MichaelC83

I'm looking to buy an 04 STI, with really quite low miles for it's age - about 35k.

The garage is claiming FSSH, but how many stamps would you expect to see - one per year, or one every 10,000 miles? If the latter, it's only had potentially 3 or 4 services in six years - should I be concerned?

I thought I'd try and get the opinions of those who might be in a similar situation. I've only ever owned cars with near to average miles, and it'd be a bit rubbish if I thought I had FSH, but got caught out if I sold it on later.

Thanks,

Mike

C8 DHC 04WRX

iTrader: (13)

Should be which ever comes first, miles or years so car should have 6 stamps in the book

topman2180

seven if you include the first 1000 mile service

MichaelC83

Thanks, I thought that might be the case. I wanted to try and prepare myself in advance, rather than have to think on the go!

Would insufficient service history be a dealbreaker for you guys, or would you treat it as a bargaining chip?

Thanks,

Mike

SRSport

If it has below average miles I would insist on seeing the previous MOT certificates as there may be a suspicion of clocking. Personally I wouldnt go near car without a full service history especially with more performance orientated cars such as the STI. Apart from potential engine issues it wouldnt give me much confidence that the previous owner took care of it as getting it serviced is a fairly rudimentary practice in car care/ownership.

bigh221

FSSH or specialist history would be a breaker for me if it wasn't as advertised

Regards
Neil 06 2.5 WRX PPP

SRSport

Thats a good point too. If it is advertised as FSH but doesnt have it they are either deliberately misleading you or incompetent. Neither qualities I look for in a seller when looking for a car?

bigh221

Good point SRSport, get the latest mot report number on the certificate and check it on the VOSA website, you can access all previous MOT'S and check for clocking !!!!!!!!!

Regards
Neil 06 2.5 WRX PPP

MichaelC83

That's a good idea, I'll dig out the url and hopefully I can check it online with my phone. I'm pretty sure all you need is the reg & the reference from the V5

SRSport, that's sound advice - honesty & integrity is important to me when shopping for a car. I got played by a Merc dealer a while ago and it taught me to double check everything!

Pink_Floyd

I've been to look at a car and called/emailed about a couple that supposedly had 'Full Service History' or 'Full Subaru History' None of them as yet have had either. Nobody on the forum though

I've found that people don't accurately check the history, a prime example is stating a car has a full history because it has the stamps in the book at the correct milages. That's great if they are in line with the time side of things but usually it means you'll get an 8 year old car with 5/6 stamps instead of the 8 it should as they've had it serviced when the car reaches the mile markers and not time i.e 10 or 12'000 miles and every 12 months whatever comes first. They'll just go by the miles regardless of how long it's been since the last one.

The cars I've enquired about generally have up to 3 stamps missing with an extra year between some of the services. Personally I'm going to hang on and find a car with a full history either main dealer or specialist. I'd consider a car with a stamp missing as long as the rest checked out and it had some good paperwork/receipts with it. It's frustrating to see a car advertised as having something that on inspection it doesn't, worse still is the dealers reaction when you mention it.............. you either get no answer or a sob story about how they missed it. Different story if they appraise your car for trade in though, they never miss anything then

B0DSKI

iTrader: (17)

Make sure the Cambelt has been done

Cocker

iTrader: (3)

I bought my 2003 STI in 2007 from a main Subaru dealer. It had only 5,900 miles on from new and it had only been serviced twice (the 1,000 mile service and at 5,900 when the dealer acquired it)

So technically it had mssed the 1st and 2nd year service, but i didnt mind as it had so low mileage. Its been mechanicaly sound for the 3.5 years ive owned it. I havent regretted it

rapid.STI

iTrader: (5)

mine has 2 stamps missing,, but from 05-07 it did 15000 miles and again from 07-09 it did 11000 miles?

last owner had it as a weekend car and had a company car for work hence the stamps, or so i was told

never missed a beat for me so all is well!

but on the other hand our lasses mum has a peugeot 307,, they have a fair bit of money,, anything and i mean anything it needs it gets never see's over 4k revs,, yet she never saves any reciepts mot's? but its had all it ever needs! so when she sells it there will be naff all with it.

but yet it will be a good car as all the work she has done?

suppose its down to you 2 judge,, you can usually tell who's genuine and who's not! although there is some good con men out there!

Shaun

Technically speaking it is NOT FSSH, but I would not let that put you off in the slightest.

General condition of the car and a test drive by someone that knows what they are looking for is more important to me, along with a HPI check.

SRSport

Fair comment. My Mum forgot to give in the log book but has got the service done each year. You can always ask where they got it done and phone the service garage up as they keep records. If it has been done but not stamped you have a potential bargain on your hands. Take back the log book and get the garage to stamp it once its yours.

On the other hand it seems to be a buyers market and there are more than a few cars on the now and their prices are dropping like flies so why put yourself out and get one that requires effort when it should have been done properly in the first place?

MichaelC83

Just spoke to the garage and the car doesn't have FSH, despite the advert (naughty naughty). It's got stamps from 1k, 5k, 16k, 19k and 29k miles, which is a pretty random selection, but it looks in line with ownership by 3 different people. To the guys credit he did volunteer the MOT number for a VOSA MOT check. It all looks fairly above board, so I'm going to check it out this afternoon.

Thanks for all the advice,

Mike

SRSport

How much is it being discounted for from normal prices, i.e. what they sell for on autotrader with fssh not just what the dealer say what they sell for. You should be able to get him down on price a bit from standard. the only problem is if he isnt willing to budge as he may be waiting for someone not so savvy.