AA/RAC vehicle inspection - any good?

Alexei

I'm thinking about buying a newer second-hand car, maybe a BMW. As I may well be buying privately, I'd like to make as sure as I can that I'm not being sold a lemon.

Has anyone had a car inspected by the AA or RAC? I'm wondering whether they're worth the money - do they find genuine serious problems? The list of checks they do seems full of things like paintwork, upholstery, indicator lights, which I'm quite capable of seeing for myself. But if they're going to find that the engine's gonna go pop in the next thousand miles, it's obviously money well spent.

thebaldwindowfitter

yes a long time ago well worth the money

curlyfairy

I had an RAC check done about 6 years ago and the guy missed loads of faults,i think he must of done it with his eyes shut,i wouldnt recommend them atall.I would take a knowledgeable friend next time.The Rac actually paid for the faults that appeared after the inspection.

Ben.

Lemonade_Pockets

curlyfairy wrote: »

I had an RAC check done about 6 years ago and the guy missed loads of faults,i think he must of done it with his eyes shut,i wouldnt recommend them atall.I would take a knowledgeable friend next time.The Rac actually paid for the faults that appeared after the inspection.

Ben.

Surely in some ways it was worth it then! I can't see a knowledgeable friend shelling out for something he/she missed???

h901

i've heard the aa inspections are supposed to excellent, good and thorough job

vansboy

I think a better way, is to get the garage that will be maintainig it for you, to carry out an inspection, for you.

That way, you'll have someone you already know, have a chance to see the car, before you take it to them in a few weeks time, with a problem or when it's due a service.

If you don't have a garage in mind, then as most things, get a recommend from a friend, or from local independents that might be featured, in owners forums, on the web.

VB

Alexei

Thanks for the advice.

vansboy - good point. If I end up buying from someone local then I probably will get a garage to look at it, but if they're some distance away I reckon an AA inspection might be easier.

curlyfairy

Lemonade_Pockets wrote: »

Surely in some ways it was worth it then! I can't see a knowledgeable friend shelling out for something he/she missed???

Not really because i had a puncture 200 miles from home and the spare tyre was fooked(a week after i bought it) so had to get a flatbed lorry to a local garage and get two new tyres which they paid for (eventually).

mandybro03

Hi,

My son has bought a second hand car from a dealer that came with an RAC inspection. When we looked at the inspection in more detail we realised it was done 22nd Jan - he bought the car 16th March - after it had failed the MOT the dealer had done, on the brakes which on the MOT failure made the car dangerous to drive. I'm wondering how the car got through said RAC inspection 7 weeks earlier. The inspection does have the dealers address on it so the dealer had the car at the time of the inspection and the car had not travelled any miles from Jan to March according to the recorded miles on the inspection and on the MOT. We have found some more faults with the car - passenger door hinge is broken, also it does not lock, handbrake cable is dangerously close to rear wheel as it has been clipped in the wrong place and the engine cuts out a lot when idle/low revs at junctions etc. Just wondered if you can fake an RAC inspection?