Is there a decent service to check over a prospective car purchase ?

pitkin2020

property.advert wrote: »

Sorry, it seems as though I've expressed myself poorly.

The AA will charge £342 http://www.theaa.com/vehicle-inspections/prices.html to check it over but when I have spoken to them previously about this service, they are unwilling to take any responsibility should their expert make a mistake and your engine falls out a week later. Basically they charge you a load of cash and write you up a report but don't go relying on it, which sort of makes it a waste of money.

I was looking for a service which would stand by their report and if they are wrong, pay up. Perhaps that does not exist.

They can only check so much, its a car after all and even the best inspection in the world isn't going to see everything. How can you check for hairline cracks in engine mounts etc?? So you can really without dismantling the whole car and checking every component then rebuilding it. Something so minor may turn into something major as you drive off the kerb into a pothole taking it off the forecourt.

AA inspections and the alike are great if you have no idea about cars other than how to get in and drive them. They will check for the obvious stuff. If you can do that yourself then save your cash and give a good looking over. New cars come out of the factory with problems so asking someone to insure against problems on a used car is ridiculous, and if anyone did I suspect it would cost atleast 90% of the value of the car as the risk would be just too high.

Kilty_2

property.advert wrote: »

4x4 for winter in the snow

Do you live in Antartica? Winter tyres do the job for normal people.

gilbert_and_sullivan

Nice motor, looks don't endear it but one mans meat etc.

Stating the obvious, but have you checked the VED costs...no doubt you have but factor in the possibility of the highwayman raising high CO2 level vehicles even more punitively in the next few years.

I'm surprised that this car is being overpriced at dealers, i assume it's a petrol and not one of the later Diesels, wouldn't have thought many potential buyers for this niche model.