Ciao gente, spero che stiate tutti bene.
Sto cercando consigli su una situazione frustrante con un’auto usata che ho comprato da Saka l’anno scorso. Quando l’ho acquistato, mi è stato detto che era vecchio ma in buone condizioni e mi doveva durare qualche anno. Nell’ultimo anno non avevo problemi importanti: solo cose minori qua e là, ma niente di grave. L’auto ha guidato bene senza problemi meccanici.
Poi è arrivato il tempo di ispezione. Prima di prenderlo, ho fatto cambiare il mio amico meccanico e mentre controllavo la macchina, notò molta ruggine sotto. Mi ha avvertito che non poteva passare l’ispezione e si è persino offerto di fare alcune correzioni, ma al momento non l’ho preso troppo sul serio.
Quando finalmente sono andato per l’ispezione, l’ispettore ha sottolineato più problemi seri (che non ho capito appieno, dal momento che non sono un meccanico) e ha immediatamente messo un divieto di guida sull’auto. Mi è stato detto che avrei potuto guidarlo solo fino al giorno successivo.
Poiché la stazione di ispezione era accanto a un meccanico, sono andato lì per chiedere quanto sarebbe costato correggere. Mi hanno detto che non potevano risolvere nessuno dei problemi elencati e mi hanno inviato altrove. Ciò continuava a accadere: ogni meccanico che ho visitato specializzato in un marchio di auto diverso o ha detto che non potevano gestire le riparazioni. Alla fine, ho appena parcheggiato l’auto nel mio garage e ho iniziato a capire cosa fare dopo.
Ho comprato l’auto con un prestito da Santander, quindi li ho contattati, spiegando la situazione e chiedendo se potevano essere ragionevoli poiché avevo posseduto l’auto solo per un anno. Si sono rifiutati di aiutare e mi hanno detto di prenderlo con Saka.
Ho quindi contattato Saka, prima il venditore che mi ha venduto la macchina, che ha immediatamente rifiutato di fare qualsiasi cosa, e poi il loro quartier generale. Spiegai che mi fidavo della loro parola quando avevano detto che l’auto era in buone condizioni e si aspettava di usarla per diversi anni. Dopo alcuni avanti e indietro, si sono finalmente offerti di compensarmi con circa il 25% del prezzo dell’auto in modo da poterne liberare. Ho preso l’offerta, pensando che una battaglia legale sarebbe stata costosa e richiede tempo, ma ora sono bloccato con lo stesso problema.
Ora sto cercando di capire i miei prossimi passi. Il seminario di un meccanico mi ha offerto € 200 per acquistarlo per parti, ma sembra davvero basso. Altri meccanici mi hanno detto che la mia unica opzione era di inviarlo a uno scrapyard, ma sembra uno spreco poiché l’auto funziona ancora bene, non può essere legalmente guidato.
Apprezzerei molto qualsiasi consiglio, soprattutto se qualcuno si è trovato in una situazione simile. L’intera faccenda è stata incredibilmente stressante e mi sento come se fossi stato fregato nonostante abbia chiesto più volte le condizioni dell’auto prima di acquistarla.
PS: l’auto è una vecchia Toyota e l’ispezione è stata fatta da Plus Katsastus. Ho allegato alcune foto dei problemi. Grazie in anticipo per qualsiasi consiglio!
https://i.redd.it/6o7nx0ete1pe1.jpeg
di Fast-Square2042
16 commenti
You should examine the car thoroughly and test drive it before buying.
The price is the key question here when determining how long the car should last. The [brief instructions what is considered a defect can be found at KKV’s site](https://www.kkv.fi/en/consumer-affairs/cars-and-parking/second-hand-car/a-defect-in-a-second-hand-car/). Also how old the car is and how much it has been driven plays a part, and we’d need all those informations to provide more answers. However, you already negotiated with SAKA and accepted their offer, so that most likely limits the complainment options greatly.
If the price was low, the car was old and had a lot in it’s odometer (things which most likely are listed in the bill of sale), and the seller promised “a few years” and it lasted one, it’s closeish to what was promised.
Note that car which is prone to rust rusts a lot in one year, even after fixes. So a lot of the rust has gone worse over the past year. I used to have one, it had to be extensively fixed each year.
It’s likely that fixing that car isn’t a good option. Extensive rust damages cost a ton to fix, and doesn’t last that long.
theres no way these problems didnt already exist when u bought it
You already took the comp offer from Saka, there’s not much left to do. Better luck next time.
Since you accepted the compensation from SAKA, there is not much to do any longer. The problem is yours now since you accepted compensation.
So I am not really sure what the question is, rather than getting rid of the car or fix it up on your expense. Most likely just better to get a new car. Maybe the mechanic offering to buy it can partially trade it in for a functional car?
But generally, you need everything in writing, and if you are unsure when buying, you can have a katsastus place review the car for you for a fee. This is worth it if you dont know about cars.
Taking the comp offer was the last of a series of grave errors.
Nothing left to do but bite the bullet and take the loss. Live and learn.
Used cars need fixing. You got some money back from Saka which is good, they are not obliged to compensate. Personally i wouldnt repair the car propably, maybe offer the car for parts in some local puskaradio Facebook group. There are always people who rip these apart and sell forward or use the parta themselves.
There are important details missing, such as the age of the car, how many kilometers under it, and what was the price. There’s a huge difference on what to expect if it costed 1000€ vs. 10 000€. The make, model, age are also an important factor to determine if it is worth fixing.
So you may have been swindled hard, slightly or then not by the salesperson (there’s not enought details in your post). If the price was OK considering age and km driven, and if it’s old and has been driven a lot, rust and issues **may and perhaps should** be expected. Remember never to trust salesperson blindly, read the service record of the car, check when was it’s last inspection and what was noted in it. Also, nothing not in written can be really difficult to dispute (i.e. if the salesperson blatantly lied to you).
That being said – the responsibility of having the car **you own** being in **a safe state** is **yours**. Owning a used or old car is always a bit more challenging. Of course there are mechanics and workshops you need to consult (since few of us can really fix our cars ourself, do not have the skills or equipment). **In this case, you were warned beforehand by your friend, and chose to ignored it!**
I mean, it is possible you have been somewhat swindled by the salesperson (we can not really now) – but, not meaning to be condescending, at least partly you’ve got yourself to blame.
Especially this part talks of a really bad unsafe attitude:
> Now I’m trying to figure out my next steps. A mechanic’s workshop offered me €200 to buy it for parts, but that seems really low. Other mechanics told me my only option was to send it to a scrapyard, but that feels like a waste since the car still runs fine—it just can’t legally be driven.
No. You need to make sure yourself your car is safe. There is a reason some can not be legally driven, having an engine with wheels is not enough. There are too many deathtraps out there already.
2002 a car and you drove 20,000 km in it. All good things must come to an end and 25 year old cheap (it was cheap also when it was new) car for spare parts is worth about 200eur.
Sounds like a natural life cycle.
The first mistake was you took a loan out on a 23 year old car. The rust a year ago probably wasnt as bad as it is now (and thats why it passed inspection last year before being taken to saka as a trade in, no big used car dealership will buy a car that old…), rust is a common problem in finland, the fact that your handbrake doesnt work is a mechanical fault which has appeared over time (completely normal, every car ive owned during the past 15 years if i took them for inspection ive had to change handbrake cables and/or rear calipers). As for the seat not moving, that should not have come as a surprise as, well, the seat doesnt move 😅😂 most mechanics hate fixing rust because the quote youre usually given before they start will never cover the amount of work there actually is since when fixing rust you need to remove not only the obvious rust parts but have to grind until you reach clean metal where to weld and thats usually 5-20cm more than what can be seen with your eyes… for the handbrake the fix is usually tightening the handbrake cables or then the piston inside the caliper is rusted stuck. For the seat your beat option is looking for a new seat (from a junkyard or from someone who is breaking the same car as you have for parts). Not sure where in finland you live so dont know what mechanic places there are, but “mamu korjaamot” are your beat bet, in other words any shop run by immigrants. They know toyotas inside and out usually
Where is this Toyota located? If somewhere near Helsinki, I can give you a estimation of fixing it or buy it. You can send me dm for more info.
“in good condition”
“rust damage in left, center, inside, front, right”
lol, this is why I never buy from used car dealers
How much in km the car has been driven when you bought it?
2002 model is too old to buy in 2024, even if it looks good from outside, 22 years will rust the car body in hell.
Every issue listed is fixable most likely, atleast I can’t spot anything so major that you should scrap the car. Ask a smaller repairshop or vocational school that trains mechanics, if they would take the job. You’re most likely dealing with repair shops that got enough easier jobs lined up already.
If the repairs cost more than 50% of the cars price, then consider if it’s worth to get it repaired anyway.
It’s great that the dealership compensated, you have no way to win a legal case most likely unless they signed some sort of contract with stupid terms.
Just sell it in nettiauto clearly stating the defects. Someone will buy it for 500-800€ and fix it.
The listed problems are
– handbrake not effective (enough)
– rust
– rust
– rust
– no access to rear seat, front seat doesn’t fold
– headlight doesn’t work
Headlight is most likely a burnt bulb, that’s easy and cheap to replace. The handrake is probably easyish to fix for anyone of any mechanical competence. Since it’s an old toyota the parts are likely cheap. The seat folding is harder to comment on. It might be something really easy, might be something difficult and expensive. Easiest certain fix is a new (used) seat that works. The rust is more complicated but maybe your friend can help with that.
What toyota is it? Model/year? And how much did you pay for it?