Used car pre-purchase inspection

MataNui

Looking to buy a used car in the near future. It has a full dealer service history, average miles and 12month warranty but not being an expert on the things to look out for i am going to get a pre-purchase inspection done for a little extra peace of mind. I have heard that both RAC and AA are not worth bothering with (particularly on more expensive cars).

Googling shows a few independent outfits that offer these inspections along with 'forensic' inspections for insurance/dealer disputes etc. Has anyone used any of these and can give a recommendation?

Herzlos

Do you know if there's a local independent garage near to the dealership, that the dealer will let inspect it?

iolanthe07

These are OK as far as they go, but in my experience you get a lot of 'unable to inspect' and other such let out clauses. Corrosion on older cars is often hidden and not obvious unless you take the thing apart.

Becen

As Herzlos has said, you may want to consider local independent garages. I would honestly call a few local garages to you and see whether or not they'd be willing to help you out. You will be paying them, of course, so I don't see why one of them won't bite your hand off.

MataNui

If it was local i would do that. Unfortunately its a pretty fair way from me. I would have a similar problem finding a trustworthy garage close to them.

Becen

One thing you could do is look up common faults online and check those when you go to visit the car.

Look to see if there is a forum online dedicated to the type or manufacturer of car. You may even be able to find someone with mechanical knowledge who lives nearby to where you want to buy the car from.

MataNui

Quite surprised nobody has used any of these types of service. Many years ago i bought a car from a dealer about 10 miles away. When i went to test drive it they said i could take it for a couple of hours so i took it to the garage that did all my MOT & service work. He put it on the ramps and had a good look over it for me.

The last car i bought was from the other end of the country. I turned up, had a look at it and a test drive and handed over the cash then drove it home. Its been great and not cost me anything in repairs (beyond normal service costs) but i do consider i was probably 'lucky'.

What i am looking at now is a bit of a trade up and i feel could be a bit more of a risk so really just trying to minimize those risks.
Full dealer SH, one owner, 12 month warranty. A favorable inspection by someone who knows what they are looking for would seal the deal so to speak.

Herzlos

I haven't used the AA/RAC service personally, as I get my local guy to have a look. I've heard that they aren't as comprehensive as you'd think, with lots of weasly wording to avoid liability, but they should still give you a decent idea of what the car is like. They do include a road test as well.

MataNui wrote: »

If it was local i would do that. Unfortunately its a pretty fair way from me. I would have a similar problem finding a trustworthy garage close to them.

Just pick a grubbyish but busy looking one from the local area on google maps and phone them. Or ask for recommendations in a forum like this one.

If you're not sure of doing that, an AA/RAC check should be fine for you. I'm sure you should be able to time it so that they can check it whilst you're there.

knightstyle

Ask the selling garage to do a written safety check. This should include things like tyre tread depth, brake shoe thickness etc.plus proof of timing belt age/milage if appropriate so you know you won't have this type of bill soon.