Should I get a Pre-Purchase Inspection?

[eZ_Harry]

Hello,

I am currently looking at purchasing a 2002 Subaru Impreza 1.5L, the plan is to go and make an offer upon our next viewing however I am wondering if you think it is necessary to get a inspection done as part of a condition of our offer. The car has 98,800KM and it appears to be well looked after. If you do think it is necessary what is the best place to go as in the past we have used AA however they are expensive and I just wasn't two thrilled with their service and wait time.

Thanks

[GC8E2DD]

Has it had the cambelt done?

[eZ_Harry]

 GC8E2DD said:

Has it had the cambelt done?

No, but I read that it was not required untill 120,000KM? Is this incorrect?

[cyberjays]

Just take it to your nearest WOF place and do the inspection for about $80.

Better safe than sorry, the car is over a decade old, so who knows what's missing or swopped out.

The check isn't bullet proof though, so at the end of the day you need to test drive the car & feel for yourself If something doesn't feel right walk away.

[GC8E2DD]

 eZ_Harry said:

No, but I read that it was not required untill 120,000KM? Is this incorrect?

I would say yes, incorrect. Conventional wisdom is 100,000km, but you can check if you can find an owners manual, or ring a dealer and ask what they'd do for a 100,000km service.

[Rosssub]

Technically the Fuji MY03 manual says 105,000. But as GC8E2DD said generally 100,000 or before. At $1000-$1250 for a mechanic it changes the cars value a bit. VTNZ also do full appraisals but not sure on pricing, as said better safe than sorry especially if not that mechanically minded.

Edited March 14, 2015 by Rosssub

[eZ_Harry]

Sorry, it costs $1000 for a timing belt change?

[sobanoodle]

There was a few stories on FairGo about these car inspections, VTNZ in particular was under fire. I personally wouldn't trust them.

[Rosssub]

 eZ_Harry said:

Sorry, it costs $1000 for a timing belt change?

Yip, some places will do it cheaper but with cheaper aftermarket parts. Genuine parts alone is around $650 odd.

[jazza]

Dont go to vtnz, people there have no clue what theyre on about and imo shouldnt even be trusted to do wofs. I had repainted my enigne bay on my wrx to make it look mint again and after their inspection they told me it had definitely been in an accident as the engine bay is repainted. Then they told me the chassis was dented and had structural damage. Upon my own inspection it was a little stone dent on an underbody brace that was bolted to the car, not chassis damage....muppets.

Take car to a good mechanic or even a subbie specialist, someone that knows subarus is always a good start and yes can save you in the long run.

[Guitar_Guy]

Bearing in mind that your $1000-$1250 usually gets you all new tensioners, idler pulleys, camshaft seals, new water pump and new coolant, unless you opt to recycle what's already in there. Pretty good value considering it doesn't need to be done again for another 100,000kms.

I had it done on an old legacy I owned, cost $1150 for all of the above including labour.

[Andy_Mac]

If you can find a suby specialist and sweet talk them they can usually do it a bit cheaper using gates belts. Had mine done for 850, not much over parts price for the whole lot including thermostat. but did work right next to them for years and had to put up with their clients taking up all our works car parks so they kinda realised they owed us haha.

Wouldn't advise it myself but if you visit alot of US sites they tend to change their belts at 100,000miles not km so apparently the belts must have a bit more give in them than we believe.

[KingCole]

I got my pre-purchase mechanical inspection done by Vehicle Inspection Services and they drive out to inspect the car. I am glad I did though otherwise would have bought a lemon.

The first inspection was for a WRX STI 2002 (V8) from Great Motors and they had claimed the car had never been in an accident and was in great mechanical etc but when inspected it was in a frontal crash and they had tried to hide it well by doing the work themselves. The inspector was able to pick it up though and stopped the inspection right there (he did not even drive the car as there was no point) and only charged me for the time he was there instead of the full inspection price.

I used the same guy for my second inspection for another V8 STI and it came out great which led me to buying it the next day. It's nearly been a year with the car and haven't had a SINGLE problem but then again the car had been maintained very well with proof of service etc. He sends you a soft/hard copy of the report too.

In my opinion, it's always good to get the car inspected because it could save you money in the long run. Good luck with the purchase!

[WRXER]

Yup agree with above, hit the recommended places..Some places aren't so great some are, including VTNZ (franchises)I've had both good and bad experiences in different VTNZ outlets however that has applied also to other mechanics even supposed reputable ones. If you aren't confident then definitely get it checked out, and a cambelt is a must we can all get stuck into the technicality aspects however common sense is it must be changed round the 100k mark and if you can't find anything to confirm that then walk away.

Bout a $1000 give or take for a proper cambelt job, you can try to eek a better price but is it worth all the hassle for a saving of $100? Mine was a little more but the service and other bits that got done at the same time not involving cambelt was well worth it. Even my machanic was happy to have a customer that wanted it all done properly and get the while your at it jobs done also, sure was a little extra coin but not having to worry about it later, next wof or at worse mechanical failure was a peace of mind for me.

Edited March 15, 2015 by WRXER

[eZ_Harry]

http://www.carinspections.co.nz/ Is this the place?

[KingCole]

 eZ_Harry said:

http://www.carinspections.co.nz/ Is this the place?

Yeap that's them.

[eZ_Harry]

Cool, got it booked in for tomorrow. Hopefully all goes well, this is the third car I've done it for, spent months with BMW 320i's but my god they are just mechanical nightmares so I've decided to play it safe with a Jap car.

[KingCole]

 eZ_Harry said:

Cool, got it booked in for tomorrow. Hopefully all goes well, this is the third car I've done it for, spent months with BMW 320i's but my god they are just mechanical nightmares so I've decided to play it safe with a Jap car.

Nice! Let us know how it goes

[Joker]

1500 'may' be cheaper than 2L?

[Dairusire]

 KingCole said:

I got my pre-purchase mechanical inspection done by Vehicle Inspection Services and they drive out to inspect the car. I am glad I did though otherwise would have bought a lemon.

The first inspection was for a WRX STI 2002 (V8) from Great Motors and they had claimed the car had never been in an accident and was in great mechanical etc but when inspected it was in a frontal crash and they had tried to hide it well by doing the work themselves. The inspector was able to pick it up though and stopped the inspection right there (he did not even drive the car as there was no point) and only charged me for the time he was there instead of the full inspection price.

I used the same guy for my second inspection for another V8 STI and it came out great which led me to buying it the next day. It's nearly been a year with the car and haven't had a SINGLE problem but then again the car had been maintained very well with proof of service etc. He sends you a soft/hard copy of the report too.

In my opinion, it's always good to get the car inspected because it could save you money in the long run. Good luck with the purchase!

The WRX STi 2002 (V8) you're referring to, was it a white one by chance?

[KingCole]

 Dairusire said:

The WRX STi 2002 (V8) you're referring to, was it a white one by chance?

Yeap. Avoid that dealership at all costs. Forgot to mention that the boot was leaking and full of water and the radiator etc was bent from the front.

[Dairusire]

 KingCole said:

Yeap. Avoid that dealership at all costs. Forgot to mention that the boot was leaking and full of water and the radiator etc was bent from the front.

Yeah, bugeyesti and myself went and checked that car out... Wasn't impressed at all. I reported that company. It drove alright however, but yeah I know it had been in a accident as soon as I saw it.

[KingCole]

 Dairusire said:

Yeah, bugeyesti and myself went and checked that car out... Wasn't impressed at all. I reported that company. It drove alright however, but yeah I know it had been in a accident as soon as I saw it.

Oh good that you walked away from it too. I hope no one bought it.