Corrosion advisory on Mot on car I am hoping to buy!

NickyZ

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Hello again, new newbie here having introduced myself at the weekend.

I put a deposit on an slk280 with really low miles and owners. Couldn't get to see it as we were going away the next day but the dealer sent me pics, the history is amazing as is the spec....nav, harman kardon, amg kit from new, every option. £10k worth.

9 mercedes stamps in the book. Did the mot history and all good throughout it's life, last mot had an advisory for 2 perished tyres due to age but these had been replaced. All looked good and the dealer has brilliant feedback, car came from a Mercedes dealer too so it all sounded good with just 2 owners from new.

Although the car had an mot in January I asked for a new one which they were pleased to do and it went to an independent garage. I was a bit shocked to see and advisory for surface corrosion underneath and on suspension components?! This has never been mentioned before on any test.

I know these can have rust issues and I asked about that but they said every car will have corrosion of that age. I have read most of the posts on here, although some of the pics of the rust on subframes aren't showing so I can't see what to look for.

Now I am worried as I am going to see the car tomorrow which has now been serviced and MOT'd. I suppose the worst case is to just walk away if it is bad underneath and lose my deposit. Am I worrying too much or should I air on the side of caution? It's not normally something I would do but the car just looked and ticked all the boxes and these are selling so quickly now....
 

BillyBoy

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TBH, In my experience, most MOT testers seem to have their "favourite thing" to pick up on. I could be that this one's is surface rust. You might take it to a different test station and not get a mention, as has been the case with the previous MOTs

Also, unless on the body work, surface rust is not normally a great concern and can be cleaned off and greased.

If dealer is good, sounds like there's no real reason not to proceed.
 

ajlsl600

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get it up in the air and take a look , i spray everything i can get at with wd40 or acf50 , whichever i have at the time acf 50 does a great job of nailing light corrosion esp on alli components.
 
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NickyZ

NickyZ

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Thanks for the advice. I will have a good crawl around underneath tomorrow. I really hope it is just a case of an over cautious mot tester, at least it's been done independently.

The garages where we are remark in everything, my Passat has rust on the subframe but apparantly nowhere near becoming an issue, yet I've known of cars fly through and be rust buckets underneath!

I have some acf50 so will definitely use some on the underside, great tip thanks.

Does anyone have any photos of a badly corroded subframe please? Seen quite a few posts about these being replaced but no idea what to look for.
 

noonboots

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The advisory system on the test is a bad thing in my opinion. Testers add advisories without a thought of the consequences. One advisory item could knock thousands off the value of a car and once its on record its there for good. How about an SL with advisories for a front suspension unit leaking?Mine had that. When I looked there was nothing, not even slightly. So annoying. Next MOT, nothing, no advisories. A prospective buyer would assume it had been changed.
 
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NickyZ

NickyZ

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I know what you mean, I have just sold my classic Ford, which had sailed through every mot for the last 10 years (apart from sill covers fitted) until a few years ago I took it to the local tyre place and they put down oil leak, brakes imbalanced, wheel bearings etc all as advisories. None of which they could show me there and then and it was never mentioned again even at the most strict places. Either jobs worths or too scared to pass something with no advisories.

It became so precious and the MOT so stressful each year that I sold it. Like you say, only has to have one mention of surface corrosion and the value plummets
 

Blobcat

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Thanks for the advice. I will have a good crawl around underneath tomorrow. I really hope it is just a case of an over cautious mot tester, at least it's been done independently.

The garages where we are remark in everything, my Passat has rust on the subframe but apparantly nowhere near becoming an issue, yet I've known of cars fly through and be rust buckets underneath!

I have some acf50 so will definitely use some on the underside, great tip thanks.

Does anyone have any photos of a badly corroded subframe please? Seen quite a few posts about these being replaced but no idea what to look for.
Have a read through this thread.

I wouldn’t be overly bothered about the advisory. I’d be more interested in the roof opening and closing correctly and the general condition.
 
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NickyZ

NickyZ

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Have a read through this thread.

I wouldn’t be overly bothered about the advisory. I’d be more interested in the roof opening and closing correctly and the general condition.

yikes. Thanks, have printed off the buyers guide on here which is brilliant. Definitely going to join this club, so helpful thank you.
 

Rory

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Indie that's looked after my car for a few years recently started doing MOTs and he put "body corroded" as an advisory on my car - prior to that it had barely had an advisory. He said nothing to worry about, but he "has" to mention it. Can't help feeling miffed - I feel like he's basically written the car off.
 

Wighty

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yikes. Thanks, have printed off the buyers guide on here which is brilliant. Definitely going to join this club, so helpful thank you.
The C class platforms from around 2008 have been cropping up on here with some rear rust issues underneath , but they are probably a minority in the great scheme of things . My CLK has this as well , I spent a couple of hours last year with a can of Dinitrol spraying it into all voids and visible rust after pre treating with a rust converter . The lower arms below the rear springs have plastic underside caps on them which probably hide some of the rust issues .
I still think I would go ahead with the sale , maybe use some horror stories to lower the price slightly to cushion any future costs ?
 
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NickyZ

NickyZ

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Thanks everyone, really appreciate your advice.

I am armed with the buyers guide now and off to look at the car.

Will update later
 

Wighty

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The rear sub frame is prone to snapping due to rust on the SLK as well as the W204,
Thanks buddy , i had meant to say it was both platforms :D . The pics from the failures are front and centre of my mind . (Especially as I own one )
 

Wighty

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Thanks everyone, really appreciate your advice.

I am armed with the buyers guide now and off to look at the car.

Will update later
Check gearbox ATF and filter change at 37500 miles was done as well buddy , budget £250+ for this at an independent
 

JBell

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Thanks buddy , i had meant to say it was both platforms :D . The pics from the failures are front and centre of my mind . (Especially as I own one )

Mine to, not looking forward to that if it ever happens, brake pipes next on mine
 

JBell

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Check gearbox ATF and filter change at 37500 miles was done as well buddy , budget £250+ for this at an independent

Mine charged £200 all in inc full flush
 

umblecumbuz

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If you choose to walk away (fat chance, when you see the high gloss finish, leather interior and toys!) you don't have to lose your deposit.
The deposit was given before the Mot, and the Dealer made no mention of it. So the rust is a fresh ingredient in the equation. and a reason to say NO if you choose, without losing any deposit.

My SLK looked beautiful and went well, but I sold it when underbody rust began to show, and I'm glad I did.
You can't fix rust once it starts - any treatment just buys you time.
 

Wighty

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Mine charged £200 all in inc full flush
Same as I paid , but most aren't that low and I'm giving the op a higher starting number for his negotiations :rolleyes:
 

JBell

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Same as I paid , but most aren't that low and I'm giving the op a higher starting number for his negotiations :rolleyes:

£200 +VAT is their usual charge
 

daibevan

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The advisory system on the test is a bad thing in my opinion. Testers add advisories without a thought of the consequences. One advisory item could knock thousands off the value of a car and once its on record its there for good. How about an SL with advisories for a front suspension unit leaking?Mine had that. When I looked there was nothing, not even slightly. So annoying. Next MOT, nothing, no advisories. A prospective buyer would assume it had been changed.
My old primera always had a non existent oil leak flagged up by the same garage. (It was staining on the under cover caused by a sloppy oil change. I just checked on the MOT website. 4 years later and the oil leak has mysteriously vanished.
 


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