Ask an expert

I have a few questions:
1) I paid for a pre-purchase inspection via Drivesure (because NZAA inspections cannot verify if 4WD is working on a vehicle or not). Drivesure did not pick up that the vehicle has a jerky gear change. I specifically asked them if gear changes were smooth and they said "yes". I also asked if the vehicle had any leaks and I was told "we removed the panel from underneath the car and no leaks were to be seen". I bought the vehicle. The gear changes are jerky between 2nd and 3rd (auto transmission), and the car appears to have a water leak. I have tried contacting Drivesure and have heard nothing back from them.

Is there anybody I can speak to about pre-purchase inspection standards? This is the second car that has "passed" a pre-purchase inspection and should never have passed. Or, the inspection should have identified these 2 things.

2) Is there no way of getting my money back from an RMVT trading using Trademe? Is it just a case of "too bad"?

I don't hold the seller responsible but if these 2 things had been found, I would never have bought the vehicle. What is the point in having a pre-inspection check if they cannot identify something simple while testdriving a vehicle?

We're talking days between the pre-purchase inspection and receiving the vehicle from PTS Vehicle Transport - so it isn't as if the car had much of a chance to "suddenly break" in between.

3) Given how many New Zealanders buy 4WD vehicles, don't you think NZAA should be able to verify whether all 4 wheels actually drive during a pre-purchase inspection? 2 years ago NZAA were not able to verify whether the back wheels were working on a 4WD. I bought the car and it cost me over $2000 to get it put right.. then it started it leak where the repair had been made..

Hi there,
If you have any issues with an inspection you paid for then you would need to take it up with the company you paid to do this service. Inspections generally are not a fail or pass item (a wof is), they are to give an indication of the vehicle presented when inspected according to the method listed on the information about the service.
Our AA inspections consist of a pre-determined list of inspected items within in set time-frame. They are a visual only inspection so nothing is removed nor would it be safe to have the vehicle driving in the air to see if all 4 wheels spun, and this may not reliably prove whether a 4wd system is operational or not. A lot of systems can be in 2wd until 4wd is required- so the fact a wheel is turning in the air or not wouldn't be a true test of a 4wd system.

So what advice would you give to somebody buying a second-hand 4WD vehicle?

Also, if an inspection company swears that the vehicle had no leaks and no issue with the gear-change.. do you just attribute that to an act of God, karma or real bad luck?

Hi there,
When buying a used 4WD vehicle, I would recommend buying from a dealer, getting an inspection, and also targeting specific checks of things you are most concerned about. The inspection should give an overview of the vehicle as a whole based on what is seen at the time the vehicle was checked (and also dependent on exactly what the service intends to provide). If the company you hired to do this states that an item checked is ok when it clearly isn't, then you must contact the company who checked it and address the situation. You may need to also talk to the selling dealer about repairs that would be required to make the vehicle fit for purpose, as you may have the same CGA rights when buying a vehicle from a dealer as with hiring someone to check a vehicle out.
My second thought is that if you specifically wanted the 4WD system checked, then you would book the vehicle into a specialist to have the system checked to determine its condition and serviceability- like a driveline specialist, or a transmission specialist if you wanted a report on the transmission etc.