Anyway of checking vehicle history?

Information and questions about driving in Andalucia, buying or importing cars and motorbikes plus legal issues surrounding taxes and licenses.
1bassleft
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Re: Anyway of checking vehicle history?

Postby 1bassleft » Tue Dec 19, 2017 1:30 am

You're right, Miro, your Landcruiser would definitely be missing that info IME. In fairness to Carfax (and I don't give the aforementioned dealer much benefit having inspected their previous, "immaculate, todo al dia" car with signs of forced entry and no ITV) the Pug in question is recent and available as both 8V and 16V with different C02 so I suspect Carfax is right and the dealer is "mistaken" as well as forgetful about the number of previous owners. Thanks for your wishes. I've brought the Modus back from Marbella to Benalmadena (wife and I suddenly started calling it Big Ears - in metallic champagne it looks like a car two-year-olds ride in at the entrance to Asda et al). The seller is a taller-owner/dealer of cheap wheels who at least changes belts, oil and filters before marketing. Two bonuses; the original Renault wallet with car + radio instructions, various bills of yore and secondly I muttered "poco vibracion" during 100-120 acceleration on test drive and made mental note to check tyre pressures and balancing once in my hands. Evidently, he did something himself over the w/e as there was no sign of it on the run home. Not tempting fate, but I think the car and seller are both honest. Told him I'd be back for servicing and that's the truth - Modus has an engine bay the size of a folded napkin and an oil filter change is the devil's job.

Olive, all of mine were "nacional" (as you imply, not the greatest recommendation as FSH seems to not translate here) but I strongly suspect Carfax will be blank about pre-matriculation history. The DGT website offers a costlier check that also requires a bit of declaration but it might give info on the initial ITV findings after importation. Before you do that, though, I still have some unused Carfax credit. If you like, PM with a Spanish reg you're interested in. I can run it and tell you what info I gleaned. It might be very inconclusive but at least you learn something about the usefulness of Carfax with imports. OTOH, it might flag up something interesting or "scary, run away".
EDIT: Olive, I meant "PM the Spanish reg of an imported car", not just a nacional as the latter would not be a different case to my previous examples.

olive
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Re: Anyway of checking vehicle history?

Postby olive » Tue Dec 19, 2017 11:21 am

1bassleft. Thanks for your kind offer. I might take you up on that in the New Year. Good luck with your car.

No fresh vehicles being advertised now plus I am weary from it all. I will start afresh after the festivities. At least "car tax" shouldn't be a problem then. I am presuming it is a nationwide Spanish process that the owner in January each year has to pay the tax?

1bassleft
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Re: Anyway of checking vehicle history?

Postby 1bassleft » Tue Dec 19, 2017 4:57 pm

Happy to help (once you're recovered). Not implying you'll be overdoing New Year :wink: , I feel like a teenager with first wheels after 2 months cruel and unusual punishment searching the 'net for a reasonable car. As regards tax, others know far more (I'm a newb) but I believe the year starts in Jan but the bills/payment are a few months after that so you may not get the bonus of a year's worth paid up if you buy in enero.

EDIT: Should mention, my taller/dealer was a bit down while I chatted to him during the test drive. Business quiet, 7 mechanics to feed. Of course, with Christmas coming, non-essential maintenance and car purchasing is a bit thin on the ground. If you do have a contender and the ready cash, Olive, now might be a good time to knock a bit off the price and see if you get a bite.

1bassleft
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Re: Anyway of checking vehicle history?

Postby 1bassleft » Sun Feb 04, 2018 2:28 am

Has the website been down? Real struggle to get the webite uploaded while in the UK. Anyway, I'm returning to the Costa later today and the Carfax offer still stands if you want it, Olive.

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Wicksey
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Re: Anyway of checking vehicle history?

Postby Wicksey » Sun Feb 04, 2018 1:10 pm

olive wrote: At least "car tax" shouldn't be a problem then. I am presuming it is a nationwide Spanish process that the owner in January each year has to pay the tax?
We've always used a gestoria to handle the sale and purchase of private vehicles although a second hand dealership should do all the paperwork included in the price. The gestoria can confirm that there's no debt on the car, including car tax. The car tax is a local town hall tax and varies from region to region. It is usually payable around May time here for that year.

(As an aside, a neighbour has 'bought' a car privately about 9 months ago but still doesn't have the paperwork for it as he wasn't aware of how it works here. Somehow he still managed to insure it and have the ITV done with simply a photocopy of the previous owners registration documents.)

olive
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Re: Anyway of checking vehicle history?

Postby olive » Sun Feb 04, 2018 2:26 pm

Still looking. Have quite a specific car in mind including extras. Not many around within easy travelling distance. I presume because anyone buying a new car a few years ago would down spec due to the crisis. Keep finding imports matriculated onto Spanish plates. 1bassleft - thanks for your continued offer.

The comment about car tax was a reference to buying in Dec and being faced with "taxing" the vehicle as owner from 1st jan. The dealers must have to do that on stock they carry forward.

What I have seen is that some vehicles just do not sell. I and presumably others must assume the car has an issue. There is one a dealer in Seville has had since before summer last year

1bassleft
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Re: Anyway of checking vehicle history?

Postby 1bassleft » Thu Feb 08, 2018 3:59 am

Hi Olive. I've looked around and the owner of the vehicle on 01/01/18 is liable for the tax for this year, even though the bills are sent out usually at the end of April (you can talk to your bank about a DD, as well as going to the town hall). There is no redemption for part of a year, so it's an area to enquire about and build into the price you pay - especially with a private seller. A dealer can put it on a baja temporal (like a SORN) as it wouldn't be used on the roads except for the odd test drive. A private seller is less likely to, if they are daily using the car until sold. At this time of year, I would be concerned about buying a car from an owner who says "sure, I'll pay the bill when it comes" and doesn't. For all I know, you get a bill Apr 2019 with unpaid tax and a 20% fine and the previous owner knows full well that pursuing him/her for a coupla hundred euros isn't worth your time.
I know what you mean about cars hanging around unsold. There is a taller/dealer a short walk from me and the cars just sit there. I watched one expire its ITV over two months and they did nothing - didn't reduce the price or put it in for another 12 month ticket - barmy. If you look on milanuncios (I did find it handy) and see a potentially promising car, don't take the "2 day" listing at face value. Clicking on Estadisticas can reveal that its been languishing there for months and routinely relisted.
My problem was the opposite of yours; ads seem to go on and on about the kit included but rarely mentioned service history. When it did, "revisiones al dia" often meant an oil change had once been done some time in the last 12 months. One thing I picked up for a few quid that's well worthwhile is an EOBD scanner (off ebay but motor shops/Chinese bazaars might have one). Plugged into the car's port and communicating even with just a smartphone, error messages come in, even if a dodgy seller has cleared the memory to get rid of warning lights on the dash, unless the issue has been fixed. My UK car is clear but my Spanish one has a code that ties in with the not-great mpg I'm getting.
Apart from the Carfax offer, if you see a promising ad that's more Malaga than Granada and don't want a long, wasted journey, drop me a PM and I'd be happy to at least give it a look over and suggest if it's worth you taking a trip.


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