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Jack - I note your comments on cars from Singapore - how about the Mercs and BMWs from Japan. Models around 2001 seem to be pretty good value for what you get. Be interested in your comments

The comments on vehicles out of Singapore are based more around the high humidity the vehicles are subjected to and, as a result, the possible breakdown of the vehicles electric/electronic wiring system.

There have been several cases reported where the wiring loom can literally crumble when disturbed.

These types of faults can be very hard to find and expensive to repair.

The risk is, you just can’t tell the condition of the wiring on a pre purchase inspection because it is wrapped in a protective loom.

It does seem to be an isolated problem with cars from Singapore.

All cars become high risk as they get older however, European cars do raise the bar over the mainstream Japanese models. We judge those comments on what we hear and know, but also on the fact that mechanical warranty insurance underwriters charge a premium and a higher excess when accepting a policy on a European vehicle.

To be fair this is sometimes due to higher spec levels and therefore the potential for more to go wrong (which it often does).

NZ has been swamped with used import BMW’s in recent years which is great for those keen on this brand but it can have a downside for sellers as there are so many choices out there which can drive down prices and make them harder to sell.