Should I walk away from this car ?

[timba]

Found a nice Avus RS4 down at Castle Motors www.castlemotors.com nr. Plymouth yesterday, asked all the right questions and had a drive, very tight and full spec, Sat nav, sideguard etc.

Put a deposit down and am picking it up next week but I forgot to ask how many keys they had for the car ! So rang up this morning to find out they have only one key in their possesion.

Seems a bit strange to me so am getting a bit worried about the purchase as who knows where the other key could be !?!

[Doc]

Wouldn't necessarily walk away but I would certainly do the following:

- contact all the previous owners and determine if/where the number of keys got to only one
- get the dealer to order new sets of replacement keys from Audi (at their expense and confirmed in writing that its a condition of the purchasing the car) or you can do that provided they pay the bill (its expensive)
- check with Audi that there is no negative warranty history relating to the keys
- check the car is not a stolen recovered vehicle (HPI, RAC vehicle check etc...)
- pass the registration or VIN number to JohnW on here to see if he has any details on the car from the RS4 register

...and out of curiosity what was the dealers explanation as to why they have only one key?

If any of the above are suspect, then simply walk away....

[kcsun]

- contact all the previous owners and determine if/where the number of keys got to only one
- get the dealer to order new sets of replacement keys from Audi (at their expense and confirmed in writing that its a condition of the purchasing the car) or you can do that provided they pay the bill (its expensive)
- check with Audi that there is no negative warranty history relating to the keys
- check the car is not a stolen recovered vehicle (HPI, RAC vehicle check etc...)
- pass the registration or VIN number to JohnW on here to see if he has any details on the car from the RS4 register

...and out of curiosity what was the dealers explanation as to why they have only one key?

If any of the above are suspect, then simply walk away....

Well said Doc

kc

[timba]

Thanks Doc
Hav'nt spoken to the dealer yet, as was at work and they left a message. I read somewhere on this forum that you can get Audi to recode both keys so will try and get them to do that, hopefully it's just a case that the previous owner (a good customer of theirs) has the other key sitting at home !

[timba]

it seems a bit strange as just done a hpi check and it was first registered in july 2004 ? looks like it was a northern ireland car before that, Does DVLA V5 show the number of previous owners including the NI owners as it has had four previous plate changes (3 private plate numbers by the look of it)

[bobjebb]

Is it this one?

http://www.rs246.com/index.php?name=PNp ... +recovered

[timba]

No it's not that one ! It's currently on a Y plate, I think what has happenned it was bought in Northern Ireland and as their DVLA is a separate organisation that when it came across from NI it got registered in the UK, hence the first registration date, will be phoning Belfast Audi tomorrow to check. Just really interested to know if the DVLA V5 in England will show all previous owners (ins NI owners) or just the ones from when it was registered in England. I really hope this is Kosher as the car is very clean and unmarked.

[shineydave]

not sure how it works when you import something from ireland, i imported a bike from belgium and it went on an age related plate, would have thought it would have worked the same from ireland

[s4woody]

well my S4 live in ireland before i got it and on the log book its 1st registered 2003 although its a 1998 model..

[Doc]

Oh and one final point to include in your discussions with the dealer....make sure they cough up for a years warranty from Audi rather than some suspect no name, warranty R us

[TWH]

I had the saem thing with only having one key. The stealer got another from Audi, and when the get a new key I'm fairly certain it standard practice to recode both keys (I don't think they can replicate the code on the key you have so there's no other way of doing it). Frankly I'm amazed (well not so much!) that they haven't said to you that they will be getting a second key sent over and having them both recoded!!

[timba]

well after alot of research last night and speaking to Belfast Audi this morning found out the car is a personal import from Cyprus ! Imported to Northern Ireland and registered there in 16/08/01. I guess there is nothing wrong with grey imports but obiviously the price should be lower to reflect this.

Gonna be interesting when I phone the Dealer !!!

[RS4Kev]

Bit of a hijack here but, mine was originally supplied by an Audi UK dealer but exported to Guernsey in Dec 2000. It was then registered in the UK in 2003. Abstract thought, am i going to get a higher road tax bill due to this......

[Ruical]

car is a personal import from Cyprus ! Imported to Northern Ireland

Maybe on the wrong track, but sound like it could have been someone from the 'Forces', doing that particular transfer.

''Don't shoot till you see the whites of their eyes''

[harry]

From my experience witht this scenario standard issue is one key plus skeletons etc. I have bought two cars both with one previous owner. My first came with two keys as the previous owner had requested when he specced the car. The second only had one as the previous owner had not requested second key. It doeas however indicate in the owners manual that two keys are available. I brought this anomoly up with the second dealer and this was the explanation given. I have no reason to doubt the dealer as he is a good friend and the previous owner was a high flying lawyer( for what thats worth) and there was no outstanding finance on the car.

I suppose if there are two people gonna be drivin the car then a second key is useful so each driver can have one otherwise a little obsolete what with ther back up skeletons and perhaps one less thing to worry about?