Some say it's totally useless, some say it's better than nothing, especially if the car you want is in different town.
Anybody found it a waste of money!
Cheers.
jsbike,
Feb 2, 2:46pm
I'd rather pay $30 and take the car (with or without the current owner) for a wof.
phillip.weston,
Feb 2, 3:35pm
If I were a seller, and someone took my car for a WOF without my permission and then it failed, then dumped it back on my doorstep with an in-valid WOF with repairs needing doing and the buyer now has no intention to buy I would be highly pissed off. Plus a WOF does not do an engine compression test or tells you the condition of the transmission etc.
phillip.weston,
Feb 2, 3:37pm
All different coloured seals indicate is that they could perhaps be aftermarket, as OEM seals are typically black while new seals can be orange, blue, brown etc. How they can pinpoint that to a particular garage in Auckland is anyones guess.
jsbike,
Feb 2, 3:42pm
Well I didnt specifcly say without the owners permission did I! If you were selling a car that had a wof, and I came along and asked to take it for another, you wouldnt let me!
an aa report gives a compression test and tells you the condition of the trans!
puslek,
Feb 2, 4:22pm
So AA doesn't check / match the engine block serial number then, doesn't sound to be a big deal but it's surely a thing that you want to know before buying a car.
smac,
Feb 2, 4:31pm
Have only ever had experience of one AA report, and it cost me a sale.
Report stated things like "Washer fluid level low, check for leaks" and heaps of other BS comments that just generally gave the buyer a bad feeling about the car. The fluid was low cause I $%^#ing use it!
Cited 'rust on underbody' which they later admitted was in fact 'discolouration'. Where I gew up we called discolouration 'mud'. Wasn't a spec of rust on that thing.
Stated oil level was low (and the accompanying "check for leaks" comment). Later admitted oil level was checked immediately after test drive. Idiot.
HOWEVER, having said all that, I think it's the nature of the beast. If you take a car for a pre-inspection and later have a fault they didn't find, you're gonna come for them. So yes they will try and find every single little fault they can find, just to cover their butts. I very much doubt this is unique to AA. Same deal for pre-sale house inspections - I use a builder for a "have a look and tell me what you think" rather than an official pre-purchase inspection that may carry other repercussions .
A WoF or an inspection by somebody you know, who knows you won't blame them for anything missed is a far more objective way of going about it IMHO. Although as above, the WoF should be with consent.
puslek,
Feb 2, 4:45pm
Now you surely can't fly over and bring the car you want to a local garage every time. So what would be the best way to make sure the car you're buying ain't a lemon!
phillip.weston,
Feb 2, 5:11pm
No I wouldn't allow someone to take it for a WOF, as we all know one WOF place is not the same as another and while it may pass one place might come up with something unexpected at another. I would rather get them to put it through a thorough pre-purchase check and not risk failing a WOF with repairs needing to be done in order to re-gain a WOF.
puslek,
Feb 2, 6:28pm
Sorry, I should be more specific. Ok, I'm Wellington, and let's say the car I want is in Christchurch. Now, what would be the best way to check the car out without having to fly down there! AA report is the only thing comes in mind, but if it's just a waste of $140 then I might as well fly down there and take the car to a local garage or testing station or something.
There are inspection service type places in most main centres, or alternatively I would contact a franchise dealer local to the vehicle you wish to have inspected (eg; you would contact local Toyota dealership if you were looking at buying a Corolla).
zirconium,
Feb 2, 7:50pm
Completely depends on the car and the asking price too. If it gets a good AA report, then you may also be able to get an AA mechanical insurance policy.
bigracket,
Feb 2, 7:52pm
Yip, If your really keen on the car, thats what id do.
bigracket,
Feb 2, 7:54pm
least then you could take it to a local mechanic, ask him to put it on the hoist. and he prob would let you have your own look, or be able to say muffler has a hole and point to it. I personally like to see what there pointing out.
jsbike,
Feb 2, 8:51pm
Indeed I do see your point, however if you were that anti, I'd feel maybe there was something to hide. Last car I bought I took the car (with owner) and got a "mock" wof, ie I told the wof guy I wanted him to look over it as if it was going for a wof but not enter anything on the system. You never replied as to if an aa check does cpmpression! and surely them "checking" the trans would have been no more of a drive, same as I did to the wof station.
fordcrzy,
Feb 3, 2:27am
we got a car that had a aa check and it had BUGGERED front discs and nearly non existant pads. the steering rack bushes were GONE (I.E no rubber in the inserts) and it flew through the check no problems! WTF!
phillip.weston,
Feb 3, 2:28am
Yes I suppose a mock-WOF would be fine. I just would be highly pissed if my car that I was selling came back from a WOF with a bullshit reason for failing, or even a legitimate reason for failing, and then needing to repair it immediately in order to have a valid WOF.
AA and VTNZ do a 'relative' compression test, they use a device on the starter motor or exhaust pipe to measure starter motor draw of each cylinder in relation to the next or pressure from the exhaust pipe per rotation. You wont fail a WOF if the transmission slips, clunks or changes harshly through the gears, but surely that would be picked up with the AA or any other outfit.
twink19,
Feb 3, 2:29am
total waste of money
lookoutas,
Feb 3, 2:33am
Brought a car that had an AA inspection sticker in the front window, the front shocks were stuffed and it needed a new rear muffler.
puslek,
Feb 3, 2:58pm
That's just unbelievable.
rovercitroen,
Feb 3, 4:32pm
Just had my second example this morning of how incompetent the Hamilton AA inspectors are. Firstly, at the potential buyers request, I presented my Jaguar at Hamilton AA Testing. The inspector proceeded to run down British cars in general which gave me the impression he was biased against the car from the start. Anyway, they sent the report to me for some reason instead of the person who asked for it. They commented that the oil level was low. I knew that when it was cold this morning it was on the full mark. The dickhead checked it when the engine had just been running and that engine holds almost a litre up top for a few hours so of course it wasn't up to the full mark! Duh! About 18 months ago the same crowd broke the plastic air box on my Mini Cooper that I was selling when they were checking the air filter. F.n Butchers. No car of mine goes near AA Hamilton again.
smac,
Feb 3, 5:14pm
Kaz, as above they did the same thing to me. They acknowledged to me the oil check was after the test drive, but no offer to amend the report and of course by then my buyer was long gone. It's just a simple case of the muppet following a check list in the order printed with no thought to the consequences.
kenw1,
Feb 3, 5:17pm
i found a vtnz inspection to be much more thorough and accurate
rovercitroen,
Feb 3, 5:21pm
These guys are "meant" to be competent mechanics. I shouldn't have to tell them anything. My knowledge of cars is not that great but even I know you don't check the oil level when the engine has just been running. I am sure AA inspectors are mechanics who can't get a job somewhere fixing cars because they are too dumb.
lookoutas,
Feb 3, 10:11pm
It was a fresh import, but had been sitting for a while - so the muffler wasn't a big issue.
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