Things to look out for when buying used Latio.

[Playtennis]

Hi Bros,

I am a newbie here and may plan to buy a used latio(end 2006 or beginning 2007). Wish to find out what are the things I should look out for...especially major issues which can be costly to fix/maintain in the future as the car gets older. Btw, can I know if there are outside workshops available to maintain latios at a more reasonable cost compared with going back to TCM...especially when the warranty runs out after 3 years? Thanks.

Cheers!

[Ying]

you are looking at a used latio STILL under TCM warranty. You still have time to test out and go back to TCM to change faulty part. not much issue. Most important is the reputation of the dealer.

If you want 3yrs loan then stick to it, dealer like you to sign longer. make sure it is printed any outstanding fine before the purchase is not yours.

Just have to check if the car had accident before, tyre condition, check i-key working, check all lock and auto windor works, check if the spare tyre and tool kits still there, come with touch up paint(?), original manual and service log book?, any funny smell? lastly buy 4D check result 

[spiff]

The tricky part of buying a used car is the accident detection. It takes a very well trained pair of eyes to detect accident car cos the workmanship can be very good sometimes to escape even car dealers.

Beware and do send in for a AA check ...the $100 plus is worthwhile, you buy a peace of mind.

[Ying]

yes, the test report helps.

[Playtennis]

Thanks for the advise. This model have been around for some time and is quite matured which means that all issues due to aging of the car should have been known. Frankly, all makes of vehicles have their own sets of common issues, be it honda, toyota or nissan. I am new to Latio and with the info provided by you, I just hope to improve my chances of getting to get a reasonably good condition used latio.

[LatioR]

you are looking at a used latio STILL under TCM warranty. You still have time to test out and go back to TCM to change faulty part. not much issue. Most important is the reputation of the dealer.

If you want 3yrs loan then stick to it, dealer like you to sign longer. make sure it is printed any outstanding fine before the purchase is not yours.

Just have to check if the car had accident before, tyre condition, check i-key working, check all lock and auto windor works, check if the spare tyre and tool kits still there, come with touch up paint(?), original manual and service log book?, any funny smell? lastly buy 4D check result 

hi bro Ying, sound like u r really an expert in this topic. Btw, buy yr no since on last meet up never hit lei..

Hi playtennis, do stay tune to TLC longer to get more knowledge abt latio b4 yr purchase. It's really a gd help for u to decide later.

[Ying]

I seldom buy 4d but I buy my car plate since I got the car for a month, then miss by a number. Sian liao stop buying since. Buy kopi better, can drink.

if it is yours, it sure come to you.

[kspchew]

Go for STA Evaluation. They are pretty good, they can even detect if there is minor accident to the bumper, door..etc. Get your dealer to send in so that you are able to get 10% discount.

[spiff]

sorry to interrupt, NEVER get your dealer to send in inspaction for you......

[clarence]

Do take the results of those inspection certified cars with a pinch of salt.

These are all private profit driven companies.

The more cars these dealers send in for grading, the more business they have.

Naturally, the grades given would be either A or B, even if the condition is worse off.

If a dealer keeps getting C grades for his cars at an Inspection Centre, naturally he would prefer to send them to another Inspection Centre which is more liberal in giving A or B grades.

[LatioR]

I seldom buy 4d but I buy my car plate since I got the car for a month, then miss by a number. Sian liao stop buying since. Buy kopi better, can drink.

if it is yours, it sure come to you.

me too..stop buying regularly now but try my luck once per mth. btw, in malaysia, my no came out 3rd prize last week (only my aunt in law won the $, me boh lei ).

[dsrio]

Those STA or VICOM certified cars, do take the results with a pinch of salt.

These are all private profit driven companies.

The more cars these dealers send in for grading, the more business they have.

Naturally, the grades given would be either A or B, even if the condition is worse off.

If a dealer keeps getting C grades for his cars at VICOM, naturally he would prefer to send them to STA if STA is more liberal in giving A or B grades.

Hi bro, be careful of legal action against you by these companies regarding what you post above. 

[burnolise]

Those STA or VICOM certified cars, do take the results with a pinch of salt.

These are all private profit driven companies.

The more cars these dealers send in for grading, the more business they have.

Naturally, the grades given would be either A or B, even if the condition is worse off.

If a dealer keeps getting C grades for his cars at VICOM, naturally he would prefer to send them to STA if STA is more liberal in giving A or B grades.

I tot it is illegal to do tat....when buying a car, if u ask the agent for proof tat no major accident has happen and after purchase u found out otherwise....u can bring them to court and ask for compensation one.....the same goes with buying a house...

[Zippy]

I tot it is illegal to do tat....when buying a car, if u ask the agent for proof tat no major accident has happen and after purchase u found out otherwise....u can bring them to court and ask for compensation one.....the same goes with buying a house...

If i'm not wrong that only applies if it is part of the sales agreement and written in black & white. If not, it is the case of "Caveat emptor" - buyer beware. So insist the dealer adds that clause to your sales agreement.

[Midnight]

Hi all,
I am looking for a used Latio currently. In fact today i have already found one and would have bought it if not for the high mileage.

The used Latio is registered Jun 07, but the mileage already at 60k. I would like to seek some opinions from ppl in here and check what could have been changed by Tan Chong Servicing for a car with 60k mileage.

Is it wise to purchase it (maybe at a cheaper price)?
By the way i am new here.

Thanks!

[LatioR]

Hi all,
I am looking for a used Latio currently. In fact today i have already found one and would have bought it if not for the high mileage.

The used Latio is registered Jun 07, but the mileage already at 60k. I would like to seek some opinions from ppl in here and check what could have been changed by Tan Chong Servicing for a car with 60k mileage.

Is it wise to purchase it (maybe at a cheaper price)?
By the way i am new here.

Thanks!

Hi Midnight, my opinion is that u can be quite safe to purcahse abv car (yr Jun 07) as understand that Latio carry 3 yr or 100k km warranty => u shd still have 1 yr+ under warranty. U may send the car for STA inspection b4 decide. btw, the new car $$$ shd have been much cheaper now why don't u consider getting new car. **the used car still carried paper value => the used car value will not drop to much lower lever then. Mine, currently on Latio used car, bought at car aged 2.9+yrs with milleage clocked 39k+ KM and that's why decided on the spot to close the deal. Do look aroud few more car dealers b4 close the deal or get the new car might be a better option.

[Midnight]

Hi there,
I choose a used Latio reason being i may not want to hold the car for too long. Cheaper, so i take less loan, shorten the loan tenor and pay less interest. Buying a used car will tie me down much more years.

Because of the high mileage, i am worried that there are certain parts which would fail much earlier, for e.g, the cvt gearbox. I will still continue to look around but i have time constraint also due to some personal reason. I thought if worse come to worse, i can bargain the price downwards and buy it but just worried about the condition of the car. The dealer said it is regularly serviced by TCM but i have not get to see those records yet.

In a dilemma now.

[LatioR]

Hi Midnight, for me also the same reason of choosing used car instead of new car. For yr case, u might need to decide yrself as buying used car no 100% quarranty one lah. Wish u all the best then.

[clarence]

Hi there,
I choose a used Latio reason being i may not want to hold the car for too long. Cheaper, so i take less loan, shorten the loan tenor and pay less interest. Buying a used car will tie me down much more years.

Because of the high mileage, i am worried that there are certain parts which would fail much earlier, for e.g, the cvt gearbox. I will still continue to look around but i have time constraint also due to some personal reason. I thought if worse come to worse, i can bargain the price downwards and buy it but just worried about the condition of the car. The dealer said it is regularly serviced by TCM but i have not get to see those records yet.

In a dilemma now.

Sometimes, a high mileage car that has travelled mostly on highway is a better buy than a 'normal' mileage one that has done lots of short city trips.  The latter will have higher wear and tear.

At least in your case, the dealer was honest in not tampering with the mileage.

You can call Tan Chong to check the service records.

The high mileage should give you an edge in bargaining down the price.

[Playtennis]

Hi MidNight, I am just as concerned about CVT gearboxes as these are high tech stuffs, not just from Nissan but other makes(Honda & Mitsu) too. I wonder if there are any workshops out there who can service the CVT gearbox at a reasonable cost after the warranty has ran out. Perhaps, a 4AT version of used Latio might be a safer bet, although it's been around for a long long time. FC wise, I had read comments somewhere in this forum that 4AT and CVT are almost about the same. Unfortunately, they are driven by different people.

4AT's first gear is slightly shorter than CVT and in theory should be less stressful on the engine during pickup. This could possibly translate to faster pickup and fuel savings in a start-stop traffic. Cruising wise, the CVT has a taller gear compared to the 4AT's 4th gear and is should save some fuel if you do more highway driving.

The gross weight of the sedan is lower than the sports version which again suggests better FC and pickup. BUT hor, personally, I prefer the design of the sports version. Haiz...


Cheers!