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Are they worth it? £140 for the basic and £190 for the comprehensive. What do they really do? I don't know anything about buying second hand cars but I can kick a tyre, look for rust/leaks and spot a faulty bulb as well as the next person. Or do they do a more advanced investigation?
Any other advice about buying second hand and how not to get robbed by a dealer would be much appreciated.
I'm looking at something like a 1.4 diesel medium sized car maybe 5 or 6 years old. Ideally a Japanese car as they seem to have less trouble than others.
I had a girlfriend once who worked for the RAC booking used car inspections. TBH I think they offer a level of comfort to someone completely non-mechanical that the thing isn't a complete wreck, but if you know a bit about cars, and as you're looking at reasonably aged Japanese makes, they probably won't help much. What they can do is give you a basis on which to bargain the price down - brake pads near replacement, new exhaust needed - that kind of thing. However, they can also delay things enough for you to miss out on any real bargains.
It's cheaper if you're an AA member - worth looking into the combined cost of membership and an inspection.
Best thing to do is to look up the known issues with the type of car you are buying, and then check them out when looking at the car. As above, if you're mechanically competent, an inspection may not be worth the dosh. However, when buying my last car, it was a good way of confirming my impression of the vehicle, and the inspection turned up a slight sump leak which I was able to use to knock the price of the car down a little, which helped pay for the inspection. As I was budgeting for changing the timing belt anyway, it was no skin off my nose.
The inspections are guaranteed - ie, if the inspector misses something, you have some comeback. This is a good thing if you are buying from a private vendor. Bear in mind that your rights when buying from a private individual and buying from a dealer are different - worth looking at.