Originally Posted by
Fiddy
Dits a MK3, so rear subframe bushes will go at some point aswel.
It's not an issue on the estates, they have a different arrangement.
Originally Posted by
rsjonny
What year is it? the 03 plates had bosch injectors(very poor fail all the time) the 04 and onwards have delphi injectors which are a big improvement.
Not true. The 2001-on TDCi models have Delphis (I've got an 02 with Delphis) and they're prone to expensive failure. Are you gettinfg confused with the Bosch injectors fitted to the TDDI?
Basically if you get a good 'un, you'll get a cracking car, but get one with issues and you'd wish you'd never bothered.
The big fail on these (as they are on a lot of new diesel cars) is the DMF - listen for rattling on shutdown, and a noise change when depressing the clutch. At that mileage I'd look for a receipt for a new clutch/DMF, if not I'd be inclined to walk away.
Injector and pump problems are known, and fairly common. If the lot goes, as they do, you're looking at £1500 - £2000!!! Again, a receipt for new injectors would be nice at that mileage.
When they work they're really good cars, but when they don't they're utter money pits!
Unless it drives mint I wouldn't buy it, there are a lot to choose from, and speaking from bitter personal experience you definitely don't want to be chasing fuelling issues.
Pre-04 (ish) ones are a good buy because they have mechanical actuators. The later ones have electonic actuators, and when they fail it's new turbo time - £700 quid. The earlier ones can also be fitted with an EGR blanking plate with no ill effects (not so on the later models, and it flags up fault codes) so you don't have to worry about them packing up.