I'm interested in buying a car for my son who's 19 and just passed his driving test. The car is 11 plate with only comments on advisory general surface rust on suspension and chassis Is this something that should be seriously worried about as I do like the car which is of low mileage. Looking forward to feedback please...

22 hours ago, Tinplate_1999 said:

I'm interested in buying a car for my son who's 19 and just passed his driving test. The car is 11 plate with only comments on advisory general surface rust on suspension and chassis Is this something that should be seriously worried about as I do like the car which is of low mileage. Looking forward to feedback please...

Ok thanks for the reply however the owner is not keen for me to take the car to the garage to be inspected from his home. Willing only for mechanic to visit on site. Not that I am doubting the car. Ideally underneath the car needs inspecting on a lifting ramp etc 

Surface rust on the suspension and chassis is perfectly normal. Plenty on my car sadly.

Make sure you do a background check to ensure that it's not stolen, not got outstanding finance, not got dodgy mileage history, etc.

I expect the seller is probably more uneasy with the idea of you driving off with it and not coming back than worried about what an inspection might find. Would you be doing a test drive? It's always a good idea to do so. If you/mechanic do a test drive, surely the owner would come with you, and surely it would not be a particularly big deal to drive to a garage for a quick look on a lift, but then again a mechanic may feel that they can get a good enough look without lifting or would bring stuff with which to lift on location. Speak to the mechanic. (I've only ever bought one car, had no idea what I was doing back then and did not have anyone inspect it, thankfully that turned out fine; just saying I have limited experience upon which to advise you about involving a mechanic).

If you do buy it, surface rust = few hours of using a wire brush, then if you're fussy, a coat of rattle can satin black,or a quick spray of Waxoyl...

Mot testers putting advisories on is hugely inconsistent. Some put loads of advisories down, some put none . None of us can say without seeing the car, how bad or minor it might be. But if you buy a car which does not have any advisories, it could still be rustier than the one with the advisory due to the inconsistent way advisories  are done.