service history missing

[markjay]

This is what the car should have had so far:

Dec 2017 - Service A

Dec 2018 - Service B (inc. cabin filter change, and keyfob battery change), brake fluid change

Dec 2019 - Service A, pano roof lubrication (if fitted)

Dec 2020 - Service B (inc. cabin filter change, and keyfob battery change), brake fluid change, air filter change, fuel filter change

Next services:

Dec 2021 - Service A, ATF and filter change (if automatic)

Dec 2022 - Service B (inc. cabin filter change, and keyfob battery change), brake fluid change, pano roof lubrication (if fitted)

 

[vaibhavk]

I like buying cars from Cargiant, but you need to know how to buy from them... it's a no-frills service, as the cars are sold as-is (apart for any mechanical faults, which they will rectify prior to sale).

Thanks. I was under the illusion that it's the place to be for noobs like me. So, to summarise, they are certainly better than most indie/private sellers but don't have a minimum agreeable standard (for e.g. FSH, well maintained, etc.) for the cars they sell.

I have read horror stories of misrepresented sales by MB Approved Used dealers on this forum. It seems nothing replaces a thorough inspection irrespective of where's one buying from.

 

[vaibhavk]

This is what the car should have had so far:

Dec 2017 - Service A

Dec 2018 - Service B (inc. cabin filter change, and keyfob battery change), brake fluid change

Dec 2019 - Service A, pano roof lubrication (if fitted)

Dec 2020 - Service B (inc. cabin filter change, and keyfob battery change), brake fluid change, air filter change, fuel filter change

Next services:

Dec 2021 - Service A, ATF and filter change (if automatic)

Dec 2022 - Service B (inc. cabin filter change, and keyfob battery change), brake fluid change, pano roof lubrication (if fitted)

Clearly, some glaring gaps in the service history of what's been produced by the seller so far let alone the ones missing. Thanks, I am going to give it a miss unless he produces the missing service records and the details of the performed services for the existing service records.

I am not going to haggle to bring the price down further as I have had enough on this already.

 

[markjay]

...So, to summarise, they are certainly better than most indie/private sellers but don't have a minimum agreeable standard (for e.g. FSH, well maintained, etc.) for the cars they sell.

Correct, this is my experience, anyway.

 

[markjay]

As an example, in 2013 I bought from them a Kia that was 3 months overdue a service (I spotted it, they didn't point it out to me).

This was a potential issue, because the Kia came with 7 years manufacturer's warranty (and, at least on that occasion, they were honest enough not to try and sell me a mechanical breakdown warranty........).

When I raised my concerns, a supervisor quickly attended, and in my presence called the Kia Technical Helpline, then handed the phone over to me. He said that I should talk to them, and make-up my own mind about the car - but Cargiant wouldn't budge on anything - they wouldn't service the car, or offer to pay for the service - it was pretty much take it or leave it.

As it was our second visit (I came with my wife), they said that if I wanted to cancel the sale, they will refund any demonstrate costs that we incurred, e.g. taxi receipt for the journey to them (I drove, so it wasn't relevant).

In the end we bought the car at the windscreen sticker price, it served us well, and if a nutter in a Ferrari hadn't totalled it 5 years later while racing in our residential street (together with a row of parked cars), we might still have it today....

 

[Connoisseur]

re: the mention of air filter element & active charcoal air filter - the w205 has two cabin air filters, one located in the engine bay top left under the plastic covers, and one inside the car under the drivers side dash (this is the £££ active charcoal filter). This one can get ‘forgotten’ at services so always worth checking.

 

[vaibhavk]

Dear MBClubbers,

Thanks to you all - I let go of the C 220d I was previously evaluating.

I'm back with a few questions regarding an E 220d (plate number: FY66SVV) I test drove yesterday. It was a pleasure to drive and nothing odd that I could notice during my 30-mins or so with the car.

This is an off-lease (LeasPlan) car purchased from an auction by the trade seller and shows LeasePlan as the current owner.

The service history on this one looks much better than the previous one I let go.

It had its 1-year Service A and 2-year Service B done at official MB Dealerships. The last two (3-year and 4-year) services were done at an indie and hence don't appear on the DSB but the trade seller has shared the attached service history docs with me in reverse chronological order.



As with last time, I have put together a summary table.



This one clearly has lesser red flags (at least the way a noob like me sees it) but I am planning to get a ClickMechanic pre-inspection check done tomorrow for my peace of mind.

I had a few questions which I hope you all can help answer even if not all of them as some relate to auctions, etc.

1). This one's service history looks much better compared to the previous one's. But I am not sure if the 3-year and 4-year services (highlighted in amber above) have been comprehensive enough as they do not say Service A or B. Especially the 4-year service in Nov-20 shows just hydraulic fluid change. Does it mean nothing else was done or does it mean this was done in addition to everything that's expected from a 4-year service? I am planning to call the garage that serviced the car but was wondering if any of you would know what this means already. Not sure if the garage would entertain my request before I have the V5 transferred in my name.

2). In Mar-19, Feb-21 and Apr-21, it had its linings, sensors, ECU, etc. removed and refitted and Oxygen sensor replaced. Should that be a concern or is that regular maintenance?

3). Car is in the name of LeasePlan and purchased by the seller at an auction. I'm not sure how trustworthy LeasePlan auction purchases are. Would any of you have a view on this?

4). Page 1 of service history print shows a contract start and end date of 27 October 2020 to 26 April 2021 which is essentially a 6-month contract immediately following the 4th anniversary of the car. Would any of you know what that is? The trade seller was clueless.

5). The seller is a private seller in London who said he is representing an independent garage (Luks Car Sales, Leicester) and will offer me an included 6-month warranty via the garage. Someone on here (I think @markjay) said that irrespective of these add-on warranties, the buyer is covered by a 30-day warranty as described in the Consumer Rights Act 2015. How's this enforceable when dealing with a private seller? If not, then I will insist to transfer the money only to the dealer's account. Should I ask for written emails from the dealer and not this private individual?

As always, thanks in anticipation for helping with the above questions.

 

[Spider10]

The car is NOT registered on their website so i would be dubious about the additional 6 months warranty
This sounds imo you are buying the car from a private seller unless as you say you get confirmation from the representative garage, so basically its been a long term hire car for 66k miles ,
as for service history ill let someone else advise you on that

 

[Connoisseur]

If it’s a private sale then you have no legal protection under consumer laws, and any warranty cover will likely have a list of exclusions longer than the car. Walk away at a fast pace

 

[raspy]

Dear MBClubbers,

Thanks to you all - I let go of the C 220d I was previously evaluating.

I'm back with a few questions regarding an E 220d (plate number: FY66SVV) I test drove yesterday. It was a pleasure to drive and nothing odd that I could notice during my 30-mins or so with the car.

This is an off-lease (LeasPlan) car purchased from an auction by the trade seller and shows LeasePlan as the current owner.

The service history on this one looks much better than the previous one I let go.

It had its 1-year Service A and 2-year Service B done at official MB Dealerships. The last two (3-year and 4-year) services were done at an indie and hence don't appear on the DSB but the trade seller has shared the attached service history docs with me in reverse chronological order.

View attachment 113465View attachment 113466

As with last time, I have put together a summary table.

View attachment 113474

This one clearly has lesser red flags (at least the way a noob like me sees it) but I am planning to get a ClickMechanic pre-inspection check done tomorrow for my peace of mind.

I had a few questions which I hope you all can help answer even if not all of them as some relate to auctions, etc.

1). This one's service history looks much better compared to the previous one's. But I am not sure if the 3-year and 4-year services (highlighted in amber above) have been comprehensive enough as they do not say Service A or B. Especially the 4-year service in Nov-20 shows just hydraulic fluid change. Does it mean nothing else was done or does it mean this was done in addition to everything that's expected from a 4-year service? I am planning to call the garage that serviced the car but was wondering if any of you would know what this means already. Not sure if the garage would entertain my request before I have the V5 transferred in my name.

2). In Mar-19, Feb-21 and Apr-21, it had its linings, sensors, ECU, etc. removed and refitted and Oxygen sensor replaced. Should that be a concern or is that regular maintenance?

3). Car is in the name of LeasePlan and purchased by the seller at an auction. I'm not sure how trustworthy LeasePlan auction purchases are. Would any of you have a view on this?

4). Page 1 of service history print shows a contract start and end date of 27 October 2020 to 26 April 2021 which is essentially a 6-month contract immediately following the 4th anniversary of the car. Would any of you know what that is? The trade seller was clueless.

5). The seller is a private seller in London who said he is representing an independent garage (Luks Car Sales, Leicester) and will offer me an included 6-month warranty via the garage. Someone on here (I think @markjay) said that irrespective of these add-on warranties, the buyer is covered by a 30-day warranty as described in the Consumer Rights Act 2015. How's this enforceable when dealing with a private seller? If not, then I will insist to transfer the money only to the dealer's account. Should I ask for written emails from the dealer and not this private individual?

As always, thanks in anticipation for helping with the above questions.

@vaibhavk Plenty of 2016 E220d cars for sale at the moment with a full MB service history. Surely easier (and less stress) to purchase a car for sale that has no red flags when it comes to the first few years of servicing?

 

[vaibhavk]

The car is NOT registered on their website so i would be dubious about the additional 6 months warranty
This sounds imo you are buying the car from a private seller unless as you say you get confirmation from the representative garage, so basically its been a long term hire car for 66k miles ,
as for service history ill let someone else advise you on that

Thanks. Didn't occur to me that I should give the garage a call (hence proved, that I am a noob). The seller gave me the option of transferring money to the garage but unless it's underwritten by them explicitly, it doesn't make sense.

 

[vaibhavk]

@vaibhavk Plenty of 2016 E220d cars for sale at the moment with a full MB service history. Surely easier (and less stress) to purchase a car for sale that has no red flags when it comes to the first few years of servicing?

This one also said F/M/B/S/H but unfortunately many of the listings on AutoTrader are click baits (3 out of 3 of my recent experiences). You wouldn't know until after wasting time with them.

I am now leaning towards getting an Approved-Used MB. Will be approx. £3k premium for that added peace of mind but the problem is some of the cars that I liked are at MB dealers halfway across the country so I might have to opt for video inspection and remote purchase. Is Approved-Used 12-month warranty honoured by all MB Dealer anywhere in the UK or is it a dealership-specific warranty?

I think I need to change my criteria from buying something matching my desired colour/specs to buying from somewhere I can trust.

 

[Spider10]

Tbh approved used can be just as bad plenty on here with bad experiences

 

[Spider10]

Imo there is never a rush to spend a large amount of money on a car (or anything with me) without viewing it in person.
1 will turn up even if its a waiting game you will be better off in the end and happier

 

[markjay]

1. As Connoisseur said. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 applies ONLY to trade sales. So you have two options: get an invoice in your name from the garage (and pay on invoice, not before), and have the legal protection via your statutory rights, or don't get an invoice from the garage, treat it as private sale which practically means 'sold a seen', but at a price which is significantly bellow what a similar car would cost from a trader. Nothing wrong with buying privately, BTW, you can get the car checked (as you are planning to do anyway), and the difference in price (a couple of thousands, typically) will cover unexpected repair bills.

2. It is difficult to tell if the second garage 'Prestige - Civic Motoring Services' - are MB specialists, or a generic garage. They might a specialist and the services might be recorded in the MB DSB - but you'll only find that out after you purchase the car. So there's no telling if they followed the MB service schedule (Service A/B). That said, it looks decent, the year 3/4 services are bound to mean engine oil and filter change, and they replaced also the fuel and air filters in year 3, and the brake fluid in year 4, so that's all good. There's no mention of cabin filter replacement, but ultimately if that the only (potential) gap in the service history then this isn't too bad at all!

3. The printout appreas to come from the Lease company's computer system, and Vehicle Movement is likely to be an admin note.

4. While I am happy to accept a printed service history from a reputable trade seller, I would be wary of anything that a private seller could make-up on their home PC. If buying from the garage, make sure you get a printed copy of this document with their stamp and signature on the printed paper.

6. Replacing Oxygen sensor isn't routine maintenance, but it's one of the known maladies of modern engines. Sensors, AdBlue system, DPF, are all vulnerable points on Diesels. The only way around it is to buy a Petrol car. That said, if a failed Oxigen sensor is all that went wrong on a 5 years old BlueTEC car with 60,000 miles on the clock, that the car isn't doing too bad at all!

7. Keep in mind that the ATF and filter will be due shortly, so budget for that as well.

 

[raspy]

This one also said F/M/B/S/H but unfortunately many of the listings on AutoTrader are click baits (3 out of 3 of my recent experiences). You wouldn't know until after wasting time with them.

I am now leaning towards getting an Approved-Used MB. Will be approx. £3k premium for that added peace of mind but the problem is some of the cars that I liked are at MB dealers halfway across the country so I might have to opt for video inspection and remote purchase. Is Approved-Used 12-month warranty honoured by all MB Dealer anywhere in the UK or is it a dealership-specific warranty?

I think I need to change my criteria from buying something matching my desired colour/specs to buying from somewhere I can trust.

@vaibhavk Unfortunately, there are a lot of time wasters misdescribing cars for sale. It adds to the hassle of finding a decent used car.

If it's a car that you really like, and it's half way across the country, why not travel to see it? I once flew from London to Glasgow to look at a used car that I really liked (based upon the internet photos and the phone conversation with the seller)

In the end, I bought it that day and drove it straight back home, and it was cheaper than the cars in London too. I think you can achieve both, finding a car with a spec you like from a place/person you can trust.

Even when searching for my used C class, I ended up having to travel about 2 hours from home to get the car I wanted from a MB dealer.

Regarding the approved used warranty, it's not dealership specific, at least not in my experience.

 

[markjay]

The MB Approved Used warranty will be honoured by any MB dealer in the UK, BUT it won't cover any issues relating to the state of the car prior to the sale, instead these can only be rectified by the supplying dealer itself (though, some supplying dealers will agree for you to have the car fixed at another dealer more local to you, while they will cover the local dealer's repair bill).

So, if for example the car is fine and after (say) 6 months the EML light comes-on, then you can take the car to any dealer for warranty repair. But, if after one month the brakes fail due to visibly corroded brake lines, then this will be assumed to be the result of poor pre-delivery inspection and can only be sorted by the supplying dealer.

MB dealers all know what should be checked during the Approved Used pre-sales inspection, and if you present to a local dealer a car that was purchased elsewhere and they can clearly see wasn't prepared and inspected prior to the sale as it should have been, the local dealer won't touch it (unless the supplying dealer agrees to foot the repair bill).

So when buying Approved Used, if at all possible, is it best to buy from a supplying dealer local to you.

 

[vaibhavk]

Tbh approved used can be just as bad plenty on here with bad experiences

Yeah, that's what I read and hence was a bit lost. Not sure how much of this is about leap of faith/being lucky vs unending due-diligence.

1. As Connoisseur said. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 applies ONLY to trade sales. So you have two options: get an invoice in your name from the garage (and pay on invoice, not before), and have the legal protection via your statutory rights, or don't get an invoice from the garage, treat it as private sale which practically means 'sold a seen', but at a price which is significantly bellow what a similar car would cost from a trader. Nothing wrong with buying privately, BTW, you can get the car checked (as you are planning to do anyway), and the difference in price (a couple of thousands, typically) will cover unexpected repair bills.

2. It is difficult to tell if the second garage 'Prestige - Civic Motoring Services' - are MB specialists, or a generic garage. They might a specialist and the services might be recorded in the MB DSB - but you'll only find that out after you purchase the car. So there's no telling if they followed the MB service schedule (Service A/B). That said, it looks decent, the year 3/4 services are bound to mean engine oil and filter change, and they replaced also the fuel and air filters in year 3, and the brake fluid in year 4, so that's all good. There's no mention of cabin filter replacement, but ultimately if that the only (potential) gap in the service history then this isn't too bad at all!

I have a copy of the DSB that shows only Services A and B end of years 1 and 2 respectively. So, Prestige (if they exist and isn't made up) haven't recorded anything in DSB. Hence, I'll only progress after I have spoken to Prestige to confirm this was serviced by them.

3. The printout appreas to come from the Lease company's computer system, and Vehicle Movement is likely to be an admin note.

4. While I am happy to accept a printed service history from a reputable trade seller, I would be wary of anything that a private seller could make-up on their home PC. If buying from the garage, make sure you get a printed copy of this document with their stamp and signature on the printed paper.

That's a good shout. And also a good way to test the seller's willingness to do so. He has been pretty much okay with everything I have requested in terms of inspections, etc. so far so hopefully this as well.

@vaibhavk Unfortunately, there are a lot of time wasters misdescribing cars for sale. It adds to the hassle of finding a decent used car.

If it's a car that you really like, and it's half way across the country, why not travel to see it? I once flew from London to Glasgow to look at a used car that I really liked (based upon the internet photos and the phone conversation with the seller)

In the end, I bought it that day and drove it straight back home, and it was cheaper than the cars in London too. I think you can achieve both, finding a car with a spec you like from a place/person you can trust.

Even when searching for my used C class, I ended up having to travel about 2 hours from home to get the car I wanted from a MB dealer.

Regarding the approved used warranty, it's not dealership specific, at least not in my experience.

I know I have been a bit impatient with this all. It's prioritising things that matter (to me at least - service history, some sort of warranty, etc.) over nice to have things like big screen, pano roof, that lovely Iridium Silver metallic colour. I've been trying to find the best of all the worlds in my next purchase. Either I wait or compromise.

So when buying Approved Used, if at all possible, is it best to buy from a supplying dealer local to you.

Thanks. This helps.

 

[markjay]

The stamped and signed print-out of the service history from the lease company's computer system will be a very valuable document when you will be looking to sell the car.

 

[A.J.]

Why does that vehicle come up on DVLC Vehicle Check as :-

Vehicle details could not be found​

You searched for

KF17UZE

If you are sure that you entered the correct registration number and you need to make further enquiries please contact DVLA.

??