About to buy a 2004 A4 Convertible: advice welcome...

[philsquared]

Hi all,

 

I've just put down a holding deposit on a 2004 A4 Convertible (3.0l Auto). It's being sold by a dealer who took it on as a part exchange. The dealer specialises in prestige cars (Maseratis in particular).

 

Seems in good condition, but I've not taken it out for a test drive yet (will do at the weekend before completing the purchase). It has a full service history up 'til two years ago when the last owner purchased it. Apparently they maintained it themselves (and didn't keep receipts). Naturally that's a little bit of a red flag, but is reflected in the asking price. I've been telling myself that Audi's are known for the longevity of their engines (German engineering + 6 cylinders), but that's obviously no guarantee.

 

Still, seems a reasonable deal for £3.5k (Glass's estimates it as usually going for a fair bit more). Anything in particular I should look out for on my final inspection/ questions to ask before I commit?

 

Assuming I go ahead I look forward to becoming a part of this community :-)

 

Regards,

 

[)o

IhIL..

[Audi Owners Club]

Hi Phil welcome to the club!

 

Sounds like it's a bit of a gamble to be honest. Of course, there are people out there that maintain cars themselves and do a good job of it but obviously you don't know for sure. If this is reflected in the price then fair enough but I would take it for a decent drive and listen for any unusual noises and check all the fluid levels and see how clean the oil looks etc. If you do go for it then get a full service after picking it up for peace of mind! Going to be a gamble though I guess. Is the dealer offering much of a warranty?

[philsquared]

Thanks for the reply,

 

Unfortunately you're just too late! I couldn't wait and I went and picked it up about an hour ago.

I did take it for a nice drive first, including some decent hills.

It's one of the smoothest rides I've had! Not bad for a nine year old car.

No noises to speak of and the engine itself sounded great.

All the electrics worked perfectly and the hood retraction was smooth as silk.

I didn't check the fluid levels - that would have been a good point. It's MOT'd til April and has full MOT history, at least - which are all clear with no advisories. I will get it serviced in the near term.

The dealer is offering no warranty (their standard practice with this part-ex deals). So, yes, I agree it's a risk. But if it pays off I have a really nice car for the money.

 

Anyone want to buy a 10yo Mazda 6 with a few problems? ;-)

[Audi Owners Club]

Under the sales of goods act the dealer will have at least some responsibility for the car for 6 months. See the quote below from trading standards:

 

The onus is normally on you rather than the trader to prove a claim (that is, to prove that the vehicle is faulty in some way). However, the law states that if you are claiming repair, replacement, full or partial refund within the first six months of ownership, the onus is on the trader to prove that the vehicle was sold without faults when you bought it. This is called the 'reversed burden of proof'. After six months, the burden of proof reverts back to you to provide evidence to support your claim that the vehicle was faulty when it was sold.

 

Glad you're enjoying the car though and fingers crossed you won't have any problems anyway!  :) 

[philsquared]

That's useful to know - thanks.

 

Now I just need to sort out a new ICE head unit!