Is it advisable to buy a commercial-to-private vehicle?
2 Answers
Commercial-to-private vehicles should be purchased with caution. Before purchasing, it is recommended to check their service life. Commercial vehicles have a mandatory scrapping period, and you may encounter some issues during annual inspections. Commercial-to-private refers to the conversion of commercial vehicles to non-commercial use. Generally, commercial-to-private vehicles mainly refer to retired taxis converted to local license plates. After conversion to local license plates, the service life remains 8 years, with mandatory scrapping 8 years from the date of manufacture, no further annual inspections, and no extension of the scrapping period. The Road Traffic Safety Law stipulates: taxis and mini trucks must be scrapped after 8 years of operation without any extension. The scrapping period for taxis converted to private use is the same as that for commercial taxi vehicles.
I remember helping a friend look at decommissioned commercial vehicles last time, and the prices were indeed temptingly cheap. For example, those converted from taxis could be bought for just tens of thousands, but they’re honestly not hassle-free. My friend bought one and had to repair the engine within six months, costing several thousand yuan. It turned out the mileage had been tampered with, and the actual mileage was in the hundreds of thousands. My advice is that you can buy one to save money, but make sure to have a professional mechanic conduct a thorough inspection—check the VIN, maintenance records, and also examine the wear on tires and brakes to avoid accidents on the road. These cars have a short lifespan, and some local policies impose an 8-year scrappage limit. If you buy one, you’ll have to use it quickly and not expect long-term use. In short, those under financial pressure can consider it, but they’ll have to bear the higher risks themselves.
