trickdog

Hi Guys

I am looking to buy my first *used* car from a dealer in Ontario and had a question on the safety test.

If buying from a dealer is it normal for the safety to be done already pre-sale OR do you as a potential buyer have to arrange it?

If so, is it normal to put a deposit down or pay in full first before the safety is done? Just wondering what the situation is so I can go in fully aware first.

I don't want to get into a situation if I can help it where I put a deposit down, get a safety done and then find out a bunch of problems...

(As I am from England - usually MOT's are done pre-sale esp from a dealer so trying to figure out if its the same. The lack of MOT on a car would ring alarm bells normally)

Any other advice in terms of the various tests needed (seems a lot) and how to approach negotiation on price be welcome. Presumably most dealers will go down a certain percentage in general? 5%, 10%...or is it just potluck and your negotiating tactics?

The autotrader 'value price' seems to be quite generous to the dealer and I have yet to see a car rated as 'poor value'!

Ta!!

dbd33

The safety has an expiry date so there's no point in doing it until a sale is made. Typically, I've paid the deposit then gone back with the balance and picked up the car. In the meantime someone from the dealership has run around to get the safety and put plates on the vehicle.

Hurlabrick

+1 - this is also my recent experience.

There is no Canadian equivalent to an annual MOT, so no point in applying UK specific thinking. When a car is sold, it must have a safety inspection.

So if you buy a car from new and never sell it (i.e. run it into the ground), then it would never need a safety certificate (!!!!). The cops can pull you for obviously unsafe vehicle. You must have two year emission checks is all and they are pretty perfunctory.

The dealers seem perplexed if you buy a car outright, they are so used to selling car finance. They will also pressure you to buy all sorts of additional cr*p like extended warranties, rust proofing electronic gizmos (that don't work), various treatments - just say no to all of them. Book your car in and whip it around to the nearest Krown rust-proofing place and have it done once a year or so - $150 and it works!

R I C H

Depending on province - nothing in BC unless the vehicle has come from a different province.

Hurlabrick

Good point of course! This was my understanding of Ontario.

trickdog

Thanks for all the replies so far. All very helpful. I am buying the car in Ontario BTW.

So if I put a deposit down for the car and the safety flags up issues, presumably I can get that back? Or need I discuss that first?

How 'thorough' is the safety by the way? Will it detect any major issues?

I am going to buy the car outright so hopefully that will bring a discount of its own. Appreciate the advice on warranties - I generally avoid them all anyway!

Hurlabrick

Good question, I don't know!

My purchase was through a dealer, but was unusual in that I agreed to buy one that was being traded in in a couple of days. To keep the price down they suggested that it would be significantly cheaper for me to have my own safety done rather then them run it through their own main dealer shop. I did this and found it took the mechanic about 1 - 1.5 hours and seemed pretty thorough. He picked up a seized bolt on one of the rear brakes and freed it off gratis so he could complete the certificate. As I say, seemed pretty thorough to me, but testing important safety stuff, not some of the poncey silly stuff the UK MOT get excited about!

dbd33

Inconsistent. In one case the garage owner looked at my car and said "given the condition of this car we don't have to examine it, we'll just write you a certificate". That suited me but, if you're looking for assurance, the inspection does not provide that. As well, of course, the inspection only covers specific "safety" items, the inspector wouldn't even look for expensive non-safety issues such as a failing engine or transmission.

Do you have a budget that would allow the purchase of a end-of-lease car from the dealership that sold it originally? If so, that might be the safest option.

Siouxie

This might be of use to you...

Car Buying-Canada : British Expat Wiki

scrubbedexpat091

And BC no longer requires emissions testing either.

Although this was never province wide as far as I know.

Aviator

You can always get this done https://www.caasco.com/Auto/Auto-Rep...spections.aspx

If you can cancel the purchase, depends on the contract of sale you sign. Perosnally, I would not sign a contract of sale until I am satisfied with the vehicle and ready to proceed. I have experienced dealers who want a contract signed before a price is even agreed. Watch the hard sell.

Outright purchase rarely attracts a discount, unless the dealer wants rid of it, or it is over priced. They make way more profit from financed or leased vehicles. Cash buyers are the least profitable.

steve of 5-0

Hi all...great topic...I am off back to the UK for good in September. Here in AB they rely on the auto insurance company wanting an inspection when the vehicle reaches 12 years of age, yes TWELVE! Here the politicians are so desperate for the vote that nothing will ever be done to upset car owners! Back in the UK starting in May 2018 the MOT (or inspection) will become more strict! Even an engine oil/steering fluid/brake fluid leak will be a failure. I am pleased that MOTs will be harder to pass! It means that when one looks to buy an old used card from a dealer...just get one that was had an MOT done in the past few days...and ya laughing!!!

scilly

The safety of a car that has passed its MOT in England may well depend on the mechanic doing it.

I well remember riding as passenger in my sis-i-law's car that had passed its MOT just 3 weeks before.

I've never ever ridden in a car, before or since, where I could see the road passing . through the floor beneath my feet!

It was scary, wondering if the floor was going to give way!


Sis-i-l's only comment was "The floor's alright on my side, and I paid a lot of money for the test."

MillieF

When was this please?

scilly

about 15 years ago .. so hopefully changed since then!