New purchase - extensive welding done for MOT - do we go ahead?

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Steff

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In the process of buying a 2002 Fiat Ducato based mh with 50,000 mileage, which has just had a new Mot put on it by dealer and now due for collection. Checking MOT history today I see that it failed on front suspension mount corrosion both sides (on the wheel arch and chassis parts of suspension mountings), front passenger seat belt connection corrosion and both sills corrosion - which has now been welded and passed by MOT, although the year before only surface rust was detected on the MOT. Now seriously concerned about carrying on with the purchase! Trouble is if I pull out I’ll lose £2,500 in a non refundable deposit.
Dealer is reputable one with good reviews and the van after all is over 17 years old, and is being sold with 3 month warranty and full hab check, as well as a timing belt change so what do I do? Carry on with the purchase and not worry about the original rust because welding has been done or walk away £2,500 lighter?
 
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That is only a decision you can make unfortunately..

I wouldn't want it myself. My 2002 failed it's mot in april for rust around the same area. The problem is, unless a REALLY SERIOUSLY good job has been done it will come back harder and faster than ever.

Are you sure the deposit is non refundable?

Your third option is to buy it and immediately sell it if it is worth what you are paying?

My 1st choice would be work hard to get a refund of the deposit.
 
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Sounds like it been driven through seawater at some stage in its life, but why did you put such a big deposit on it?
 
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Gromett said:
My 1st choice would be work hard to get a refund of the deposit.
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Good advice !
If the dealer is as reputable as you feel they should be willing.
As a last resort maybe they would transfer deposit to another vehicle ?
But that might limit your options too much.

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You state that the dealer is reputable.
Well,if that really is the case he should have no problem at all in refunding you payment.
If he doesn’t,I certainly would class him as reputable. More like a fool in that case.
Insist on a refund.
 
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If you need To go ahead then make it conditional that you have an mot redone by an independent or pay for an RAC/AA inspection. If they indicate the rust issue then request a refund

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Did the dealer reveal the repairs to you or did you find out yourself and how was the 'van described?
 
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I'm guessing the size of the deposit means you have already agreed to buy it and only just completed due diligence and now doubts have set in, probably much harder to get out of easily now. Without knowing if you have bought it cheap and hence some inherent risk or you have paid top dollar for a dud its difficult to know what to advise. If you have paid peanuts for it then what's to lose, if you are in for big bucks then losing the £2500 deposit may be the difficult but correct way forward. Guess we need a bit more info to help

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I would have thought with what you have discovered you have a good case for a refund of your deposit, just need to be firm with the dealer.
I'm at a bit of a loss as to why you put such a large deposit on an elderly van. We have bought 3 new Hymer's only ever put a £1000 deposit.
 
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One point I did not mention in my poost abobe is the relevance of when you paid the deposit.

You said rectificaation work had to be carried out to secure an MOT pass.

Were you aware of the faults that needed to be corrected before you paid the deposit?

If not I suggest you take the line with the dealer that the deposit was on a vehicle in a different state than what you found later. The rectification may only be the start of further work needed in the future.

Geoff
 
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Hi, thank you to everyone for your help. The dealer requested the deposit sum, which was part of the precontractual sale agreement, which states the deposit is non refundable if I pull out. They agreed to put a new MOT on, as the original only had a month to run, do a full service, a habitation check and timing belt change, to ready it for my collection, and no, nothing was said about any rust problems. I found out about the rust from the MOT check which only came on the gov site today as it was only MOT’d a day ago, but to be fair I haven’t asked the dealer as yet what repairs they have done, so haven’t given them a chance to mention any rust.
In the first instance I’ll speak to the dealer tomorrow and ask them for a complete breakdown of the welding and ancillary work they’ve done, and ask them to agree to an independent vehicle check. Obviously if they refuse that’ll be an instant red flag and I’ll ask for my deposit back right away, if not then I’ll wait to see what the independent mechanic says.
I stand to lose £18000 all in if I go ahead with the sale ( the deposit was actually £2000 not what originally quoted). I’d rather lose £2000 though than £18000 so if it comes to it I’ll walk away and fight through the courts if I have to for my deposit back!
 
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Steff as a welder fabricator that learn't how to weld some 35 years ago and also a vehicle mechanic RUN AWAY FROM THAT THING..
No NO NO and THRICE NO.
Get your deposit returned
 
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Qualified inspection required.
Mine is 1999 and needed welding around Jack points before it reached suspension.

Done properly and treated I expect to give no further trouble and I know now where toget double checked whenever in for service or MOT.

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edit to add this should be covered under consumer rights act 2015.
Used car can be rejected if it had significant faults when you bought it and you do NOT have to accept repair or replacement.
 
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don't waste your money on an inspection, you have the necessary details for rejection on official documentation in the form of the DVSA MOT failure.
Generally speaking car welding is never done to a decent standard and the corrosion WILL come back.
Refuse to accept the vehicle and demand the return of the deposit (nicely to start with of course haha)
 
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Jev88 said:
Qualified inspection required.
Mine is 1999 and needed welding around Jack points before it reached suspension.

Done properly and treated I expect to give no further trouble and I know now where toget double checked whenever in for service or MOT.
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but you've only had it since April, the fact you "expect" it to give no further trouble is being naive at best and poor advice in my experience of "others" car welding I've seen over the years.
 
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HandyAndy said:
Steff as a welder fabricator that learn't how to weld some 35 years ago and also a vehicle mechanic RUN AWAY FROM THAT THING..
No NO NO and THRICE NO.
Get your deposit returned
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Are you really Frankie Howard?;):D

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For those people asking why such a large deposit was paid, when we bought our van we were asked for £3000 ( van was £37000) when I refused, I was told that I would have to pay the complete amount 3 days before picking the van up. I also refused this and said for all I knew they could go bankrupt in those 3 days! This didn't go down too well, the director phoned me and shouted abuse for several minutes. Only reason we didn't pull out was because we had signed a piece of paper that I assumed was binding. Happy with the van, not the dealer.
For many people this is a new experience we were told no one else had ever refused to pay the £3000 deposit!!
 
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Steff said:
I stand to lose £18000 all in if I go ahead with the sale
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£18,000 for a 2002 panel van conversion sounds awfully expensive to me?

Just a bit more info. I did welding at college so am not completely green on the subject. UNLESS a perfect job is done.. ALL the bad metal cut right back not just treated, and a decent zinc based weld through primer applied then welded with good quality steel. What will happens is that the underseal they will no doubt use will trap the moisture underneath and existing rust no matter how well treated will act as a seed. It will rust from the inside out and go much further than the initial repair needed... How do I know this, the garage that welded up my sills screwed me. I ended up redoing all the work again myself a couple of years later. You can see the initial part of my story here.

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Van has now been failed for rust in wheel arch which I can get to because it is up near the stop strut mount. Also the bit where the subframe mounts to the chassis is shot.
I looked at it and was too big a job for me to take on and the garage quoted silly money and a long period of time without my van. As I live in it, not practical.
 
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