hi there

i am.about to buy an ex lease superb mark 2 this weekend and i need some advice as to what to look out for and some questions to ask. the skoda has 82k on the clock on a 08 with the 2.0 litre diesel engine 140 se class. spoke to skoda and they told me most of the info on the vehicle e.g. fuel pump replaced last year and services completed. it is just that it seems like too good a deal as i am.buying it for 8k

Looks like the lease company has taken the bulk, if not all, of the depreciation which is a good thing.

What you have to consider is that:

(a) the majority of mileage will have probably been motorway work;

( as an ex-lease car it will have been maintained well ie. cost not a barrier and everything completed on time such as cambelts, servicing etc.

© 82k for a nearly 3-4 year old car isn't high (my Octy has just gone thru 118k)

(d) Check service history, has cambelt been done, all recalls uptodate if necc

(e) Check all electrics - might be worth seeing if you can get it checked by a VAG/Skoda specialist and ensure that there are no fault codes (via VCDS)

£8k seems a low price but you may have haggled that down. Is it listed anywhere on the web - Autotrader etc??

Looks like the lease company has taken the bulk, if not all, of the depreciation which is a good thing.

What you have to consider is that:

(a) the majority of mileage will have probably been motorway work;

( as an ex-lease car it will have been maintained well ie. cost not a barrier and everything completed on time such as cambelts, servicing etc.

© 82k for a nearly 3-4 year old car isn't high (my Octy has just gone thru 118k)

(d) Check service history, has cambelt been done, all recalls uptodate if necc

(e) Check all electrics - might be worth seeing if you can get it checked by a VAG/Skoda specialist and ensure that there are no fault codes (via VCDS)

£8k seems a low price but you may have haggled that down. Is it listed anywhere on the web - Autotrader etc??

I agree with all the above, with just a caveat to add to point 'B'. I have driven many company lease cars which have been maintained on a 'least cost' basis, such as a second hand replacement gearbox out of a skip and cheapo brake pads and discs from ATS and so on. The servicing and repairs might not all have been done at a main dealer, either. Worth checking out.

I agree with all the above, with just a caveat to add to point 'B'. I have driven many company lease cars which have been maintained on a 'least cost' basis, such as a second hand replacement gearbox out of a skip and cheapo brake pads and discs from ATS and so on. The servicing and repairs might not all have been done at a main dealer, either. Worth checking out.

If the service history is non-existant or patchy, then I'd say walk away. My company car is also leased, but has been main dealer serviced every 6 months and has had tyre pressures, tread depth, and fluid levels checked on a weekly basis.I have also topped up with 506.01 or 507.00 grade Long Life oil, so, some company cars are well looked after.

Don't worry about high mileage. My Superb has clocked 83,500 miles in 28 months without any mechanical issues.

thanks for the information guys, the car is or was for sale on the Autotrader, the garage states that it does have a full service history but I know it has some of the services done at separate places but still done to skoda standards to keep the warranty up to date. When I spoke to Skoda about the registration number of the car the lady informed me of all the recalls and work it has had done. The cam belt will need doing at 112.5k miles and the vehicle is HPI clear. I will be picking it up this Sunday. I am excited but also very cautious due to driving a Honda Jazz for the past three years where all I had to do was put petrol and services it each year.

I just hope it is not a lemon but these are the risks of buying second hand

also the chap at the garage states he has had the rear bushes replaced.

thanks for the information guys, the car is or was for sale on the Autotrader, the garage states that it does have a full service history but I know it has some of the services done at separate places but still done to skoda standards to keep the warranty up to date.

Won't be an issue warranty wise - block exemption meant that you could have your car serviced anywhere and, simplistically, aslong as the garage used parts to Skoda standards and followed Skoda's service requirements everything was covered. Our lease cars are maintained by non-dealer garages through the 1-Link system.

Agree with FarmerJim also - in the older days of our lease cars (depending upon age) were often given reconditioned gearboxes etc so might be worth double checking.

One the whole sounds like you've got a good clean motor - post some pics when you get it.

Thanks Coops for the info, i am looking forward to getting this car I just bought the train ticket to take me to Glasgow to collect it on Sunday (will be taking the family and making a day of it also). I will of course get some piccys of the car as long as the deal is good and there is nothing fishy.