Ask an expert

I bought a VW Golf 1990, 153,000kms for $1650 privately. It made a noise when started which the seller said had always happened and not to worry.

The brakes needed new pads and he reduced the price by $50 and I paid $200 for new brake pads with a garage. The problem I have is that when I want to use it I have to let it warm up for about 3-4 minutes otherwise it cuts out and has no power.

This was not mentioned at the time of purchase. Even after I drive the car to the shops and then come back to it 15 mins later I have to warm the car up.

I purchased the car 7 weeks ago, but I hadn't used it up until recently. Can you make any suggestions. I do want to sell the car as it drives me nuts but my local garage said that it could take alot of money to sort it out first. If I point out the faults am I ok to sell it on? Do I have any come back with the private seller?

Thank you for a wonderful job!

Regards, Jane

From the "Ask Jack" archives - 19 April 2010

One of the risks buying privately is you have no come-back on the seller for problems like rough running when cold.

When you pay around the $1600 mark for any vehicle the risks are quite high simply because there is a reluctance to pour a lot of money into any car with such a low retail value.

In some cases owners will try and sell their vehicles rather than spend a lot of money on repairs. Once sold, it then becomes somebody else's problem. It's buyer beware, that's why we recommend an inspection of some sort before you agree to purchase.

You could ask the previous owner for some financial assistance but don't hold your breath. For what its worth, when funds are a little short and you are looking for a vehicle, I would stick to mainstream Japanese.