[Amitsurfer80]

Hey all
I've made a decision about getting an i30 and I'm looking at a 2009 model that has 45,000km..

It belonged to the seller's daughter and it has some scratches and a dent above rear right tire.. he says he bought it from a friend when it had 30,000..

I'm wondering if that's not too foo few km for a 2009? Do you know of potential problems that can arise from too few milage that I can ask the mechanic I will ask to look at it to pay special attention to? Also other things to look out for will be great!
Thank you!!
Amit

[TerryT]

Hey all
I've made a decision about getting an i30 and I'm looking at a 2009 model that has 45,000km..
It belonged to the seller's daughter and it has some scratches and a dent above rear right tire.. he says he bought it from a friend when it had 30,000..

I'm wondering if that's not too foo few km for a 2009? Do you know of potential problems that can arise from too few milage that I can ask the mechanic I will ask to look at it to pay special attention to? Also other things to look out for will be great!
Thank you!!
Amit

Amit,

My random thoughts just so you get one reply.   In my driving days, typical average travel was about 10,000~12,000 miles (16,000~20,000km) per annum for private/home use (vs commercial travelers etc).  Therefore, I would expect a 15-y-o 2009 i30 to have about 240,000~300,000km, making that car’s 45,000km very low (3,000km p.a.)!  But there can be many valid reasons for a car to have such low mileage e.g. little old lady, used only on Sundays etc.

How that low mileage was obtained is important.  To me, a car driven for say, 2~3 days a week over short distances for its 15 years is a better proposition, overall, than a car that has been parked for long periods of inactivity and gets its mileage from delayed, periodic bursts of driving.  As long as the car usually reaches operating temperature on its short trips is the factor.  Others may have a different opinion.

Might be hard for forum members here to suggest potential problems to look for that a qualified, experienced mechanic would not know to do, unless there are some quirky gremlins that are peculiar to the 2009 I30.

A mechanic would typically look for issues with engine/transmission oil (dirty/sludgy), filters, coolant, hoses (frayed or split), leaks, perished belts (timing/radiator), thermostat etc etc.  They can do a heap of tests to determine the health of the engine (compression, vacuum, leak detection, oil pressure, ignition etc) to help you make up your mind.

My 6-y-o 2018 i30 has about 12,000km, that’s only 2,000km p.a. but it is garaged, and I regularly give it a little spin to go shopping and visits etc.  I do the occasional long drives (2 hour round trip, 120 km) but I know, for instance, that my catalytic converter will probably die sooner than if I was driving 16,000km per year.

[Greyhound]

Also do usual visual checks to assure yourself that that low mileage is indeed genuine. e.g. service history, carpet wear, steering wheel wear, pedal rubbers wear, seat wear etc.

[BrendanP]

I'd want some evidence that the car has been maintained properly, such as, has the oil been changed regularly, even though it does little distance. In England we can check on-line to see if the car has passed annual inspection during it's life, and does it have the same problems every year. which means the owner isn't getting problems fixed. I don't know if you can do the same in Germany.

[TerryT]

Tyres:  I'd check out the age of the tyres (including spare) and their condition to gauge whether you need to replace any and factor that in your costs .  IMO, even if the tread depth is legal, if the car wasn't mainly garaged i.e. subject to outdoor weather (dry rot) etc and/or has tyres older than say, 6~8 years old I'd replace the lot, but that's just me. 

I believe tyres have lost their best after say, 5 years and that's with garaging and proper tyre maintenance/inflation, but that's me because I'm a bit tyre-fussy. 

Tyre manufacturing date:


Bridgestone (Australia)
Tyre Age - Tyre Expiry Date | Bridgestone,and%20if%20they%20need%20replacing.
Summarised: If the tyre was manufactured after the year 2000, then you can determine its age by looking at the last four digits of its tyre identification number on the sidewall. These are the week the tyre was made, followed by the year. So, “18” would indicate the 18th week, and the “00” would indicate 2000 i.e. manufactured in the 18th week of 2000.

  Mfg 6th week in 2019