For all makes of that age ,you need to think about the CAT …due to the job of a CAT converting NOX .from the first turn of the key in the factory it is being poisoned and on a downward spiral…DAF wise ,well we have the normal Wiring issues ,cab over check the state of the looms where the cab tilts ,take the cover of the cab interface under the grill see what state the loom is in there …The thing that we are seeing more of with older vehicles is NOX sensors failing ,believe it or not they are showing up as the weak link in the ad blue system …Engine wise ,check if it has had a titanium turbo fitted ,if not walk away or negotiate ,The nickel plated turbo suffers from low cycle fatigue ,which when it fails generally ends up with a bent conrod ,number 6 cylinder ,broken liner ,a intercooler filled with oil ,and a knackered cat also filled with oil.So it is expensive .Spring eye bushes is another point that can be weak depending on the model and its use …So far the Titanium turbo has been 99% bullet proof …I personally haven’t seen 1 fail ,but no doubt somewhere 1 has …Plus point of the DAF is the size of the dealer network and availability of spares .&day with DAFaid if you have an account with a dealer…They aren’t perfect and an older truck no matter what make will have issues depending on how it has been driven,maintained etc…I think a problem nowdays is that you have certain companies whos vehicles you wouldn’t touch with a barge pole ,but with more vehicles being wrapped ,once the wrap is off there is no tell tale signs of who had it …
I do think the Renault is a hidden gem but badge snobbery puts people off them ,though their back up isn’t what it should be in the uk…I along with others techs from DAF did a day with DAF learning how to drive them properly ,but more importantly they had other brands there for us to evaluate ,what we thought was good and bad ad what DAF could utilise etc …And on the day I was there we did rate the Renault ,we weren’t allowed to pick the DAF LOL …I personally had the Renault as the pick of the bunch ,cheap price ,but with a Volvo engine and gearbox ,to be honest no one rated the Scania was old and outdated …We where fortunate in that we had all the brands there at the same time and could compare them at the same time …So w may have thought the Scania seat was comfortable but then after sitting in the Renault we realised it wasn’t …So it was really a excellent day