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I got a pre-purchase report done on my 2004 Ford Mondeo wagon recently. The AA report was clear and informative. The only trouble was that,inspite of the inspector telling me the car was in good condition, the report had on it the comment: "Grade 4: Extreme risk of requiring unplanned maintenance and repair." The inspector said that they were required to include this comment regardless of the condition of the car. Since then I have had a lot of trouble trying to convince those interested in purchasing the car that it is not at severe risk of falling apart. Is it not possible for the AA to either delete this automatic comment or modify it perhaps by removing the word "extreme" or by providing an additional explanation as to why this comment has been put there ?

The report automatically chooses the grade based on data collected on a particular vehicle's proven reliability. It takes into account age, mileage, make and model.
For a 9 year old Mondeo, I understand it would fall into Grade 4 after 150,000km. Therefore, while your car may be a good example, there is still a high risk of something unforseen failing in the future.
If you (or a prospective purchaser) would like any further explanation, our Motoring Advisers will be happy to provide clarification. You can contact the Motoring Advice team on 0800 500 333 (Option 2).