Why the seller's RWC isn't your inspection
In Victoria the seller of a registered car supplies the roadworthy certificate (RWC), and the buyer needs it to be less than 30 days old. Consumer Affairs Victoria calls an RWC a general safety check by a licensed vehicle tester.
A pre-purchase inspection works for the other side of the deal. You choose the mechanic, you decide what they look at, and the report comes to you. Consumer Affairs Victoria suggests an inspection by an independent qualified mechanic before you buy, and says that if a trader or private seller won't agree to one, consider not buying the car.
Dealer or private seller: what Victoria gives a buyer
| Licensed motor car trader | Private seller | |
|---|---|---|
| Statutory warranty | On a car under 10 years old that has done under 160,000 km: 3 months or 5,000 km, whichever comes first | None, and a dealer's warranty doesn't follow a car when it's resold privately |
| What the warranty leaves out | Tyres, batteries, audio and navigation gear, light globes, and any car sold at a public auction | Not relevant: you take the car as you find it |
| Cooling-off | Three clear business days after signing, gone the moment you take delivery | Consumer Affairs Victoria describes cooling-off for licensed traders only |
| When to inspect | Before you sign, or make the contract conditional on an independent inspection report | Before you agree to buy or hand over a deposit |
Buying a car somewhere in Melbourne
The car's often across town
Greater Melbourne covers 9,993 square kilometres, so the car you like can easily be an hour away. A mobile mechanic can meet it at the seller's place. Put the seller's postcode in the card, not your own, so the job goes to someone near the car.
Somewhere safe to work
RAA says its mobile inspections need flat ground off the public road, with room for a trolley jack. If the seller only has a spot on a busy street, agree on somewhere else before the mechanic sets off, or have the car taken to a workshop with a hoist.
A cold start on a cold morning
Ask the seller not to run the car before the mechanic gets there. On a Melbourne winter morning a white cloud at start-up can be harmless: EPA Victoria says steam can look like smoke, especially on cold mornings. Smoke that's still coming once the engine is warm is a question for the seller.
Money owing
Consumer Affairs Victoria says a PPSR certificate shows recorded security interests on a car, such as an outstanding debt. Run the search on the VIN before you pay for anything else, because a debt ends the deal faster than a worn part.
What to have ready when the mechanic calls
- The listing, or the make, model, year and odometer reading.
- The seller's suburb, and whether there's off-street space at the house.
- The VIN, so the PPSR search is already done.
- Whether it's a licensed trader or a private seller, and the date on the RWC.
If it were our money
We'd sort the car into one of two piles. A car from a licensed trader that's under 10 years old and 160,000 km has a statutory warranty for the first few months, so the inspection is really about what's coming after that. A private sale, or anything older, has nothing behind it once the money changes hands, so we'd have a mechanic who knows the make go over it first. Either way, nothing gets signed until the report is in.