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Hi there. I purchased a 2009 Nissan Xtrail today. Before purchase I got an AA prepurchase inspection, and was happy with the results. However, after buying I took the car to get a towbar installed. The company informed me that the exhaust is leaking and the muffler is severely rusted and needs to be replaced. They said this should have been picked up by the AA check or WOF. I will contact AA directly about this tomorrow, but just wanted to see where the responsibility is likely to lie for this. Should a vehicle pass a WOF with a small exhaust leak and rusty muffler that needs replacing? Does the dealer need to get it sorted as part of the consumer guarantees act? Any info about this would be appreciated. Cheers. Stacey

Hi Stacey,
It is up to the dealer to make sure the vehicle is sold to you in a WoF worthy state and so I recommend going back to the dealer and informing of the issue. A rusty exhaust system is not in itself a WoF fail, and small leak in the exhaust may have gone un-detected or unseen at inspections- and found now as sometimes components are required to be removed to install a tow bar. Defiantly talk to the inspections team as to what the inspector though of the exhaust system.