Getting screwed over by vehicle reports

[Franco Cozzo]

^ I'm guessing dual mass flywheel junk like most recent diesel engine manual vehicles are.

[DoreSlamR]

Yeah I think it's dual mass.

I've noticed a lot of the new 4x4 manuals are less powerful than their automatic siblings.

Big clue to how well clutches and gearboxes are faring!

[cs123]

I think you guys are being very unfair to the mechanics who do the inspections. They are paid to find every single fault, that is their job. I dare say that everyone here would pick apart a prospective buy looking to get the best price too.

It's up to the buyer to use that information to decide whether the car represents good value. If they get nervous and miss out on a good car, bad luck to them.

It's kind of funny reading some of the comments. Exact opposite of ones you hear when people are buying cars.

[BadMax]

Buyers are liars...

[cro142]

Originally Posted by cs123

I think you guys are being very unfair to the mechanics who do the inspections. They are paid to find every single fault, that is their job. I dare say that everyone here would pick apart a prospective buy looking to get the best price too.

It's up to the buyer to use that information to decide whether the car represents good value. If they get nervous and miss out on a good car, bad luck to them.

It's kind of funny reading some of the comments. Exact opposite of ones you hear when people are buying cars.

It's not about being unfair to the inspectors.
A report on a vehicle certainly needs to be comprehensive, but there can be a problem putting the report in the proper context. i.e. a 6-year-old car cannot be inspected as if it were a new one, so the minor items reported need to be presented in an honest way that a inexperienced buyer can indeed judge them to be minor.

I think the RACQ report as an ***-covering context whereby they want to be sure that nobody can accuse them of missing that number 43 stone-chip.

It's the slipping transmission that the buyer really wants to know about.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by DoreSlamR

Yeah I think it's dual mass.

I've noticed a lot of the new 4x4 manuals are less powerful than their automatic siblings.

Big clue to how well clutches and gearboxes are faring!

They're pretty easy to make them slip too, its some BS refinement thing which is why they're fitting them.

[DoreSlamR]

Originally Posted by cro142

It's the slipping transmission that the buyer really wants to know about.

That's the thing, there was no slipping transmission.

The way the mechanic told her, made her think it was a pressing issue.

It turned something that needed to be monitored to me possibly losing $3000 on a sale on an already cheap ute.

[DoreSlamR]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

They're pretty easy to make them slip too, its some BS refinement thing which is why they're fitting them.

I thought it would be to remove driver error.

[mechanic]

You do what the boss tells you to do like in every other job. I've been on both sides of this argument. If you do an inspection for a good customer you don't want to miss something and risk losing his business.
In some small towns it's quite common that you know the buyer and the seller, you can't win either way.
Actually RWC inspections are an absolute PITA and I've yet to meet anyone who is keen on having a Certificate as an inspector.
As for clutches, what if the new owner wants to tow a heavy van or something similar? What time frame does a RWC cover, the next 3 months, 6 months, 12 months. How many k's does the RWC cover the next 10k,20k or 50k.
If the clutch gives trouble in the next 6 months is that the fault of the inspector?
A clear RWC doesn't guarantee trouble free motoring and it's really the same old story of buyer beware.
Some buyers want to pay bugger all and get a vehicle that gives trouble free motoring for the next 500,000 klms.
They need to take a reality check.

[Auslandau]

Originally Posted by cs123

I think you guys are being very unfair to the mechanics who do the inspections. They are paid to find every single fault, that is their job. I dare say that everyone here would pick apart a prospective buy looking to get the best price too.

It's up to the buyer to use that information to decide whether the car represents good value. If they get nervous and miss out on a good car, bad luck to them.

It's kind of funny reading some of the comments. Exact opposite of ones you hear when people are buying cars.

Pretty much I said ...... they need to cover their **** so the buyer cannot come back and say :You missed this 2mm dent on the exhaust pipe. It is then up to the buyer to decided how important the reported 'defects' are to them and whether it is worth it. In my case ..... the buyer read the report and agreed that everything written was minor and did not effect the sale.

[Silver Ghia]

I've sold several cars privately, and fortunately none so far have asked for an inspection to be done. I let them look over the car, explain various things they should know, show the service records and receipts, and go for a longish drive including the 110 kph freeway nearby. I'd be reluctant for them to have one of these inspections done, its still my car until its sold and I would hate to have a tester report a non-problem like what Doorslammer had, when the car is quite ok imho and the price is very reasonable for what it is. I'd probably refuse the test to be done, you take it or leave it and dont waste my time.

The AU Fairmont I sold about 10 years ago (now regretfully as it was a better car than the BA) was interesting, the young guy came along and was looking in all the right places, flipping the brake fluid cap, checking inside the rocker cover, underneath etc etc, Obviously knew exactly what he was doing. He then bought it. Turned out he was a 3rd year apprentice at a Ford dealership.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by DoreSlamR

I thought it would be to remove driver error.

I think it dampens vibrations through the drive line which is what its main purpose is.

Its made of fail and aids anyway.

[Jallopy]

I was selling a Corolla and the buyer got his mechanic that he always uses and trust to come and do an inspection on the 15k kms car.

He picked that the car had had a rear beaver panel put on because the seam sealer inside where the spare tire sits etc. was white and unpainted.

You couldnt argue with the dope and tell him that it has never been damaged there and and that all Corollas are like that.
I went to the local Toyota dealer and opened every hatch (six altogether ) in the yard and checked .... They were all unpainted also and identical to mine.

Needless to say his customer missed out on a cheap Corolla.

ps I sold it for more $$ to someone in WA!

[K_Man]

Bah...had a 'mechanic' come out to look at my wifes low k daewoo lanos a few years ago, we had a very reasonable price on it, and to be honest it was a really mint example, after the standard checking of the fluids, he stuck his head right under the dash. After a couple of minutes of him seeming to check every wire on the dash loom, he comes out and says he noticed some red dust behind the centre console, that this had been an outback car (we are in suburban melbourne) and wanted $2k off the price. Dude, take a hike.

[Crazy Dazz]

As it happens I have been looking for a new Mechanical workshop in our area. (The last guy I used for years was excellent, but he quit the chain he worked for.)
And somebody had recommended a particular workshop in Wangara.
Turns out, they are also an authorised inspector for Transport WA. So it turned out that our first interaction was for a licensing inspection.
I appreciate there’s probably not a lot of money to made from these, but I figure it was a role they applied for. Anyway this was their opportunity to impress me.
Incredibly, I have found somewhere worse to deal with than Transport’s own licensing centres. The “receptionist” was abrupt, dismissive, and almost plain rude.
The bloke took the car into the workshop for about 15 minutes, after which time he was “doing the paperwork.”
TWO HOURS later I finally got the result:
i. “The rear brakes make a noise when applied.” Yes, yes they do. So what? The disc pads are new, and presumably will take a while to “bed in” (which I can’t really do whilst the car is off the road.)
ii. “Bad vibration from the drivetrain when idling.” Umm, no ****wit, that’s the air-conditioning fan. It does vibrate excessively at top speed (and defaults to top speed when you start) but that hardly effects the roadworthiness.
iii. “Rear Brake lights have failed.” Must have been really pleased with his investigative skills on this one. The self-diagnostic tells you that the lights have failed, and they have both been replaced, but I haven’t figured out how to reset the self-diagnostic.
iv. Front disc rotors have a “lip.” I'm sceptical because I think that is just the way they are machined. The discs are in good condition, well within spec, no grooves or warping, and of course they WORK perfectly.

Of course, when I wanted explanation, he had “gone out.”

The guys at the licensing centres may be pedantic old wheezers, but at least they know their stuff. Similar, whilst the old dear behind the counter is a dragon, she is efficient.
So much for “private enterprise”

[kempy311]

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

As it happens I have been looking for a new Mechanical workshop in our area. (The last guy I used for years was excellent, but he quit the chain he worked for.)
And somebody had recommended a particular workshop in Wangara.
Turns out, they are also an authorised inspector for Transport WA. So it turned out that our first interaction was for a licensing inspection.
I appreciate there’s probably not a lot of money to made from these, but I figure it was a role they applied for. Anyway this was their opportunity to impress me.
Incredibly, I have found somewhere worse to deal with than Transport’s own licensing centres. The “receptionist” was abrupt, dismissive, and almost plain rude.
The bloke took the car into the workshop for about 15 minutes, after which time he was “doing the paperwork.”
TWO HOURS later I finally got the result:
i. “The rear brakes make a noise when applied.” Yes, yes they do. So what? The disc pads are new, and presumably will take a while to “bed in” (which I can’t really do whilst the car is off the road.)
ii. “Bad vibration from the drivetrain when idling.” Umm, no ****wit, that’s the air-conditioning fan. It does vibrate excessively at top speed (and defaults to top speed when you start) but that hardly effects the roadworthiness.
iii. “Rear Brake lights have failed.” Must have been really pleased with his investigative skills on this one. The self-diagnostic tells you that the lights have failed, and they have both been replaced, but I haven’t figured out how to reset the self-diagnostic.
iv. Front disc rotors have a “lip.” I'm sceptical because I think that is just the way they are machined. The discs are in good condition, well within spec, no grooves or warping, and of course they WORK perfectly.

Of course, when I wanted explanation, he had “gone out.”

The guys at the licensing centres may be pedantic old wheezers, but at least they know their stuff. Similar, whilst the old dear behind the counter is a dragon, she is efficient.
So much for “private enterprise”

I know the place you are talking of and we have lots of problems with them with customers taking cars there.

[chookaradley]

Originally Posted by cheap

$3000 for a clutch sounds like gold plating.

Is it a dual mass clutch/flywheel combo grenade or a normal clutch?

They are dual mass flywheel. Can be converted to run a more traditional flywheel but naturally Nissan don't recommend it.

[GASWAGON]

I have hear bad stories about Navara's requiring new clutches evry 30,000 k's.

[fgpsi]

90% of mechanics are full of crap

[ratter]

wow 90%


well you know what they say


90% of stats are made up ;)

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by fgpsi

90% of mechanics are full of crap

And your figures are based on what research?

[nstg8a]

Originally Posted by GasOLane

And your figures are based on what research?

Being full of crap himself?

[XBROO]

Just sold a car had a couple look at it and said they liked it, made me an offer and I accepted. Then said that they wanted to come back next weekend with her brother who is a mechanic to look at it. I said fair enough, they didn't leave a deposit and left. Through the week an old bloke came and had a look and offered me more and I took it. So I sent the couple a message that the car was sold, they sent back that they thought I was holding it for them. Ha I didn't even bother replying.

[ratter]

that's fair if they didn't leave a deposit

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by GasOLane

And your figures are based on what research?

Industry experience, lol

[XBROO]

Isn't it funny how people might get a few bad experiences and all of a sudden it's a majority. Mechanics, cyclist, truck drivers, taxi drivers, motor cyclist etc.

[jstanovic]

Originally Posted by XBROO

...they didn't leave a deposit and left. .

Just wondering if you asked for one and they said no or they didn't offer one? Why would they not offer a deposit?

I'm the same, no deposit = still on the market. Wasted too much time waiting for people who don't show.

[graphicgoose]

These tests can also pick up potential issues that are about to occur either. I bought a second hand car once that came up trumps on the vehicle report, yet after a few months of ownership needed a diff rebuild, a new clutch and new diff bushes...needless to say I lost all love for that car afterwards...

[XBROO]

Originally Posted by jstanovic

Just wondering if you asked for one and they said no or they didn't offer one? Why would they not offer a deposit?

I'm the same, no deposit = still on the market. Wasted too much time waiting for people who don't show.

No they didn't offer they wanted to wait till the brother looked at it. Also at no time did I say I was holding on to it. I thought it was strange because they made me an offer. Which I agreed to, which usually means it's sold but I wasn't going to wait to see if they were coming back or not.

[Rumble Buggy]

I was selling an older Hilux that was actually in pretty good condition, paint was a bit faded but the diesel only had low miles and mechanically it was well looked after . It was about an 95 model and there was a small amount of rust in the body panel corners but nothing serious. I had $1900 on it. Everyone that looked at it needed to tell me everything that was wrong with it and i should drop the price more.One fool even told me the sump plug was cross threaded!! One guy had seen one in much better condition around the corner for only $1200 but when i said great!! where? i'll go buy it he couldn't remember.
To the ones with the long list of "faults" i told them they really needed to go look at the $5000 hiluxes not this one.
In the end i got the ***** and put it on EBAY. It sold for $4100!!!
Nothing wrong with trying to get a fair price but that goes both ways.