Would this be worth buying

[Stu63]

An X 406 2.0 hdi est 5 months mot no tax, some scuffs on body, pass front window doesn't work from any buttons, key only fits one door ie drivers but locks/unlocks ok, 120k dam near a fsh, airbag light on....seller wants 600 and won't budge

[Doggy]

It's really difficult to judge without seeing it, but at that price, if it drives nicely, sounds good and doesn't have anything else wrong, it's got to be worth a punt.

[Stu63]

Ok.....forgot to say, there's was a few advisories, one for a tyre I think but what got me was a bit of the rear subframe needs welded, don't know how big or small

But it seemed to drive fine, all the brakes ect worked fine

[gumby6371]

I'd want to have a look at how much welding was involved and get a rough quote for the work if you can't do it yourself. Advisory this time will probably be a fail next time.

When you say the key only fits the drivers door do you mean the passenger and boot locks are different? It may indicate its been pinched at some point which is worth checking out (could just mean he lost the key and nabbed a lock and key from the breakers tho).

As Doggy says the price is good for the mileage if its a solid car but I'd do a bit more digging before handing over any cash.

[rwb]

My feeling is that for £600 you can probably do better.

As above the locks thing sounds wrong. And welding is unheard of on here.

[steve_earwig]

Not quite unheard of, sills can rot inside-out if they're left filled with water But subframes? How bad must the rest of it be? Run away, terribly fast.

[mjb]

Sounds like a bad bet - lots wrong with it, and that's just what you know about. We sold our poverty spec hdi90 estate for £520 i think, and the only thing it needed was a new clutch.

[Stu63]

I think so too

Yea the locks got me, it was advertised as having both keys, yes it has but only one works and the drivers door and ignition, I don't get that either. I know on my pug, I lost the main key and got another but it works everything, obviously

I said this to him last yesterday but couldn't answer....when out a text run, I stopped and looked under it but wasn't looking for rot/rust ect under the rear subframe, I looked yes, but not indepth. It wasn't till I got back he showed the mot and it's an advisory, so might just fail this time (August)

I think you're all right ie there's better out there if that's what i go for, thing is, that's the only diesel est near me for miles, and I do mean miles. They're all in England ie anything from 150-300 miles, that's a hell of journey for a car at 600ish quid

[Welly]

Rust?

Welding?

Tyre wear, dodgy keys?

Walk away.

There's sh*t loads of 406's for sale and for about the same money, you need a car with a full ticket and one which has had the same owner for a few years, not punted about like a hot potato.

[Stu63]

It's only had 2 owners....but I know what you mean

Like I said though, everything else is 100s of miles away, but I know it might be worth traveling for a good one than a bin near you, if it's one of them I try and go for

[Welly]

It's only had 2 owners

If I was told last August during an MOT that there was corrosion on the sub-frame I'd have got it looked at fairly quick. Rust is THE ONLY thing that can kill a car for good, everything else can be unbolted and exchanged but a rotten chassis/body is curtains usually (unless it's a very-much-loved classic). Maybe the guy got a quote and it scared him off fixing it, thought he'd sell the car in the spring with a decent bit of ticket left on it.

Our driveway seems to stay 'wet' all year round, it's block-paved but never gets any sunlight, as such it's a breeding ground for all kinds of weird Mosses and almost seaweed-like algae; my point being my wife's car is parked over wet ground constantly and the MOT man always comments on how superficially rusty it is compared to other like models.

[Stu63]

Yep, sounds like it, now the dealer's trying his luck with it, I think he's picked it up at a local auction wants to make a few quid...bloody shame too as drives spot on and lowish miles for the year

Plus he's one of hundreds advertising as private but they're dealers, it's probably that bastard that's cashed the tax in too

[Welly]

Don't forget that an X-reg is now 14 years old and with these issues it aint worth 600 sheets, more like 350. We've had people turn up here with £350.00 406's with less issues. It depends who's selling it, for example; a 2.2HDi with a blocked DPF would be rendered worthless by some, we know better but it makes for good bargaining.

[Stu63]

350 is probably what the dealer I saw offered the previous owner, or thereabouts....yep, they'll b better for the same money if that's what I try and go for

[STALLED]

Just remember a cheap car isn't always a good car.

Spending another couple hundred quid may get you out of the really rough stock and in to something usable for many years to come!