RAC Inspections

[Crazy Dazz]

Wondering what other peoples experiences have been with either RAC, or your states equivalents?

My first, I decided (based on their advertising) to pay RAC to do a warranty inspection on our XF. When I put it in, I made them aware (verbally and in writing) of three particular issues I wanted them to look at; noisy P/S, unidentified oil leak near front of engine, and a terrible burning smell coming from under the car when hot. When I collected it, they had noted "noisy P/S" and "unknown oil leak" and told me that I needed to investigate those further. Furthermore they claimed there was no trace of the burning smell. Centre Ford fixed the P/S and the oil leak (fuel pump gasket) no problems anyway, so that was money well spent. Trying to find the mysterious smell, I put the car on ramps on looked underneath: Suffice to say that blind Freddy would have spotted the problem. The rear-main was gone, and the bottom of the car was slathered in oil, including all-over the exhaust. So in other words, despite their comprehensive report, the RAC had never even put my car on a hoist.

Not much later, we were selling my wife's Colt. It was a good honest car, no hidden faults. The buyers wanted a RAC inspection, according to which the engine was blown and needed new rings (after 90kk?) and they also helpfully estimated the cost which sent the buyers feeling. We got a quote from Paceway Mitsubishi to replace the rings and necessary gaskets, less than half what RAC estimated, and booked it in. First thing they did was compression test, and informed us it was still within spec, so no work necessary. But, in doing their standard basic assessment noted the rear brakes were almost down to metal. Not Possible, says I, RAC just checked the brakes and they were all noted as "good." So down to Paceway in my lunch break, and sure enough, both sides were within a mm of ruining the discs.

Years later, selling the EF. I delivered the car to the RAC, but noticed a hissing sound. Popped the bonnet, and found a pin-***** in one of the heater hoses, where it was clamped. Of ALL the days. So went and consulted the RAC and I suggested best to cancel the inspection and I would replace the hose and re-book. They looked at the tiny leak and declared it no problem, that could still do the inspection and probably fix the leak whilst they were at it. Great.
Came to collect it in the afternoon, and was told with much disgust that they could not complete the inspection because they had been unable to move the car "because it has no coolant in it."
Bugger! I assumed the leak had suddenly gotten much bigger, or let go completely. Went to look and see what could be done. Hmm, radiator still full, overflow still full... Started engine, initially no leak, then same pin-***** leak only.

[BHDOGS]

Yeh the raa in adelaide wasnt much better for me got an inspection done picked up car suddenly running rough as guts coil packs had **** itself yet none of them knew anything about it and it just happened on that first start up at the raa carpark to drive the car home ******* dodgy ****s.

[Crazy Dazz]

Seriously? I can't say *****?

[mash again]

yep cant beat checking it yourself, if they arent putting it on a hoist, i mean how do you check what flavour the milkshake in the trans is!

[EBII Fairmont]

A of my friends used their services a number of years ago and all stopped as it was clearly a waste of money. One of them was looking at an EA with a GT body kit. It was marked down that there was panel damage on the car. Can't understand by putting a body kit on the car has damage.

My neighbour is an ex mechanic. He now works for a mob doing vehicle inspections. Depending on how much you pay depends on the extent. Pretty much he puts the car on stands and gives the car a full one over. Even to the point on of the pieces of machinery detects how thick the layer of paint is on any part of the car. He also gives a full detailed report of what the car was on inspection and provides full photographic evidence. They only operate in melb I think, but I know they are trying to move the business interstate to. Only problem I have drawn a blank on the companies name.

[Crazy Dazz]

Since I am looking at cars interstate, I may well be depending on some mob to do inspections.
Can anyone recommend someone? Say in the Capital cities?

[Thornie]

Racq did a roadworthy on my wifes xr6 when i first moved here so i change the rego over, their mechanic failed it for rear tyres and told me if i had of brought it in a week earlier it would of passed. At that point in time we were lucky to be driving it 100km's a week.

[wookie836]

years ago i had a RAC inspection carried out on a VR commodore, i was told theres was a strange knocking noise that was from broken transmission mount and one of the engine mounts was on its way out and the exhaust was coming into contact with trans.

wrecked the big end bearing 3 months after buying it after running out of oil [still dont know what happened, i checked it weekly and the day it went there was no oil. no leaks found anywhere, never lost any oil previously]. Family mechanic rebuilt engine and told me later that the mounts were fine and the noise the RAC inspector heard would have been the bearing.
i never bothered with another RAC inspection again as theyre only as good as the inspector doing the job.

[cs123]

Originally Posted by wookie836

years ago i had a RAC inspection carried out on a VR commodore, i was told theres was a strange knocking noise that was from broken transmission mount and one of the engine mounts was on its way out and the exhaust was coming into contact with trans.

wrecked the big end bearing 3 months after buying it after running out of oil [still dont know what happened, i checked it weekly and the day it went there was no oil. no leaks found anywhere, never lost any oil previously]. Family mechanic rebuilt engine and told me later that the mounts were fine and the noise the RAC inspector heard would have been the bearing.
i never bothered with another RAC inspection again as theyre only as good as the inspector doing the job.

So you owned and drove a car for 3 months with a big end knock, ran it out of oil, trashed the engine and it's the fault of the guy who did the pre-purchase inspection?

[wookie836]

where did you read at all where i mentioned that it was the RAC inspectors fault?

[cs123]

Originally Posted by wookie836

where did you read at all where i mentioned that it was the RAC inspectors fault?

I inferred it

Family mechanic rebuilt engine and told me later that the mounts were fine and the noise the RAC inspector heard would have been the bearing.
i never bothered with another RAC inspection again as theyre only as good as the inspector doing the job.

[wookie836]

nice deducing there holmes

[wookie836]

wouldnt the statement that the mounts were fine and not making the noise INFER that the RAC inspector simply made a mistake on the inspection and that was the reason why ive never bothered to waste my ~$100 again with them.
no where would i blame the RAC inspector for the demise of the engine. clearly it was the lack of oil as mentioned

[cs123]

Originally Posted by wookie836

wouldnt the statement that the mounts were fine and not making the noise INFER that the RAC inspector simply made a mistake on the inspection and that was the reason why ive never bothered to waste my ~$100 again with them.
no where would i blame the RAC inspector for the demise of the engine. clearly it was the lack of oil as mentioned

For sure. Save yourself $100 on the inspection.

[Crazy Dazz]

so who WOULD you recommend?

[cs123]

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

so who WOULD you recommend?

Me? I won't recommend anyone.

I've seen threads where people were selling cars and complaining about how bad the inspectors were because they were too picky. Others where people buying cars complained that the inspectors weren't picky enough.

One thing is for sure according to people posting on AFF, car inspectors are all idiots.

[wookie836]

Originally Posted by cs123

One thing is for sure according to people posting on AFF, car inspectors are all idiots.

One thing is for sure people posting on AFF and car inspectors are all idiots.

*fixed*

[wookie836]

personally ive never bothered with inspections on vehicles ive bought since that commodore many moons ago. more so with the experience learnt of working on cars and buying them.

Generally youre always going to find faults when buying second hand vehicles and the bigger problems can show themselves pretty quickly. usually a trip to your trusty mechanic will reveal what needs to be sorted so imo if youre looking to get a inspection done on a vehicle youre looking at buying, see if you can organize for your mechanic to check it out beforehand. bit better than paying for some inspector that may give you a false sense of security but hey just because youve been given a piece of paper saying x problems, dosnt mean thats all of them or thats the problems. but you could infer that yourself if you read what idiots post on AFF

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

so who WOULD you recommend?

For you it will be hard to recommend any one since you thinking of buying interstate, either go by your own knowledge or take some one who knows their cars.

[Crazy Dazz]

Originally Posted by trublu

For you it will be hard to recommend any one since you thinking of buying interstate, either go by your own knowledge or take some one who knows their cars.

But that's my point. If I'm considering a car in say Melbourne, should I get an initial inspection done by RACV? Repco?

[Falcojimmy]

Last RACV inspection I had was on a laser I bought 10 years ago. They failed to notice there was virtually no coolant in the reservoir. Was easily fixed but surely they would have checked fluids etc. Vowed never to waste my money again!
Cars are like anything used that is bought sight unseen. Fraught with danger! If you are buying from interstate you will need to prepare for the fact that the car may need work and decide how much you want to take the risk. The point we are all trying to get across is that an inspection is virtually no guarantee of success.
The only way it might be useful would be to give you a rough idea of whether the car is worth making the trip for, to check it out yourself.

[tut0r]

Sometimes you can't just get you need an inspection bought on a car especially if you are buying interstate, unless you have a good mate who is in the area and is a mechanic. I went with MTA inspections in NSW and I will never go with them again or recommend anyone. He missed a lot of things on the car that were quite obvious once I checked it and I am not a mechanic!

Two of my exhaust mounts were ripped and just hanging, rotors were marked down as good when I took it for another roady at my mechanic he couldn't machine them because they were to low, steering wheel column didn't lock and the car had an engine fault code about 4 of them that weren't reported. RH wheel bearing was stuffed and had to have steering rack replaced as well, long story short I won't be buying interstate again after being burnt by this one.

I will say the seller turns out not to be as upfront as previously thought but I did everything possible to cover myself and when you put your trust in someone to inspect a car you'd hope they could do their job....Rant over.

[tut0r]

Originally Posted by cs123

Me? I won't recommend anyone.

I've seen threads where people were selling cars and complaining about how bad the inspectors were because they were too picky. Others where people buying cars complained that the inspectors weren't picky enough.

One thing is for sure according to people posting on AFF, car inspectors are all idiots.

I have to partially agree with you in the sense that people can be to picky, but you'd think they should at least be able to find issues that are respective to road worthiness more than anything, you get the good and the bad.

[Franco Cozzo]

Yep, the guys who bought my ambo wanted to organise an RACV inspection on it, everyone promised they could come out to my house to do it, until they heard it was a 4 tonne ambulance and then apparently they couldn't lift it in my driveway, and it wouldn't fit on their hoist.

(Thats funny I managed to lift it safely in my driveway?)

The now owner rang up about 30 mechanics around Melbourne's northern suburbs and everyone knocked it back, saying they couldn't lift it in my driveway, they werent willing to travel out this way for the job, or it wouldn't fit on their hoist.

Then he rang up two local mechanics in my town, one said he couldn't lift it, the other one said no worries bring it to him and he will look at it for them.

Got the report back that it just needed two front shocks and 4 new tyres, but it was safe to drive to NSW, I picked up the owners from Melbourne Airport a few days later, they came and drove it back to Sydney.

I talked to them a few months later, they said they had the guy do a Vic RWC check on it, came back with shocks and tyres needing to be replaced, when they got it back to NSW for their blue slip or what ever they picked up completely different things, but it still only came to about $500 worth of parts/labour.

[chookaradley]

My general rule of thumb is if you want an inspection done on your car it needs to be done on a hoist in a workshop. It may cost more but its def worth it. If you order a vehicle inspection from a motoring body and they do it on site, there's no way the inspector will have the proper resources to do the job properly in your driveway at home, or in the carpark at your work.

These motoring bodies offer an onsite service because thats what people want. You would be better of having a car checked out by a trusted mechanic who would do just a good a job or better, than having it done onsite.