Vehicle inspections - to do before or after you buy?

adidas

Dear all

Thinking about getting a second hand car and was after some advice. I wanted to get a vehicle inspection done on the car, but I think it might be difficult to do before I buy a car. I was thinking of doing it afterwards and asking for the money back/the dealer to do repairs if necessary.

I bought a second-hand car previously through a small dealer who essentially sold cars from his house. After 2 months I noticed the brakes needed doing and when I took it to the garage they told me I needed a new tyre as well. Reading around with the 'sales of goods act', I could probably have claimed for the cost of these back from the dealer, had I known about it at the time/got the vehicle inspected when I bought it. I am about 99% sure those faults were present when I bought it.

Anyway, to save myself money I was thinking of getting the vehicle inspected after and claiming back. Has anyone had any experience of this and how easy it is to claim back aftersale for repairs such as these that make the vehicle 'roadworthy'?

paddedjohn

adidas wrote: »

Dear all

Thinking about getting a second hand car and was after some advice. I wanted to get a vehicle inspection done on the car, but I think it might be difficult to do before I buy a car. I was thinking of doing it afterwards and asking for the money back/the dealer to do repairs if necessary.

I bought a second-hand car previously through a small dealer who essentially sold cars from his house. After 2 months I noticed the brakes needed doing and when I took it to the garage they told me I needed a new tyre as well. Reading around with the 'sales of goods act', I could probably have claimed for the cost of these back from the dealer, had I known about it at the time/got the vehicle inspected when I bought it. I am about 99% sure those faults were present when I bought it.

Anyway, to save myself money I was thinking of getting the vehicle inspected after and claiming back. Has anyone had any experience of this and how easy it is to claim back aftersale for repairs such as these that make the vehicle 'roadworthy'?

After 2 months these problems are yours not the dealers, how will you save money by buying first and checking it later?
Your best bet would be to get it checked before you buy especially if you are buying private or from a dealer working from home.

KillerWatt

adidas wrote: »

Dear all

Thinking about getting a second hand car and was after some advice. I wanted to get a vehicle inspection done on the car, but I think it might be difficult to do before I buy a car. I was thinking of doing it afterwards and asking for the money back/the dealer to do repairs if necessary.

I bought a second-hand car previously through a small dealer who essentially sold cars from his house. After 2 months I noticed the brakes needed doing and when I took it to the garage they told me I needed a new tyre as well. Reading around with the 'sales of goods act', I could probably have claimed for the cost of these back from the dealer, had I known about it at the time/got the vehicle inspected when I bought it. I am about 99% sure those faults were present when I bought it.

Anyway, to save myself money I was thinking of getting the vehicle inspected after and claiming back. Has anyone had any experience of this and how easy it is to claim back aftersale for repairs such as these that make the vehicle 'roadworthy'?

If the faults were there from day one, why did you drive around for two months before addressing them?

As for getting your money back, you wouldn't have got very far as brakes & tyres are consumable items.

Hintza

What basic checks did you do yourself? You need to take some one who knows what they are doing.

If you buy and find faults later what are you going to do ifthe seller tells you to get lost? You might be legally in the right but how are you going to enforce it? It will cost you time money and a lot of hassle.

Sooler

adidas wrote: »

Anyway, to save myself money I was thinking of getting the vehicle inspected after and claiming back. Has anyone had any experience of this and how easy it is to claim back aftersale for repairs such as these that make the vehicle 'roadworthy'?

So ... by your reckoning anyone can go out and just buy any old piece of clapped out junk, get it inspected and then take it back and have everything fixed for free to get a fully working and roadworthy car. Cool. Don't be a mug.

harveybobbles

We used to get people wanting to inspect vehicles before they bought them. We'd ask them to leave a deposit of £100 and rrange the inspection.

They inspection people woul give two lists of jobs/faults that they found. One list was "essential repairs" ie oil leaks, bald tyres etc. The pother list was "desireable repairs" ie chipped bonnet, worn pedal rubbers etc.

Everything on the "essential" list we would happily do.

s_b

harveybobbles wrote: »

We used to get people wanting to inspect vehicles before they bought them. We'd ask them to leave a deposit of £100 and rrange the inspection.

They inspection people woul give two lists of jobs/faults that they found. One list was "essential repairs" ie oil leaks, bald tyres etc. The pother list was "desireable repairs" ie chipped bonnet, worn pedal rubbers etc.

Everything on the "essential" list we would happily do.

where we are ,trading standards come and check cars for sale, any that are not fit for the road and this includes offering cars with no mot until sold,any part exchanges that you really dont want to retail but stick a card in saying part exchange to clear,any car with a bald tyre,a broken spring etc, they will prosecute,suits me because it keeps the riff raff down and gets them back to trading from home where there are those buyers that would rather go thinking they are saving a dolla and those that would prefer to go somewhere thats been establisged 20 years and know the cars have had a proper inspection and are ready to roll

OP. i seriously suggest you go route2, which is to established businesses,people that know their stuff and their stock,tested and approved by them not by some get out warranty or garage approved scheme thats bought in as a package and most importantly who will stand by their stock,basically if its a pitch and a hut where do you stand when the engine light flashes a fortnight on tuesday,?
Now if the sales emporium has a reasonable amount of stock (this means they have been proper checked out not just a bucket of water thrown over them each morning( and they have backup inhouse repair facilities its reasonable to expect a decent warranty in the price and a can do attitude if a problem occurs
I run my ship where i never expect a warranty return because cars are proper sorted before offered,now this does cost money to me but it gives me piece of mind and i can go home trouseredup with used notes and a whistle in my voice (must get me teeth done):rotfl:

adidas

"go out and just buy any old piece of clapped out junk, get it inspected and then take it back and have everything fixed for free to get a fully working and roadworthy car." Is it much to ask that at the time you buy the vehicle it is roadworthy? ie. would pass an MOT? Brakes and tyre condition are consumables but also part of the vehicle being roadworthy. I take your point that I should have done more homework before buying that car and gotten said points seen to earlier, especially as I've said already that they should be properly maintained for the vehicle to be roadworthy (my fault I accept). My last car purchase was some time ago and I was giving a bit of background about why I was thinking about inspection this time around and hopefully, make sure I don't buy a lemon.

Basic checks wise: I road tested my last car (limited to a 30mph road) checked all the electrics, lights, wipers etc, rudimentary check of the tread depth (only now have I learnt about the '20p test'), checked the oil/water/brake fluid levels, checked the identity of the vehicle against the tax disc/logbook/VIN plate and HPI checked it (can't think of anything else I did).

I take the points above about having it inspected before you buy and that it will be a lot of time and hassle afterwards, even if I'm legally right. Thank you for your advice. Especially S B. I am looking to spend a bit more on the car and agree re: warranty. Might as well have a good warranty if you're spending several thousand pounds.

Hammyman

adidas wrote: »

Dear all

Thinking about getting a second hand car and was after some advice. I wanted to get a vehicle inspection done on the car, but I think it might be difficult to do before I buy a car. I was thinking of doing it afterwards and asking for the money back/the dealer to do repairs if necessary.

I bought a second-hand car previously through a small dealer who essentially sold cars from his house. After 2 months I noticed the brakes needed doing and when I took it to the garage they told me I needed a new tyre as well. Reading around with the 'sales of goods act', I could probably have claimed for the cost of these back from the dealer, had I known about it at the time/got the vehicle inspected when I bought it. I am about 99% sure those faults were present when I bought it.

Anyway, to save myself money I was thinking of getting the vehicle inspected after and claiming back. Has anyone had any experience of this and how easy it is to claim back aftersale for repairs such as these that make the vehicle 'roadworthy'?

Tough. Too long has passed and brakes are classed as consumables if you're talking discs and pads.