Ask an expert


Petita

Hi there,

Just wanted to enquire about an AA vehicle inspection report on a car I'm interested in. The summary states that the vehicle is in good condition and unlikely to require unplanned maintenance or repair. However, under the inspector comments it says the rear break rotors are corroded, slight signs of black smoke from exhaust under hard acceleration, thumping noise while breaking, rear seatbelt webbings are damaged, and oil is weeping from intercooler hose. Are any of these a major problem that I need to look out for?

Thanks in advance.

Anon

Hi there,
Sounds like a few notes for your consideration and to talk to the seller about remedies before purchase (mainly the seatbelts). These seem consistent notes for an aging diesel vehicle. Corroded brake discs means that they would potentially require machine or replacement when the pads wear out (but the thumping noise will need to be checked before purchase), the vehicle could have been used to launch a boat?. Black smoke from a diesel is quite normal, but can also mean a few things with regards to fuel systems that may need looking at down the track like fuel injectors and pump. Oil weeping from intercooler hoses is also fairly common, and can mean oil present in the turbo intake system, from engine breather or turbo/engine wear.