Proud New Owner - 2005 RAV4

[IanML]

☝️

[C3PO]

Question about cambelt: I know this car has a metal one, but should it still be changed? Especially at high mileage? What would be the cost of the change too please?

[IanML]

3 hours ago, C3PO said:

Question about cambelt: I know this car has a metal one, but should it still be changed? Especially at high mileage? What would be the cost of the change too please?

Afaik, the camshaft drive chain is only changed if it exhibits defective properties, i.e if it has stretched, and becomes very noisy, or its tensioner is failing (same symptom).  It is not changed as a routine measure and may well last the life of the vehicle.

[C3PO]

Bad news. Took the car to another garage and this assessment:

ADVISE
1. ENGINE MANAGEMENT LIGHT ON ( HASN'T BEEN SCANNED )
2. BRAKE FLUID CHANGE ( 153 DEGREES )
3. BOTH REAR BRAKE PIPES CORRODED ( HAS PREVIOUSLY BEEN SPRAYED OVER WITH UNDER-SEAL
4. OFFSIDE REAR COIL SPRING MOUNTING EXCESSIVELY CORRODED ( DANGEROUS )
5. REAR DIFFERENTIAL LEAKING ( 2 DRIVE-SHAFT SEALS AND INPUT SEAL FROM PROP-SHAFT REQUIRED )
6. NEARSIDE REAR SUSPENSION ARM MOUNTING EXCESSIVELY CORRODED ( DANGEROUS )
7. OFFSIDE REAR SUSPENSION ARM MOUNTING EXCESSIVELY CORRODED ( DANGEROUS )
8. NEARSIDE REAR COIL SPRING MOUNTING EXCESSIVELY CORRODED ( DANGEROUS )
9. OFFSIDE FRONT BRAKE HOSE TWISTED
10. NEARSIDE FRONT ANTI-ROLL BAR LINK LOWER DUST COVER EXCESSIVELY DETERIORATED NOT PREVENTING THE INGRESS OF DIRT.
11. OFFSIDE REAR SHOCK ABSORBER LEAKING
12. FRONT REGISTRATION PLATE CRACKED
13. NEARSIDE FRONT WHEEL BEARING ROUGH WHEN ROTATED
14. OFFSIDE FRONT WHEEL BEARING ROUGH WHEN ROTATED
15. UNDERSIDE OF VEHICLE GENERALLY CORRODED ( CORROSION HAS BEEN SPRAYED OVER WITH UNDER-SEAL PREVIOUSLY )

Bought it less than 30 days ago so want to return it now.

[Cyker]

Could take it to the dealer and see what they will do about it - You're within your rights to reject it as it's still within the honeymoon period, but they might be willing to repair some if not all of it. If they do, likely they'll want some contribution from you as it's a lot of stuff, but whether that's reasonable or not will be for you to decide.

 

I'm a bit confused as to why one garage said everything is fine and another one has found all this tho'!!

If you paid for the first check, might want to ask for your money back...

 

[C3PO]

Yes the difference in assessment is something I would like to know too!

[ernieb]

Some of what has been found might well be expected in part on a car 17 years old and the difference in garages might be down purely to the perception of the engineer as to what constitutes fair wear and tear and excessive.

That said it does sound from what has been listed that the car has spent a lot of time near the sea or driven in areas where they use plenty of road salt and the car never washed down?

I hope you manage to get some change from the dealer but I expect you might have to negotiate hard, good luck. 

[Uncle Bob]

Did you reject this vehicle within the 30 days, as per trading standards regulations ?

[C3PO]

Sorry yes - vehicle handed back fine. Never got the change of ownership documents in the first place from the DVLA so have written to them submitting another form for the road tax refund. They move at glacial speed.

[Catlover]

Can you get a road rax licence fee back?

[Cyker]

Yeah, because they changed how it works (i.e. no tax disc so can't transfer to new owner), they are supposed to automatically refund you any unused months of tax automatically when ownership changes (Although they effectively get paid double on the overlap month).

That's what's happened every time I've changed cars.

Not sure how it will work with the OP tho', if they never officially took ownership of the car but still paid tax on it...!

 

[Uncle Bob]

Glad you got your money back.

The GOV website for MOT history is your best friend when it come to checking for corrosion and other faults.

My one previous owner black 3 door has 107k on the clock, yet is great condition underneath. It’s all a bit of a lottery finding a good one .

Mine came from here……

https://www.jrscars.co.uk/used/cars/