Best to get an Rac inspection?

alihud

Hi I'm looking to buy a second hand car is it worth getting the rac comprehensive inspection, it is over ten years old but has three months warranty. I have no idea about the workings of cars, other than normal maintenance.

tacpot12

I'd say it depends the price you are paying for the car, the cost of the inspection, where you are buying from (main dealer/trusted trader/unknown trader) and whether you can afford to replace the car if it turns out to have a major fault. If you can post the answers to the above questions, I can give you my view.

EdGasketTheSecond

It's cheaper to learn what to look for and check it yourself.

alihud

I feel like an idiot,after the shock of hearing about what happened in London I went off saw the car and I've seen a few,really liked it,all looked good. It's a Honda Jazz 55 reg,42,000 miles £2790, been doing my research and it looked like a good price. I just don't know know much about the mechanics of cars and don't want a massive shock. He seemed like a really nice guy and I am useless at reading people. He said it was up to me if I got a rac inspection done but felt it was a waste of money as Hondas are so good. He buys older Hondas from main dealers and sells them on. So I've given him £500 deposit. But now I've got home and had a look for any reviews on his company and the one he has is awful,tells everyone to stay away from him,that he is a total rip off merchant. Have I walked straight into being ripped off??? I'm also not very well and am having to give back my motability car after being assessed. This is all extremely stressful and I'm loosing my house as well as my car. I don't know what to do.

alihud

A comprehensive inspection would be £189 as the car is over 10 years old.

chrisw

Is there anyone who knows about cars that you can take with you before handing over any more money?

There's no reason why you can't still get an RAC inspection done before handing over the rest if you want peace of mind. The dealer shouldn't mind if he's got nothing to hide.

It might still be a good car, the poor reviews usually arise when someone has an issue afterwards and the customer service is non-existent.

alihud

If the vehicle inspection showed up major problems would I be able to get my deposit back?

alihud

No I don't have anyone that knows about cars unfortunately

macman

A deposit normally binds you to purchase the item. Refer to the terms of your contract. He did give you some paperwork, didn't he? And you didn't pay cash?
How many months MOT on the car? Did you test drive it? Is it clear of finance?

alihud

He gave me the v5c/2 new keepers details ,an invoice which says I have paid the £500 deposit and I agree to buy the car for £2790,I paid by card.it has 12 months mot,is hpi cleared. Full service history by Honda dealer.

chrisw

Have a look at the mot history online. It will give you some indication of whether it's been a problem car over the years and any advisories you can expect to be paying for in the near future.

https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-history