Buying High Mileage vRS TDI

[VRSD30]

Hi folks, so after a few years without one I'm looking to get back into a vRS! Had a few cars since but always wish I'd kept the Fabia as the package is fantastic and nothing else come close IMO even though the vRS is now over 10 years old! 

 

So, my budget is around £3-£3.5k, wish it was higher as there are some real gems around with around 60k miles but still commanding a sizeable chunk of cash for the low mileage examples. 

 

Plenty on Auto trader to choose from some are obviously dogs by now, poor condition and sketchy history etc.

 

I've seen an immaculate (much better condition than many low mileage ones I've seen) red 06 plate that's covered 148k miles!! It's had 2 owners with full 16 stamp service history, cambelt & waterpump replaced 2014, asking £2500 for the car which also includes a 6 month RAC nationwide warranty and 12 month RAC breakdown cover.

 

My thinking is that if I get one under budget I'll have money left over for any potential repairs etc. All service history is present with invoices etc but there are no invoices for anything major and at that mileage I'd be worried about the turbo and also the clutch & DMF. Turbo boosts fine with no unusual noises like whooshing/siren that would indicate turbo on the way out, no smoke - Any other tell tale signs the turbo maybe on it's last legs or is it just a lottery? Also Clutch bite is fine and DMF as far as I can tell is perfect with no rattles, gearbox smooth and precise, can the original clutch/DMF last nearly 150k? 

 

I'm not afraid of high mileage as my last vRS got to over 140k and is still knocking around now with 170k on the clock, so not really sure why I'm worried about buying a high mileage one! lol but I guess with my last one I'd put the miles on it myself and it was meticulously maintained with the only major expense being the clutch & DMF.

 

Anything else major likely to go wrong? What's the head gasket failure rate like on the 1.9tdi lumps? 

 

So after that long winded post (apologies) you reckon it would be a safe bet?! Mileage aside I'd rather buy a car on condition with a good history. 

 

 

 

 

[poiuytre111]

These cars can do well over 200k - 300k miles it treated with respect - I have had (admittedly non-vw) clutch and dmf go well past 250k without issue. I would buy at this mileage but I would want to be extra careful, just as you are being.

If the price leaves a bit in the bank as a contingency I would go for it.

Edited 10 February, 2016 by poiuytre111

[tubbytommy]

my pd engined seat leon is on 180k and runs fine with no issues at all.

i wouldnt hesitate to buy a car at 150k if the price was right and it had history

[VRSD30]

I have no issue buying one at that mileage as long as it doesn't quickly turn into a money pit nightmare but I guess that's a risk with any used car. It's immaculate only 2 owners with impeccable maintenance history. The guy who traded it in bought a Subaru Impreza WRX and the salesman said he was (apparently) very very meticulous before buying it going over every detail with a fine tooth comb and the Fabia reflects how he likes vehicle perfection! lol. 

[VRSD30]

This is the Fabia I'm talking about, cambelt & water pump were changed in 2012 not 2014 so that will be nearly due - http://www.motorhausltd.co.uk/used-cars/skoda-fabia-1-9-td-vrs-5dr-blackburn-201512309717198

[wja96]

Interesting car.

For some reason the MOT at 3 years isn't on the DVLA database. If I had to guess I'd say it's been living in Northern Ireland where the first MOT is at 4 years old. It has black door handles so it should be a pre-facelift car.

Looking at the MOT history the previous owner didn't love it enough to sort out the binding rear brakes.

There's nothing that would make me walk away from it, but I reckon you'll want to spend a little mechanically to get it where you want it.

Edited 10 February, 2016 by wja96

[VRSD30]

The minor face lift was late 2004 wasn't it? Quite a few 06 plates on Auto Trader with black door handles but some 56/07 plates with body coloured ones.

 

Yeah saw the binding rear brakes on the MOT history. that would hopefully be an easy fix but you'd think after a few MOT advisories they would have fixed them, odd. If I get an advisory I get it repaired pretty quickly.  

[vRSAnt]

High mileage ? 148K/10 = 14K a year, how is that high ?

Bang on I'd say for normal use, good sign its being driven properly. I'd say you are certainly looking the right way.

Its not the miles, its the condition of ownership you need to look for.

But either way, buying any car at 10 years old is far from a safe option, but if you get it cheap, the risk is mitigated if you checked the car over and have other warranties etc, will have more to spend on anything coming up but do homework to hopefully ensure anything is minimal.

 

Binding is quite common, may not have been the sort of person that was intrinsic enough to look into forums about return springs etc. Thats not necessarily a big concern, as its something you can sort out youself very easily. It does show they were a bit lazy about it, but if it wasn't that noticeable to them maybe they weren't that concerned?

 

Note lower miles doesn't in any shape or form necessarily mean better, vast oversimplification, in many ways it can be worse but you can exploit this to get a really well priced car. Bet some people on here have had some right lemons bought sub <100K?

I think you could get cheaper private though at that sort of miles personally, maybe £1.5-2K? I always say I'd never swap this car for anyone elses, even at lower miles though the grass is greener I know what I have its not let me down in all its single ownership under me. Miles is nothing compared to that feeling of security !

[VRSD30]

OK so average to slightly above average mileage and higher than most I've seen for sale on AT  :p

 

Yeah obviously buying a car off a dealers forecourt is going to cost more but it does have 6 month RAC warranty & 12 month breakdown cover, if I bought one privately for say £2k how much would a warranty cost? And most warranty providers won't cover a car with that many miles I don't think? 

 

Agree that low mileage does not always = better, I always look at condition and I want to see a good maintenance history. There's a 54 plate with crazy low mileage, 33k and they're asking £4250,  I'd rather have the one with 148K! 

[wja96]

The minor face lift was late 2004 wasn't it? Quite a few 06 plates on Auto Trader with black door handles but some 56/07 plates with body coloured ones.

 

Yeah saw the binding rear brakes on the MOT history. that would hopefully be an easy fix but you'd think after a few MOT advisories they would have fixed them, odd. If I get an advisory I get it repaired pretty quickly.

The facelift was the ASZ/BLT engine changeover and it happened roughly around the 2006 MY changeover where the cars start to get built in July and feed through for August. My own car is definitely 100% a facelift and it was registered on the 12th August, 3 or 4 days before that one was registered. My car was a spec build by the dealer, so it was a stock car effectively but I know it was only delivered the week before I picked it up. My car is also black and I don't think black cars had the door handles painted anyway.

It means nothing really. If you like the car, it seems a bit expensive, but then I don't have the rose tinted spectacles lots of people seem to have about the vRS. They definitely command a premium out of all relationship to what they are and what they cost new. Every time my car goes into Robinsons in Norwich they tell me what the trade-in value is against a new one (effectively nothing) so I just get it serviced and everyone is happy. I'm at the stage now where a 20,000 mile service and a cambelt/oil pump swap is the trade-in value of the car. Robinsons couldn't retail a 250,000 mile 10 year old car so it would go straight to auction where it might make £750-£1000 if someone really wants a black vRS. And then they'll sell it for £2000 on a forecourt. Crazy money!

[VRSD30]

Going to look at a one owner silver 06 reg this weekend, 120k miles with full Skoda history bar the last service. Wanting £2800 for it and maybe some room for negotiation. 

[VRSD30]

Narrowed it down to two Fabia's...

 

1) Silver, 120k miles, full Skoda history, immaculate, 1 owner, 3 month engine & gearbox warranty.

 

2) Red, 149k miles, Full history (part Skoda part independent) immaculate, 2 owners, 6 month RAC warranty & 12 month breakdown cover. 

 

Swaying towards the silver one atm, 1 owner full Skoda history so you know it's going to have had correct PD oil & genuine parts (hopefully) !! But the red one has better warranty + Breakdown cover... Hmmmm decisions. 

Edited 14 February, 2016 by VRSD30

[serafumi]

Narrowed it down to two Fabia's...

1) Silver, 120k miles, full Skoda history, immaculate, 1 owner, 3 month engine & gearbox warranty.

2) Red, 149k miles, Full history (part Skoda part independent) immaculate, 2 owners, 6 month RAC warranty & 12 month breakdown cover.

Swaying towards the silver one atm, 1 owner full Skoda history so you know it's going to have had correct PD oil & genuine parts (hopefully) !! But the red one has better warranty + Breakdown cover... Hmmmm decisions.

I brought my 53 plate with 128k .. It's now on 137k been a very reliable daily. Uses no oil or water . Has a few little problems , but nothing engine related .. I change the oil every 6k ..

[VRSD30]

I brought my 53 plate with 128k .. It's now on 137k been a very reliable daily. Uses no oil or water . Has a few little problems , but nothing engine related .. I change the oil every 6k ..

 

Yeah very reliable motors, I had an 05 plate vRS which I sold in 2013 (big regret)... 145k on when I sold it and it's still knocking around here with over 160k on the clock now.

 

Just wondering what peoples thoughts are on my post above, silver vs the red one, really can't make my mind up 100% either way! Both 06 plates and immaculate, the red one has done 30k more with full history but also has better warranty, the silver one is lower mileage and 1 owner and dealer maintained for last 10 years. 

Edited 14 February, 2016 by VRSD30

[serafumi]

Yeah very reliable motors, I had an 05 plate vRS which I sold in 2013 (big regret)... 145k on when I sold it and it's still knocking around here with over 160k on the clock now.

Just wondering what peoples thoughts are on my post above, silver vs the red one, really can't make my mind up 100% either way! Both 06 plates and immaculate, the red one has done 30k more with full history but also has better warranty, the silver one is lower mileage and 1 owner and dealer maintained for last 10 years.

I would drive both , 1 will feel better then the other I bet

[R1chard]

Sold my 06 vrs with 148k on it and it ran like a dream, still miss it now!

It's MOT last year states 165k so it's still going well.

If the ones your looking at have good history and good bodywork then go for it regardless of miles!

[VRSD30]

Deposit put down on the silver one! Getting MOT'd tomorrow and I should get it on Wednesday 

 

Edited 15 February, 2016 by VRSD30

[Jrjg]

Happy new car ! Looks very clean.

JRJG

[VRSD30]

Got my vRS this morning, very happy great to be driving one again!

 

Question,as it's a few years since I've driven one, after having a good play out in it I think the clutch is maybe a little heavier than I remember but I never thought the tdi 130 clutches were especially light anyway. Clutch bite point is fine, maybe a bit low as it engages about 2-3'' off the floor? All gears go in fine nice and smooth and no rattles or anything from the DMF, no clutch slip on boost. Sound normal? Maybe the petrol car I've been driving has a lighter clutch action and I've gotten used to it making the vRS feel a bit heavier until I get used to it again.

Edited 17 February, 2016 by VRSD30