New (used car) purchase - things to look out for?

[ruffage]

Hi all

I've not had a Golf since my Mk4 six years ago, and that had a ton of issues.  Both windows falling out, rear wiper packing up, central locking failing, seat handles snapping.

Obviously that's an entirely different beast to the Mk7, and was a lot older, but is there anything specific I should be looking out for when I go and view a Dec 2014 Mk7 this Friday?  Naturally I'll be taking it for a spin and checking the bodywork, but just wondered is there were known issues to look for please?

[fredgroves]

Rumbling shocks and Bridgestone tyres are two forum faves.

Check the paint - its really, really, really soft on the Mk7. Stone chip city. Also look at the heat exchanger for the aircon for massive damage too - its in a slightly better position than some other cars, but still can get pretty mangled.

I'd make sure they had applied all of the mandated fixes to various problems too and check out the options they tell you it has actually are on the car...

Is it a GTI, GTD or R?

[Exonian]

As ever, fredgroves sums it up perfectly there.

One other thing of note, like the paintwork, the metal itself is pretty thin on a mk7, particularly in some areas so really concentrate on the bodywork.
Have a good look at the shock absorbers to make sure they're not leaking but other than that most things are still well within the warranty period.
Bodywork
Bodywork
Bodywork
Just check out all the recent dings picked up on here lately.

[wigit]

I'd always check whether it had been a press office car 

[fredgroves]

Oh and buckled wheels.

Even the 18's can get chewed up - one of mine is buckled thanks probably due to the roads in Shropshire where I go a lot of the time.

You can't visibly see it, you need an expert to examine it on a machine...

[ruffage]

Rumbling shocks and Bridgestone tyres are two forum faves.

Check the paint - its really, really, really soft on the Mk7. Stone chip city. Also look at the heat exchanger for the aircon for massive damage too - its in a slightly better position than some other cars, but still can get pretty mangled.

I'd make sure they had applied all of the mandated fixes to various problems too and check out the options they tell you it has actually are on the car...

Is it a GTI, GTD or R?

It's a standard GTI, and the only extra is the satnav.  Performance Pack would be nice but I'd never get much opportunity to really use it.  Keyless would be nice too, but not a show stopper.  The money's burning a hole and I want shot of my boring old Kuga.

Even the tornado red with PP I drove on Sat was in excellent condition, considering it was 2 years old and had 23k on the clock.  Wrong colour for me though and no satnav.

Thanks for the headsup on the shocks.  Hadn't considered that.

[fredgroves]

If its making a noise, don't let them tell you "thats normal", because it isnt.

Drop the back seats down when you drive and drive under 30mph to listen for it.

[mjh_056]

Have no idea if this is applicable now, but bought an MY02 demonstrator VW Bora 2.0S with 9, 000 miles and at a great price and it became an oil guzzler pretty quickly and in later life 40-60 000 miles its economy dropped through floor to make the Golf R look like Bluemotion.

It might just be what that 2.0 S was prone to do, but certainly put me off demonstrators.

Other than that, and even if a mechanic there is only so much you can check and all thats been described above.

Things personally look for is bodywork! tyres, the alloys for damage, and just how clean it is under the hood, underneath etc to try and get a feel for how looked after?