General Potential buyer

[Santa2512]

Hi...

First post.. fishing for info
Current car has its mot tommorow, and i'm not hopefull, so to cover my bases, i'm lining up potential replacemnts...


Somthing about the multipla ticks boxes for me ....so its a factfinding mission before i commit

Fuel economy?,, how good is the diesel? is the 110 or the 105 better, whats the average mpg you get round town? or on a run??

Ive seen that the crank pully is a bit of a common poblem... is it an easy fix, or a garage only jobby?


Any other areas to look out for?... clutch judder crops up, but is this a makor issue, or a precursor to big bucks spend out

Any help would be appreciated

Mart

 

[momoe]

115 diesel is probably the best, more of them and parts availability is better. You should see the right side of 40mpg combined, more on a run and less if you're in town all the time.
Crank pulley can be an issue but average DIY job and not too expensive.
105 and possibly 110 diesels were more prone to clutch issues, clutches on 115 can have problems (Master/slave cylinder issues) and sometimes leaking oilseals but I've had 2 Multi's with 160k between them on original clutches.

Multi's are hard on suspension, front A-frame balljoints, drop-links, ARB bushes, rear sub-frame bushes needing replacing are fairly common. Look for worn front tyres (inside edges) for A-frame balljoints, clunking from the front on pot-holes (drop-links/ARB bushes).

Plastic trim is cheap and nasty, expect cracks/holes on rear seat trims and boot lipping. Also check seat folding and removal works, cables can break.
Also check seat belt retraction works as this is potentional MOT fail.

Check the timing belt has been replaced, not too expensive to replace but very expensive if it fails!

 

[SDP79]

Pretty much covered by Momoe. Bottom line on the Multipla is that is very, very practical as you have found, but build quality is in the lower league. Clutch is a problem and when it goes you need flywheel replaced as well - budget for £800+. All depends on style of driving and usage - heavy traffic and the school run (which is what it is designed for) take their toll. MPG is kind of OK but usually bears no resemblance to what the onboard computer says. Sun roofs leak because there are no drainage holes - this is frustrating but can be fixed - plenty of threads on this.

Whatever you buy don't pay too much and be prepared to spend a bit to get it finally sorted. New Multiplas used to be sold with about £4k discount so this tells you something about it. I probably paid £200 too much and have spent £1500 getting it right, but hopefully I am now in the clear. Good luck.