Vehicle inspections any good?

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Sat 13 Jan 2018 10:36
Vehicle inspections any good? - Shaunandelly
Hi,anybody any good experience of vehicle inspection firms,AA etc?
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Sat 13 Jan 2018 14:24
Vehicle inspections any good? - hardway

Not me personally but I did witness an AA inspection outside my garage once.

They,two of them ,were at it for a considerable time,

VW camper it was and when finished presented the owner with a pretty comprehensive printed report.

If I recall right the owner was selling it and wanted the very top price he could squeeze.

He seemed pleased with what it cost him.

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Sun 14 Jan 2018 10:09
Vehicle inspections any good? - SLO76
I’ve had customers ask to have inspections done on cars I’ve been selling before and they are very thorough and often make sense. However it depends on the car, who’s selling it and its value. If it’s a nearly new approved used example at a main dealer then it’s money wasted I’d say and if it’s a £2,500 cheapy then all they’ll do is pull it apart for every minor wear and tear issue and present you with a list that’ll have you running for the hills despite the fact that the car might well be a perfectly serviceable and well maintained older car. If however it’s a mid price motor at a dealer you’re not too sure about, particularly anything prestige or performance then it’s a good idea.
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Sun 14 Jan 2018 17:28
Vehicle inspections any good? - pd

They're a bit pot luck in my experience.

The problem is that the companies which offer then rarely actually do them. The AA sub all of them out to 3rd parties - AA engineers do not do them - so it depends on who you get. Often the AA subs the job out to an inspection company who then subs the job out to a self employed inspector or local garage.

I had one bloke turn up once and ask for a £100 bribe to not really look at the car and just write a report. When I refused he did a p***ed-off quick once over on it and then sat in his car writing something down most of which I'm sure he mde up. I think he was AA as well.

Basically, they're only as good as the person who does them. A lot lot of the basic things they do will be covered by a MOT so running the car through a MOT test might be a more econmical option.

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Sun 14 Jan 2018 17:55
Vehicle inspections any good? - kiss (keep it simple)

Some years ago a work colleague had an inspection done by one of the large organisations. She wanted to be sure her relatively expensive (for her) investment was OK. She got the thumbs up and went for the car. Not long after it turned out it was a cut and shut job. Luckily the said organisation coughed up for the price she paid for the car. I don't know whether they went after the seller.

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Mon 15 Jan 2018 12:27
Vehicle inspections any good? - John F

I think they are essential for cars over three years old. It's called the MoT test. No point in wasting extra money unless it's very old, in which case insist it's put on a ramp so you can get underneath and have a good look yourself for damage and corrosion.

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Mon 15 Jan 2018 13:03
Vehicle inspections any good? - SLO76

I think they are essential for cars over three years old. It's called the MoT test. No point in wasting extra money unless it's very old, in which case insist it's put on a ramp so you can get underneath and have a good look yourself for damage and corrosion.

An Mot test checks a set list of points based on safety and environmental issues alone and does not look for poorly repaired paintwork, engine or gearbox faults etc etc. A truely appalling car can pass an Mot as long as it is safe and passes the emissions. It could have a major mechanical issue or paintwork flaking off in sheets yet pass an Mot and I’m not even factoring in the variation in standards at test centres, some are far too lax others overly strict to generate business for themselves. An inspection is a completely different thing and will look at all aspects of the vehicle. If you don’t have someone with a sound understanding of cars and you’ve any doubts at all then it does make sense.

Edited by SLO76 on 15/01/2018 at 13:05

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