I'm looking to replace the Octavia and have seen a nice Yeti that fits the bill. But am a bit surprised that with the spec, condition and price (at the cheap end of realistic, but no way being given away from my research) it has not been sold in the past 6 weeks since it came on the market .

I'm no car mechanic but it drives well and looks in good condition inside, outside and underneath. Engine sounds OK & brakes have life left. Only thing I spotted was two tyres were a pair the others were odd.

That's about as far as I can go.

Are RAC inspections (at £203 for the vehicle in question) worth having done?

Apart from piece of mind, what else do they offer? Is there any come back on RAC if things crop up later that weren't detected but should have been?

Are there any (better) alternatives to the RAC inspections? What are people's experiences.

No one?

I can't believe none of you have made use of a vehicle inspection service...

AA = £202 but no vehicle history/data check included.

NVI = from £155 (probably nearer £200 as its a 4x4) and looks quite comprehensive and includes a scan for electrical faults ( which I could do with VCDS).

DEKRA = £149 but website seems a little vague as to exactly what is looked at. Anyone heard of these people?

Anyone got thoughts or experiences?

Or info on any security they offer (other than piece of mind)?

I've heard that it is very much down to the person inspecting the car and their professionalism and experience. So are they worth the money?

Cant advise on any inspections as I have never used them.

On the other hand just because its been around a few weeks dosnt mean its a duff one.

I've seen some hang around for 6 months or more.

The used car trade is very quiet at the moment and its the wrong time of year to be buying for most.

Thank you for adding your thoughts.

I see your point about the time of year and the industry. So thanks.

In my experience they aren't really worth it. My mum had one done on a car she bought a few years back and it flagged all sorts of potential problems - used it to haggle the price down (she wanted it anyway) which didn't quite recoup the cost of the check and when we took it to the token trusted local mechanic after purchase he could find nothing wrong with it. Most of what came up was wear items anyway that had plenty of life in them.

 

I think it's a little like the home inspection surveys you can get when buying a house, you can pay loads more for a really comprehensive one but then what you'll get is a big cover-my-ass operation from the surveyor where lots of things are flagged as wrong or a potentially problem simply so if there is an issue later on they don't get sued - even though it's all probably fine.

 

However you might like the piece of mind - so don't let that dissuade you. With used cars i've always taken the view that you can usually spot a proper lemon a mile off, but other than that if it seems fine and the obvious stuff is all ok then go for it on the understanding that there's always a chance of something going wrong later anyway.

Thank you for your thoughts. Much appreciated.

I can spot obvious stuff, but I'm not a mechanic. Hence considering getting a 'mechanic' to inspect one for me.

However, I spotted these oil and fluid testing kits (http://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-74211-fluidcheckup-oil-and-fluid-4-in-1-test-kit.aspx) which seem to be a pretty good way of checking for 'internal' issues with the engine.

With something like that I'd be a bit happier with my own diagnosis of the vehicle.

If you look at the terms and conditions for these inspections, it will state words to the effect of no warranty, no guarantee and report is based solely on the opinion of the inspector.

I've seen a car recently with gearbox failure. The new owner had an 'inspection plus' from the AA, so he was sure the annoying noise (which had been there since the day he bought it) couldn't be the gearbox. It was a failing input shaft bearing.

The inspection is only as good as the inspector.

That's what I thought might be the case: no come back on the company / person who inspected it.

Think I'll do it myself and put the money saved towards a full service or a warranty...

(Opens a can of worms with that one...)

In the case I mentioned, it actually worked against the owner. When he took it back to the garage he bought it from, they turned around and said "the AA didn't notice it either".

I had used both the AA and RAC

I paid AA £200+ and when I traded in the car,

the dealer said there was over-spray = damaged (AA missed this)

Paid RAC similar money on a LPG car.

A few days after dealer confirm the car had engine problems for potentially more than a few months!

My experience seem to imply avoid car inspections.

But since I know very little about cars, I would still pay for it for a piece of mine - but, only for more expensive purchases.

Only time I don't do inspection is on Jap cars (more reliable).

Or if bought from a dealer with 12months warranty.