[xodus99]

Hello everyone,

I live in Thane, MH and was looking to buy my first beater car. I found this car on Spinny.
https://www.spinny.com/buy-used-cars...e-2014/2325796

This is a 2014 Hyundai i20 Magna 1.2 and has run 18.6k kms till now. This is being sold for 3.9L.

I did a test drive yesterday and here are observations:

• My wife said there was a humming low-frequency noise, (the type we get from a subwoofer) in the cabin. This was with the windows open (without AC) and windows closed (with AC). For some reason, I didn't pick this up, maybe because my focus was on the drive.
• I felt very slight vibrations on the steering wheel at low rpms.
• When the AC was on, on second gear, the car struggled to pick up on a 45-degree incline. There was no power at all. Worked OK in 1st gear. Second gear was fine without AC.
• The suspension was not squishy, there were no thuds, and overall pretty satisfactory.
• The steering was also good, but not as light as a normal Hyundai generally is.

After the test drive, I checked the registration number online and found the owner name, chassis and all other info. I spoke to the Spinny guy and shared my observations with him. I told him that 3.9L was way too much for this car, and I can negotiate around 3L. They were reluctant to offer any room for negotiation stating they have invested in fixing the car. When I asked them what exactly did they invest in, he mentioned the following:

• Changed the battery
• Brake pedal was hard, apparently, they have changed this.
• Fixed the steering wheel. They changed the top motor in this.
• Changed bushes in shock absorber.
• Engine mount was rusted so they changed it.
• They replaced the clutch disc.
• Replace the windshield since there was a small crack on it when they got it from the previous owner.
• They topped up all fluids in the car.
• Radiator cap was burnt due to heating apparently, so they changed it.
• Apparently, they have done service, (but for some reason, they didn't change engine oil. I pointed out when he asked my test drive experience in the start itself.)

He said they will change the spare tyre and apart from that will give me a: 1-year warranty (or 15k kms) on powertrain covering engine, transmission, drive train. Includes cost to repair or replace parts if they malfunction or be damaged.
and 3-month comprehensive warranty (or 5k kms) covering all components typically like AC, Fuel systems, electronics, with a short list of exclusions.

Terms say the car must be serviced only at Spinny powered service centers.

Now, I didn't do any inspection of the car, since I didn't have a mechanic with me that time. I didn't see the dates on the glass too. When I heard the windshield was cracked, I asked them to share the owner's details and they promptly did.



On speaking with the owner, who mentioned he was a retired senior citizen, he said there was a small crack on the windshield because something hit his car - either a ball or something when he parked his car outside.

During this conversation, he mentioned he replaced the battery and also replaced the clutch which cost him around 13k.

When I asked him why the car ran only 18.6k km, he said he only used it occasionally and his office was close by. And after he retired, he didn't use it much because the pandemic began.

Apparently, the car was serviced only twice (1st and 2nd service) at ASS. Rest, he serviced it with his trusted mechanic, because he doesn't like the ASS. So there is no service history after that.

In the end he said the car is great. Just change the engine oil and you should be all set.

He sold the car to Spinny in Dec 2021 and was happy with what he got from them.

So, TeamBHP, here are my concerns:

• 8 years, it ran only 18.6k kms, I am not sure if this is believable.
• Spinny is offering no room for negotiation at all and saying this is fixed price.
• Spinny says there has been no insurance claim from owner according to service history they have (I've attached what they sent to me)

This will be my first car and a beater car in which me and my wife expect to go on a few long drives too apart from doing occasional office commuting.

How can I get the service history from Hyundai? How can I find if there was a claim on insurance?

I am expecting there will be some costs I will incur so wanted to know what you think that could be from reading this.

Should I even consider this? Or walk away? Thanks a lot for patiently reading this!

[amit_purohit20]

For cars having low running expect a higher chance of clogged radiator.Also a burnt radiator cap points to overheating please get this checked before you buy the car. Also for such a low running car why was the clutch changed?

[poloman]

Originally Posted by xodus99

Should I even consider this? Or walk away? Thanks a lot for patiently reading this!

When in doubt, always walk away. This should be your mantra when you are buying used car. Don't get obssessed with a car. There are thousands out there.

I will never buy a car which has been only serviced twice in the A.S.S. The claim that he does not like authorized service center is not believable.
I could see some rust building up in the scratches highlighted in the car pictures. This indicates poor attention to the car.
It is a general trend to highlight some minor issues to deviate the attention of unsuspecting customers from major issues. So be careful with what the owner claims. He may be tutored by Spinny.
I can see huge list of work done by Spinny on the car. Now question them why would they do so when the running was only 18.6K Kms. My Polo has run 1L KM. It is still on the original clutch, suspension and steering system.
Lastly the price is too high for a 8 year old car. 3.25L should be a reasonable price if mechanicals are fine and car is accident free.

[xodus99]

Originally Posted by amit_purohit20

For cars having low running expect a higher chance of clogged radiator.Also a burnt radiator cap points to overheating please get this checked before you buy the car. Also for such a low running car why was the clutch changed?

From what the owner told me, since the car was parked idle for a long time during the pandemic, there was some "issue" with the clutch, and so, he got it changed.

[gischethans]

Originally Posted by xodus99

How can I get the service history from Hyundai? How can I find if there was a claim on insurance?

For the service history, you could try approaching a Hyundai service center and request it. While I don't know if they would print it out for you, it could be shared orally at least.

The insurance claim history could be calculated based on the no-claim bonus percentage. While this is no guarantee that the car was not repaired due to damages (as an owner could get repairs done without claiming insurance), major body repairs could be ruled out.

[condor]

Did you check wear and tear on regularly used parts like steering wheel, gear lever, door handles, scuff marks on lower part of the door frame (not door), the handles etc, pedals ? If the running is actually more, then these parts will show wear and tear.

How do the doors close > lightly, or need to shut hard ?

How do the switches behave ? Like new or well used ? Are there vertical marks on the window glass (can happen when glass is operated regularly).

Like poloman says, 3.25 approx. This is 2 generations old - you can use this as a bargain point too. Be prepared to spend a little more after that.

A check by a mechanic will help you get a better pic, esp for the observations you have shared. And if any accident as can be seen by repainting.

[MotoBlip]

A good friend recently bought a used i20 Sportz 1.4P Auto for 3.5L-ish, the car had 25k odd kilometers on the odo. He got it serviced, some suspension work was done, and the car also required a new set of tires. He got a great deal on some used tires and purchased them. In total he spent like 16k-17k on service and spares, so for approx. 3.75L, he had a perfectly well running car.

3.9L is waayyy too much money for a manual 1.2 Magna. If the dealer is stubborn and adamant on the price tag, I'd advice you to walk away. The earlier models 2009-11 were also prone to fuel pump failure, this car at some point might suffer from it too and that part is NOT cheap, almost 10k. Thus would advice you to consider alternatives like Honda Brio, which in a nutshell, is a brilliant city car and light on the pocket too.

[maheshm619]

Originally Posted by xodus99

From what the owner told me, since the car was parked idle for a long time during the pandemic, there was some "issue" with the clutch, and so, he got it changed.

The price is obviously inflated.If you are planning to purchase, please read.A car with such low running should have a good clutch unless it was abused.Easy way to find out is by asking the previous owner to drive and observing his driving pattern.Lot of non-frequent drivers tend to burn too much clutch and revving at the same time with brakes applied.

I have myself bought a bad used car initially. I would suggest the following (which I didn't have the logic to think, back then) :

> Get the underbody inspected at a car wash center / garage.
> Check the suspension in bad roads,condition of bushes etc.
> Remove few beadings near door sill , top portion and see any mismatch in paint , weld spots etc. to check for repair.

If in doubt at any point, I'd suggest to walk away and wait for a better deal.

[Sran]

It is a poor car, you will find better cars just be patient. 3 lakhs at top and not a single paisa more, if you decide for it. You will have to spend money to get it smooth. Car like this not gunning at incline is a sign of malfunction, something blown. Burnt radiator cap is also a sign of a unhealthy car. If you will check deeply there is bound to have denting and painting done but that is not of a consideration if the work done is good. He may have driven it with heavy clutch as most of people who learn driving at a late stage in their life do. This car will also have rust and it's a pre 2018 i20 so it has 50% chance of bad AC. One thing I find weird is why to change clutch when you have to sell it, it doesn't make a difference as money lost will be more or less same. I think it's a flood car.

[PaddleShifter]

Lets give discount to everything else but there are two red flags in this car for sure:
1. Readiator cap got burnt? Did the car overheat? Its a non turbo car, and the 1.2 in i20 was always inadequate (sort of). But the struggle you mention could point out to some underlying issue.
2. An 18,000km run car needing clutch replacement. Our M800 ran only 10,000 in 10 years but it never reqiired clutch replacement. Could the odo be tampered in this car (not by spinny)?

[boniver]

Originally Posted by xodus99

Should I even consider this? Or walk away? Thanks a lot for patiently reading this!

It is better to buy a regularly-driven car than one that's been sitting for long periods of time. If anything, the stupidly-low mileage should be used to bargain the price down to the lower spectrum of the market price.

[SS-Traveller]

Walk away. The car is definitely clocked. The service history check screams fraud - between 2014 & 2019, the car seems to have run only 7 km. And it's now turned up with 18.6k km with work done that would have been right for a 100k+ km run car.

[sagarpadaki]

That humming noise might a bad wheel bearing.

Clutch and battery were replaced by the owner as well as spinny? That does not sound right to me.

There is no reason why a radiator cap should get burnt with a healthy engine. You need to get the engine thoroughly checked by a mechanic if spinny allow it. Visually check the engine oil if it looks like a milk shake. If yes, then the engine needs an overhaul. Open the radiator cap and crank the engine. If the coolant spills out of the radiator then there is a head gasket leak. Open the dip stick and start the engine. If there is a visible smoke coming out of it then the pistons are shot.

If any of the above observations are true then just walk away. Engine work is the most expensive.

[anjan_c2007]

Some alarm bells as things look fishy and translucent. There is perhaps a concerted attempt to camouflage the previous history. The broker and the owner appear to be hand in glove to promote and push this car to a new, gullible owner.

The tyres and the wheel rims are like time capsules and reveal the pattern of use or abuse by the respective driver/s. The date of manufacture should be imprinted on the tyres outer wall. And if this is a genuinely 18+ K run car, it should have the original tyres still fitted. Dents if any on the wheel rim reveal abuse.

Next is the driver's seat. Please check it for signs of usage. If camouflaged with new seat covers, just reach out to the factory fabric underneath.

And lastly, with the 15-50 year old motor vehicles facing the heat from Gadkari's Ministry, the fitness for this car will lapse in 2029 - seven more years to go! Thereafter, re-registration will cost Rs 5000/- for 5 years plus Rs 1000/-automated test fee plus other charges incl Green tax etc.

Need to evaluate all these factors before handing over Rs 3.9 L to Spinny.

[xodus99]

Thank you so very much for all your excellent inputs - Since most of you have found this entire thing fishy, I am definitely going to walk away from this car!