Buying ex-motability car?

A question about : Buying ex-motability car?

I just looked at a 2011 C3 Picasso at Arnold Clark and after a few questions about the 1 previous owner, it turns out it is an ex-motability car. I asked if I could see all the service records and they interestingly weren't available but they said they were going to contact the previous owner to ask questions and get the documentation.

The car has low mileage (11k) and looks in very good nick. They said it hadn't been adapted in any way and that often Motability drivers are driven by the spouse of the person who qualifies for Motability. They also said Motability is very strict on servicing, e.g., that it will have had to be serviced by Citroen.

So, I am thinking about going back to test drive it, but here are a couple of concerns I have:

Are there any issues with buying an ex-Motability car, provided it hasn't had any adaptations? Will insurance be an issue, for example (I assume it won't)?

I read online that taxing an ex-Motability car can be a problem because you have to apply for the tax category to be changed and that during this time, the car must be kept off the road. Anybody know about this?

Is it likely Arnold Clark will have bought the car at auction? I was a little suspicious that they told me all service documents are usually kept in the cars but then after they went to get them, it turned out they weren't there.

My gut is just a wee bit suspicious, but then I have also found some Web posts saying ex-Motability cars can sometimes be a good buy. 11k miles in 4 years is pretty good mileage, for example.

If there weren't so few of these cars for sale (only 3 petrol ones in the whole of Glasgow!) I'd just look elsewhere but I don't have the luxury. Sold my car at the weekend and need to find another within a week.

Best answers:

• Dont assume they are all driven by little old ladies that only pop to the shop on sunday for a tin of catfood.
  A few years back when we had the snowy weather i was at the inlaws, its a complex of OAP's.
  Several cars were left running with the heaters going to melt ALL the snow on them. We were there approx 20 minutes and some were still parked with the engines running. Thats terrible for the life of an engine. Lots more wear on the engine than starting it up and driving it gently until warmed.
  So few of them? I put 50 miles from Glasgow and there are 94 on the autotrader site.
  Get the bodywork inspected for paint repairs.
• Re-taxing them is no longer a problem and can be done at the post office. Most dealers will do this for you.
  I would say just judge the car on its merits. There are a lot of low mileage ex-motability cars around and some are excellent value. Servicing is free and they all have a full service history. You should be able to get a print out.
  Not sure about Arnold Clark, though. The reviews are truly shocking. A Citroen wouldn't be my first choice either. Other than that....
• Motability are THE largest fleet operator in UK, so you will have lots of their vehicles around, once you start looking.
  Some will have low or very low miles, which may well be worse, as already mentioned, depending on it's use and user.
  Look out for lots of minor damage, to the bodywork and interior, as people who suffer mobility issues themselves, can cause damage through just using the vehicle in a manner that they are unable to avoid, which does sometimes cause this.
  You may find seats which have been cleaned due to being soiled and look out for cigarette burns and smoke damage, too.
  Don't believe 'proper' servicing has been covered, as it quite often gets forgotten.
  The dealer will sort taxation changes when you buy it.
  Also look for negative reports regarding Arnold Clark, especially the added fee to the cost price, as their admin charge.
  When I had my business I sold many Motability vehicles, but did have to look them over in detail before I bought them, so please make sure you do as well.
  VB
• Restricting yourself to 10 miles will limit what your going to buy and you may choose something thats not quite right.
  There is the opposite effect also. That travelling a long way to see a car may make you think i dont want to go back empty handed.
  Ive done over 600 miles in the last 2 weeks looking for a car.
  The one i am buying is 60 miles away..
• Thanks folks, some helpful comments (and some amusing ones, too!)
• The Unholy Trinity, over-priced, over-rated C3, AC and ex-Motability. Forget the age, dial into Autotrader the budget you have to spend and test drive a few Fiestas and Focuss (Foci?) compared to the flat C3.
• Cars bought at Auction? Most dealers do.
  Fleet Cars properly serviced? Not always the case,margins are tight and repairs and servicing is screwed right down.
  A lot of motobility cars I have seen lined up at auction often look unloved. It's a free car and many treat it with little or no respect.
  Arnold Clark?? Well read reviews and make up your own mind!
  11000m in 4yrs not that good. A car is better to be used.
  You don't say how much.
• Just to redress the balance slightly ... My wife has a spinal condition that means she can't walk far, and has had a Motability car for many years. She isn't incontinent or clumsy, she doesn't bang a wheelchair in and out of the back seat, the car is insured for just the two of us to drive (and we play by the rules, so I don't borrow it for my own use), neither of us rag it, and it is treated well. She covers about 6k a year of varied driving, local and long journeys. It gets serviced on the button by the local Ford dealer and she always gets the 'good condition' bonus when she hands them back in. Anyone buying one of her cars would get an excellent vehicle in top condition for its age.
  Don't be put off by the disability thing; not all people classified as 'disabled' are drooling, incontinent, fagash-flicking morons who can't be trusted to look after a wheelbarrow. As others have said, condition is everything, so inspect properly, but don't be surprised if you see a few gems. Even if you don't trust main dealers to do a good job with the servicing, at least it will have seen the inside of a workshop on proper schedule, and it will have FDSH, which can only enhance resale value. It should be three years old with a full MoT, and the tyres are likely to be good as they are replaced when needed (I think up to 4) as part of the contract.
• Decent mpg? 1400cc petrol 42 - 44mpg with a genuine mpg of approx 38mpg. My Mondeo estate does more..
  If its the 1.6 expect 35mpg..
  Thats quite poor for such a little car. Quite high ion the tax also.
• As we have to have an automatic due to DW back problem we have bought 2, possibly 3 ex motability cars in the past, 2 had no service books but the service history can easily be checked by a main dealer as records are computerised.
  All the cars were good buys and we got the selling garage to supply replacement service books, these are the same as the originals but have a big R faintly printed on the pages.
• Dont buy a used Citroen or anything French!
• Look at a Skoda Roomster. Odd looking, practical wee car but make a good buy as not that trendy.
  https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classifi...40ds?logcode=p
• Arnold Clark offer an Autocare warranty. I wouldn't bother trying to claim:
  From another MSE thread: "I purchased an extended Warranty with my vehicle from Arnold Clark Sefton Street Liverpool. My vehicle developed an oil leak, (so obviously a mechanical fault taking place) Arnold Clark said that after checking with Autocare the Warranty Company, that it was not covered. No where within my Warranty documents does it state that this sort of mechanical problem isn't covered. Arnold Clark Service Manager said "it's Autocare telling us they will not cover the cost for repair"."
  Read more about this wonderful company -- search Arnold Clark - Trading Standards on MSE forum.