to me for free and I know this takes the company's time, hence me being prepared to pay them for any effort and costs they incur, but the short limit on inspection makes me nervous. It feels a bit 'auction' like, but without auction prices.

I guess I'm just trying to get a feel for if this is the way of things when buying 10 year old 2nd hand cars and I need to reset my expectations. It's a total gamble and garages are looking for customers willing to hand over cash with few questions asked.

 

[Smart320]

Walk away , even better run !

 

[Oli]

Would have thought a test drive is a test drive although you might need to be accompanied?, r.e. not allowing it to have an inspection would make me think they know something's wrong with the car, given how complicated and potentially expensive things can be I'd walk and find another one.

 

[MrGreedy]

Would have thought a test drive is a test drive

I need the extended test drive to allow time for the mechanic to inspect. He's 15 miles away, so a couple of hours would do it. 10 minutes wont, and the car will barely be up to temp. The last car I bought I was similarly limited in the test drive. It was delivered one evening to my house after the sale. The next day on a longer run I discovered the engine wasn't getting up to temp, so spannering started on day 1. I'd like to at least be able to rule out the simple stuff.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Walk away.

At the very minimum they should allow inspection of the car on their site, either by an Independent, or by an RAC style travelling engineer.

In their shoes, there are risks in letting the car out of their hands, either for an extended drive (and potentially theft), and for fiddling about by a garage which may, or may not, know what it's doing.

But they should be offering a compromise.

 

[neilrr]

Define "extended".

TBH, I could tell in 10-15 mins whether I was prepared to take a chance on it or not.

 

[Lennox]

Run!!!!!!

Or don't tell him

 

[Jamiewatkins2004]

When I bought my 2010 merc they took me out for about 45 mins.
Car drove perfect, only after paying the cash it started to have problems, luckily I had 1 years warranty and they paid for all the work without any fuss which totalled approx £3k..

So even driving it for quite some time wont give you any assurance you wont get problems.

If buying an older car defo go for warranty and make sure it covers as much as possible and by a reputable company.

As for the garage you went to, walk away.. if they're like this before you've parted with cash, god knows what they're be like if you get problems.

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[ToeKnee]

Why not pay your independent mechanic to go to the garage and do an inspection rather than take the car to them?

 

[AMGeed]

^ With the number of 211 cars on the market, I'd walk away from that one in an instant.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

He probably thinks that he can sell it to someone less demanding.

 

[Srdl]

I have come across this before with extended test drives. Most dealer stock is not taxed or insured (other than their trader's policy) so it would have to be driven on trade plates and, for that, you would have to be accompanied by one of their staff. Clearly not worth their while to spend more this 15 minutes or so on a car of this price.

 

[Merc220cls]

When I arrived (a complete stranger) to view my SL I was surprised when the dealer simply handed me the keys and said take it out for a run, as long as you like.
Obviously with the CLS sitting parked on his property he knew I was coming back but no pressure was put on for a sale.
The dealer phoned me six months after purchase just to see how things were.
That’s what I call proper service.
Christopher Jackson Alderley Edge

 

[Deleted member 37751]

He’s possibly had his fingers burnt by potential buyers taking it to “their” mechanic who then duly rips the car to shreds, potential buyer takes car back to trader with list a mile long demanding to pay £1.20 for the car.

 

[Jamiewatkins2004]

He’s possibly had his fingers burnt by potential buyers taking it to “their” mechanic who then duly rips the car to shreds, potential buyer takes car back to trader with list a mile long demanding to pay £1.20 for the car.

So its ok for them to sell you a dog but not ok for your to get a second opinion!

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[markjay]

...At the very minimum they should allow inspection of the car on their site, either by an Independent, or by an RAC style travelling engineer...

Why not pay your independent mechanic to go to the garage and do an inspection rather than take the car to them?

^^^^^
This

Some places just don't offer longer test drive, this just how they do business. If it's not to your likling, buy elsewhere, fair enough, but it does not necessarily imply that they employ shoddy business practices.

However, any business that won't allow you to have the car independently inspected by your mechanic on their own premise, is best given a wide berth.

 

[Oli]

I need the extended test drive to allow time for the mechanic to inspect. He's 15 miles away, so a couple of hours would do it. 10 minutes wont, and the car will barely be up to temp. The last car I bought I was similarly limited in the test drive. It was delivered one evening to my house after the sale. The next day on a longer run I discovered the engine wasn't getting up to temp, so spannering started on day 1. I'd like to at least be able to rule out the simple stuff.

Sorry I should have made my point about the test drive more clear, I meant it from their perspective not yours, in that their saying you're limited to 10/15 minutes for a test drive sounds a bit funny to me, not your reasoning for wanting an extended one which seems reasonable.
What model of S211 is it out of interest?, I had a W211 E55K a long time ago now and it was pretty solid to be fair, except the SBC pump and rust!.

 

[24 VRT]

Sounds like another one to walk away from. Don't get disheartened as it can take some months to pin down the 211 that is right for you. Don't discount private sellers either, as sometimes you see lovely well-cared for examples with good service histories where the owner just wants to achieve a better price than the dealer offers on PX - my S210 was found that way and the owner was quite happy for it to go to my mechanic for a good check-over. As AMGeed says, there are plenty of 211s out there, with good numbers coming to market driven by a lot of them now hitting the 100k miles mark which seems to motivate owners to move to a newer car.

 

[merc85]

Any garage that doesn't inspect there stock for faults and rectifying prior to Selling them shouldn't be trading imho looks like they have little faith in the stock there selling.

One Trader i know simply buys there stock from the Auction gets it back to there site and sells it regardless.

 

[MrGreedy]

I'm not that bothered about an on-site inspection, even if I was allowed one.
I'm pretty handy with the spanners, and I'm happy looking at anything that can be seen with the car sat on the ground. Black death, brake disc and pad thickness, anything you can basically see and touch and listen to.

What I don't have, is decent diagnostic (waiting in the icarsoft CR Pro group buy), and the ability to get under the car. I want the trays off the bottom (which isn't some for the MOT), and I want a Merc specialist to have a look. Some immediate things that spring to mind are brake lines, suspension arms, bushes and coil springs, exhaust and cats (listening for rattle), leaks, and finally, any signs of accident damage or repair. This can't really be done with the car on the ground. All these things are getting to the age that they should have been replaced, or will likely need replacing in the not too distant future. I'm going to keep this car for a good chunk of time, and I don't want to pay near top money for one that needs £3k spending on it.