Take The Risk Out of Buying a Used Car
Buying a second hand car always involves an element of risk, especially if you are purchasing it from someone online as opposed to a dealership; dealerships are registered businesses so there are certain legal obligations that they have to uphold, but when you are buying a car privately off someone you’ve never met before, the legalities can be a bit of a grey area.
If you are thinking of buying a used car, we recommend bringing it into Sunshine Steering first for a full top-to-toe vehicle inspection before you sign-off on the papers – we’ll help you avoid buying a dud by letting you know if the car is a sound investment or if it requires a lot of repair work.
Sunshine Steering are:
- Members of the Institute of Automotive Mechanical Engineers (IAME)
- REPCO Authorised Repair Station
- Certified RACQ Mechanics
If you’ve got any questions about our pre-purchase inspection service, or would like us to take a look at a vehicle you’re thinking of purchasing, give us a call on (07) 5478 8020 today.
Pre-Purchase Inspections
The pre-purchase inspection process at Sunshine Steering is quick yet thorough – we have a detailed check list of all of the different elements of the car’s motor, steering, wheels/tyres, electrical, transmission and brakes that we run through. As we inspect each element we compile a report that you will be handed at the end of the inspection – this will help you decide whether or not to purchase the car.
The pre-purchase inspection is much more comprehensive then your standard road-worthy inspection – in a roadworthy, the car is being certified that it is in current working condition; any element of the motor might be on the way out and need replacing within the month, but as long as it is working on the day of the roadworthy test then it will be certified. The point of a pre-purchase inspection is to let you know the overall health of the vehicle and it includes some of the following additional checks:
- Brake fluid quality check – we test the brake fluid and provide the percentage in the report.
- Coolant system check – we always give a percentage of the coolant in the report to ensure that it meets manufacturers standard.
- Battery health check.
Roadworthy Certifications
In Queensland, by law, anyone selling a used vehicle must provide an up-to-date roadworthy certificate. The certificate must be provided by a qualified mechanic and it states that the vehicle meets the minimum required levels of safety to be driven on the road.
Sunshine Steering have been providing roadworthy certification for vehicles for over 15 years now. We are located in Palmwoods and provide mechanical services to all Sunshine Coast Hinterland, Nambour and Palmwoods areas. We employ 4 full time mechanics as well as an apprentice and a trades assistant, so you will never have to wait long to get your car looked at.
If you have any questions or would like more information about the roadworthy certification process, contact Sunshine Steering today on (07) 5478 8020.
What is included in a roadworthy certification?
When you bring your car in for a roadworthy, we’ll take it for a quick drive and then inspect some of the basic elements of the vehicle that contribute to the car’s safety and drivability.
Some of the vehicle’s components that we check include:
Logbook Servicing
The experienced mechanics at Sunshine Steering have been performing logbook services on vehicles of all makes and models for over 15 years now. We work with both genuine and after-market parts and provide a full report of our findings at the end of every service.
When you drop your car off for servicing at our workshop we will happily give you a lift anywhere in the local area that you need to go – so if you need a ride to work, just let us know in advance and we’ll get you there. If we notice anything out of the ordinary during the inspection and service, we’ll always give you a call and let you know how much it will cost to fix it before we do anything else – so you will always know how much it is going to cost.
An additional service that we provide is our ‘Travellers Inspection” – this service is designed for anyone who is about to set out on a big journey or holiday in their car and wants to make sure that everything is in working order before they leave. We will conduct a thorough inspection of all elements of your engine, steering and electrical and will let you know if there is anything that needs to be fixed or replaced before you set off.
If you have any questions or would like to enquire about our logbook servicing or travellers inspection services, contact us on (07) 5478 8020 today.
IAME Members
Sunshine Steering are members of the Institute of Automotive Mechanical Engineers (IAME). The IAME is responsible for setting the standards for logbook servicing in Australia, and when you get your vehicle serviced at Sunshine Steering you will be receiving best quality service possible.
In addition to being members of the IAME, we are also certified REPCO mechanics, which means that any service or mechanical work that we perform on your vehicle is guaranteed nationally by all other certified REPCO mechanics.
