What to look for when buying

[lee.moore1]

Hi guys. Going to look at a 2014 insignia 2.0d ecoflex vx line on Saturday. It’s only done 33,000 miles. Is there anything I should be looking out for when viewing ? Cheers in advance.

[shaggy6boys]

Just the same as any other car really

uneven panel gaps / paint shade difference
does the condition of the body and interior reflect the mileage
service history
kerb damage on alloys (something i hate but the vx line has nice alloys)
give it a decent test drive, half hour or so to see if anything changes when the cars warmed up
check heater and air con work as with the electrics if you get time

[PeteH]

And run the registration number through the DVLA site to check mileage corresponds to MOT records. https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-history

[Jakxta]

Hi guys. Going to look at a 2014 insignia 2.0d ecoflex vx line on Saturday. It’s only done 33,000 miles. Is there anything I should be looking out for when viewing ? Cheers in advance.

I think they should let you be there for the first start after a cold night, make sure that oil pressure light doesn't come on!

[Jakxta]

Check the mpg if they haven't reset it, just in case it's one of the random bad economy ones, 40+ is fine, would be skeptical is it's under 40mpg, could have been ragged about

[Chewy1971]

The age of the vehicle requires that the timing belt has been changed, make sure this has been done, or will be done by them (100k miles of 5 years is the interval, whichever is sooner.

first - as above, ensure cold start of the engine, if its warm. Come back another time
Check for knocking from the rear - wear on rubber bushes on suspension parts
even tyre wear
make sure start stop works as this is a good indicator of the condition of the battery

to be honest, my old 2014 2.0d VXLine was THE most reliable car I ever owned.

[0011728]

As above with the timing belt the water pump should be done at the same time. And I would look through the MOT history to see if it has had any fails. This would give you a good idea of whether it has been looked after or not.

[lee.moore1]

I checked through the MOT history and the only thing it’s ever needed was front brake pads other than that it’s been straight through on every one

[Jakxta]

I checked through the MOT history and the only thing it’s ever needed was front brake pads other than that it’s been straight through on every one

Sounds good on that front then. I really stress the cold start thing though, the last thing you want is to be getting your sump seal done straight away (£200+)

[MattG]

Make sure it's not on low fuel, if it is you can't check dash display for tyre pressure, mpg, oil life etc etc. Be warned if they start before you get there and reset mpg it will show a good 45 mpg plus. Scroll through all readings.

Lift carpet in boot, see if water in wheel well. Look for little mods, usually a sign someone cared. Have a good play with everything electric.

I dont see the point of popping bonnet these days, so easy to clean engines now so no indication of anything.

As said even wear on tyres, and note the wheels, has been known for a worse set to be switched when collected

Don't be scared to drive it hard, I scare the pants out of the sales reps I take .

[Howy]

Two key fobs and the car pass info

[0011728]

Is this a dealer or private? Buying private you have no protection if it develops faults so do your homework. If considering keeping for a while it would also be worth factoring in getting the oil pickup seal done as a preventative mainenance measure (£180 at MB Motors KEIGHLY)

[lee.moore1]

It’s from a dealer. Comes with a 3 month warranty. I’ve heard about the pick up seal but unsure on what the actual issue is ??

[0011728]

it's a seal in the oil sump which hardens and stops oil getting to the engine. The main crank bearings then sieze, so it's terminal and new engine or engine rebuild. Common problem so spending the £180 is money well spent. Other garages may be able to do the work but I doubt they'd do it any cheaper or any better. This guy gets very good reviews

[lee.moore1]

Ok. Cheers for that. I work for a JLR main dealer so I’m sure I can get someone there to sort that out for me. Thanks for the heads up