Recalls are underway – let’s start buying those cars

Now that the recall process for cars with potential accelerator problems is underway for Toyota, with Citroen and Peugeot following on quickly this month, now may be the time for savvy car buyers to grab a quick bargain.

Matthew Tumbridge, Editor of Used Car Expert magazine commented, “There has never been a ‘cheap Toyota’ and we don’t expect their dealers to start panic discounting. They are smart enough to wait for confidence to come back. Which actually won’t take that long.

“But there might be a small number of private owners who decide they want to get rid of their car because they have lost confidence in it. These people are bound to be more open to offers than normal.

“Provided the buyer checks that any required recalls have been done, they can pick up a reliable bargain. Even if there is an outstanding recalls or service update, it will be done for free by a main dealer, provided you get in touch with them.

“On a RAV4 2.0 D-4D from 2006, whereas a dealer will want around £10,000, private sellers keen to move on may take £8,000- £9,000. So there is quite a saving to be had. On Peugeot 107s, you can already pick them up for £4,500, so who knows what they might go for now. There are unlikely to be any deals to be found on the Citroen C1s however, as only 36 have been affected.”