Approved used Mazda NOT

ImMrChris

ImMrChris

ImMrChris

Man of Honour
Joined
12 Feb 2004
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Herne Bay, UK
So the missus and my daughter decided they both like the Mazda CX-3, I went to a local Mazda dealer to look at an approved used 19 plate, a quick glance it looks lovely 19k miles 1 owner etc £16500 I thought was a bit steep but all car are ludicrously priced nowadays.

Anyway OMG what a state there was overspray of blue paint all over the rear black wheel arch shoddy paint over the window rubbers where you can clearly see it was masked up by Stevie Wonder, the front bumper shut lines were terrible and a massive scratch in the front plastic wheel arch.

I said to the salesman I thought this was meant to be an "approved used" car look at the state of it! he said every 5 year old car has had paint and if we'd of fixed it you'd of never known so just buy it mechanically it's sound, I replied I've got 3 cars all over 5 years old and none have paint! he came up with so much waffle it really did pee me off so yeah the moral of the story don't buy an "Approved Used Mazda" especially from Perry's in Canterbury!

/rant over :cry:
 
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A couple years back I drove half way across the country to see a approved used Alfa described as excellent bodywork. I could see 10m away without my long distance glasses on that it had been in a crash and not repairs. Fracture stresses in the paint and a chunk of the lower lip missing. Citreon's had rear fish tanks in the rear lights and broken electronics inside.


The poor quality of general run of the mill cars resulted in me going for a performance car that will only be owned by enthusiasts. People don't take care of their everyday cars now.
 
I had a similar experience when looking for an MX5 last year. It was approved-used, only two years old and yet the entire car was trashed. I don't think there was a single panel that wasn't scratched or alloys that weren't kerbed.

After a test drive, the salesman asked if I was interested. I told him I loved the car, just not that one - his response, "yeah, it was one lady owner". To be honest, it probably would have come up well if they'd spent some time with a mop polisher but do that before you mark it for sale, not promise to fix it after!
 
Trifid said:
A couple years back I drove half way across the country to see a approved used Alfa described as excellent bodywork. I could see 10m away without my long distance glasses on that it had been in a crash and not repairs. Fracture stresses in the paint and a chunk of the lower lip missing. Citreon's had rear fish tanks in the rear lights and broken electronics inside.


The poor quality of general run of the mill cars resulted in me going for a performance car that will only be owned by enthusiasts. People don't take care of their everyday cars now.
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yeah i'm the same with my car i can't drive a car that's slow all my cars i buy (for me) are usually mint but yes owned by people that love the car rather than it being a tool for A to B
 
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Not that photographs are necessarily comprehensive or good quality/resolution, but they obviously didn't reveal defects ..
... can you refund my petrol/leccy expenses please
 
These dealers had it good for too long, ever since Covid they been raking the money in and got so complacent they dont care about presenting a car for sale in top condition.
They seem to think if the 1st mug dont buy it the 2nd or 3rd mug will buy it cos there is a shortage of cars.

Whole market pricing structure needs a massive shakedown and re-alignment, dealers resisting like mad.
The Autor Trader chrome add in that allows price changes on a car to be tracked shows some dealers to be increasing the price of a specific car at regular intervals. For example, car gets originally listed at £30K, a month later the price has been upped to £32K even though the car is a month older.
 
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[TW]Fox said:
I doubt there is such a car.

There are bad condition examples of everything unfortunately.
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These are a lot easier to find, bad wraps, poor taste cosmetic modifications, write off repaired. I found it a lot easier to buy a performance car which is standard specification and in good condition compared to the 2 ltr versions of the same model.
 
Yeah, this thread does not surprise me, last time I went car shopping I was looking at a car and got there, alloys shot, very worn and scrubbed ditch finders. Was not even that old.

A colleague had his X3 in for a service recently, someone was in for a quote for a scrape they had in the car park. It was £640, but the guy was like, we advise just leaving it as it is though, as its an old car now so not worth the work. 5 years old, my colleague was a valet as his first job, no kids, keeps his 2012 X3 pristine, he almost fell over. Hah
 
I assume they do this kind of things because lots of people aren't that bothered. They'll just see a year on the reg, the shape of a car they like the look of and perhaps a few toys which are cool.
 
Agreed main dealer cars don't guarantee a quality used car anymore. You still need to go in with eyes wide open.

The 2016 Clubman we bought last year was the exception. Very well cared for by father and son doctor occ' owners High spec etc. Was actually priced very well, new dealer fitted brakes all round and just properly cleaned and presented.
 
Approved used BMW M140i from a Main Dealer... Shouldn't really be higher than 200 microns, in one spot after the photo I found a spot with reading of 1886 microns. :p That's a lot of filler!

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Most of the time, the worst cars I've seen when looking at 5 year old or newer cars is from main dealerships...
 
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I had a similar experience a few years ago with a used approved Audi S3. I put a deposit on it and then travelled over a hundred miles to view it based on the description over the phone from the dealer. When I got there is was in terrible condition. I was furious because of the time and moneyt to travel there so pulled out of the sale. I think main dealers are struggling in the face of car supermarkets so don't have the margin anymore to prepare all cars to the right standard.
 
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Hades said:
I had a similar experience a few years ago with a used approved Audi S3. I put a deposit on it and then travelled over a hundred miles to view it based on the description over the phone from the dealer. When I got there is was in terrible condition. I was furious because of the time and moneyt to travel there so pulled out of the sale. I think main dealers are struggling in the face of car supermarkets so don't have the margin anymore to prepare all cars to the right standard.
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When I was last in the dealer I use a lot I was talking to the head of sales who was bemoaning how many people simply order over the internet, have the vehicle delivered, then decide if they are going to keep it. He thinks there are fundamental changes coming to the industry and the loss of some traditional approaches.
 
Rroff said:
When I was last in the dealer I use a lot I was talking to the head of sales who was bemoaning how many people simply order over the internet, have the vehicle delivered, then decide if they are going to keep it. He thinks there are fundamental changes coming to the industry and the loss of some traditional approaches.
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That's their choice to offer it as a service. If they find it too problematic they could go back to the traditional method of selling only in the showroom. But they would limit their audience. The real problem they are facing is competition from other dealers resulting in them having to offer the service, not the problematic buyers. My last car was bought from a used supermarket. I never thought I would use them. But it was a great experience. Not as fancy as a main dealer. But cheaper and a wider choice of cars.
 
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