Buying a car with a dented licence plate

The_B_Man

Hi,

I'm looking at some second hand cars and I found what I think is a nice one. Low mileage, clean, looks well kept after. However, the reg plate has a dent in it on one side.

I'm not sure if I'm jumping to conclusions, but my first thought was that it was in a crash.

Would anyone buy a car that seemed fine but has a dented reg plate? Or am I making a mountain out of a molehill?

Cheers.

Pov06

Front or back plate?

endacl

The_B_Man wrote: »

Hi,

I'm looking at some second hand cars and I found what I think is a nice one. Low mileage, clean, looks well kept after. However, the reg plate has a dent in it on one side.

I'm not sure if I'm jumping to conclusions, but my first thought was that it was in a crash.

Would anyone buy a car that seemed fine but has a dented reg plate? Or am I making a mountain out of a molehill?

Cheers.

Very easy dent a plate. My last car had a bent front plate. Actually happened when a garda car rolled back slightly at traffic lights. No big deal.

ba_barabus

If imagine someone hit it with a hitch while parking.

I'd very much doubt there is anything to worry about

The_B_Man

Ye its front plate.

I'll prob pop the bonnet anyway and see if i can see down for any other damage.

allinthehead

The_B_Man wrote: »

Ye its front plate.

I'll prob pop the bonnet anyway and see if i can see down for any other damage.

might be worth looking at the engine too. while your in there like:D

SpannerMonkey

jaysus man hed want to be a serioius miser to repair a car that was badly damaged and not put on new plates , its very easy dent those plates especially from hitches , i seriously doubt its anything to worry about

mgbgt1978

Frankly if the car was in any sort of a crash that needed bodywork and some paint then I would imagine the number plate would be replaced as well.
If the crash was enough to need bodyshop repairs then it's a fairly safe bet that the plate was a 'write-off'.
Although some sellers would stick on a new set of plates to smarten up a car a slightly dented plate is probably a more honest reflection of the car.

ba_barabus

Funnily enough I do pay attention to the plates on cars. MIS matched playes can be a sign that the body work needs more examination. Did come across and buy one car that had mismatched plates. New plate on the front led me to examine the front more which had been lightly damaged at some point. I ended up buying the car as it was only a bumper replacement. But still they can be worth looking at.

The_B_Man

Ye cool.

I suppose I was just a bit nervous since it looks a good deal but the ad has been up on the site nearly a month!

Anan1

The_B_Man wrote: »

Ye cool.

I suppose I was just a bit nervous since it looks a good deal but the ad has been up on the site nearly a month!

Post up a link to the ad, we'll see how it looks.

H3llR4iser

Most if not all the cars I owned had, at one point or another, a bent and/or dented front plate. It's one of the easiest things to do, all you need is a parking area nudge or just a bored kid/teenager horsing around and voila', bent plate...

The_B_Man

Anan1 wrote: »

Post up a link to the ad, we'll see how it looks.

Here:
http://www.carzone.ie/search/Volkswagen/Polo/POLO-1.4/201321215090421/advert?channel=CARS

Anan1

That car was run on a shoestring budget - make sure it was serviced properly.

_Kaiser_

Is it possible that the reason it's up so long is that they want €1400 for a 13 year old Polo?

Seems a lot to me but maybe that's the going rate?

Del2005

The_B_Man wrote: »

Here:
http://www.carzone.ie/search/Volkswagen/Polo/POLO-1.4/201321215090421/advert?channel=CARS

If the dent on the plate is the bend visible in the main picture it's a farmers parking sensor that caught it.

I'd be more wary of a 13 year old Polo, or any car of that type, without a few dents. They are cheap learners cars so nearly all have a few tips at this age.

The_B_Man

Anan1 wrote: »

That car was run on a shoestring budget - make sure it was serviced properly.

Ye ill check the service history when i view it. How do u know it was run on a budget? Something you see in the ad, or a guess based on the type of car?

Del2005 wrote: »

If the dent on the plate is the bend visible in the main picture it's a farmers parking sensor that caught it.

Ye thats the one, but ive no idea what a farmers parking sensor is!

Anan1

The_B_Man wrote: »

Ye ill check the service history when i view it. How do u know it was run on a budget? Something you see in the ad, or a guess based on the type of car?

Taxed three months at a time, never washed, wrong hubcaps, that kind of thing! It does appear to have new tyres, make sure they're not Chinese ditchfinders.

The_B_Man wrote: »

Ye thats the one, but ive no idea what a farmers parking sensor is!

A towbar.

questionmark?

56000k miles after 13 years and four owners seems pretty low to me!

The_B_Man

Ye I agree. I suppose its just been used within Dublin for getting from A to B, as opposed to driving around the country.