How to complete a pre-purchase inspection

InspectaCar’s guided pre-purchase inspection template follows the same order as this guide, on your phone.

Before you arrive

• Confirm the details. Get the make, model, year, registration and VIN from the buyer so you can check them against the car and the advertisement.
• Ask for a cold engine. Ask the seller not to run the car before you get there. Cold-start behaviour tells you things a warm engine hides.
• Pick your light. Daylight and dry weather make dents, paint differences and small leaks much easier to see.
• Pack your kit. A bright torch, inspection mirror, tyre tread gauge, paint thickness gauge if you have one, OBD scanner, rags, gloves, a notepad or your phone for notes, and a camera.
• Plan access. If you need a hoist or pit for the underbody, arrange it. If you cannot raise the car, say so in the report.

Start with identity and paperwork

Compare the VIN on the compliance or build plate with the registration papers, the advertisement and, where you can reach it, the number stamped on the body or chassis. Check the plates themselves for signs of tampering. Look through the service history, and note any gaps or long intervals. Remind the buyer to run a finance owing (PPSR) and written-off check using the VIN, because an inspection cannot tell them either.

If the identity does not add up, record what you saw and stop. There is no point inspecting a vehicle that is not what it claims to be.

Walk the exterior

Walk around the car slowly and look along each side for ripples. Check that panel gaps are even left to right, and look for paint that differs in shade or texture. Check door rubbers, trims and lamp surrounds for overspray. Look for rust at the wheel arches, sills, door bottoms, boot floor and around the windscreen. Photograph and describe each defect.

A paint thickness gauge is helpful. A reading that is far above the others on a panel usually means filler or a respray. It is evidence, not proof, so write down the reading and what it suggests.

Check the interior and electrics

Sit in every seat. Operate every control at least once. Check that dash warning lights come on at ignition and go out after the engine starts, including the airbag and ABS lights. A light that never comes on may have been disabled. Look and smell for water ingress: damp carpet, silt in the footwells, musty odour, or corrosion on seat bolts.

Start the engine and check the bay

Start the engine cold and listen. Note idle quality and any smoke. Then check oil level and condition (milky residue under the filler cap is a warning), coolant, brake fluid and other fluids. Look at belts and hoses, and look for leaks around the engine, gearbox and cooling system. Signs of recent repair, such as bright new bolts on old paint or fresh sealant, are worth recording.

Look underneath

With the car raised, check the underbody for rust, damage and repair. Look at the chassis rails and mounting points for kinks or welds, the exhaust for leaks and corrosion, the shock absorbers for leaks, bushes and ball joints for play, steering boots and CV boots for tears, and brake lines for corrosion. Fresh underseal on an older car is worth a closer look.

Tyres, wheels and brakes

Record tread depth at every tyre, not a single reading. Check the date code, sidewall condition, wear pattern and whether the tyres match. Look at the wheels for cracks and bends. Measure brake pads and examine the discs. Uneven wear almost always points to something else, such as alignment, suspension or a sticking caliper.

Road test

Use a mix of slow traffic, open road and a few corners, and do not exceed the speed limit. Listen for noises, feel for vibration, and watch the gauges. Check that the engine pulls cleanly, that the transmission shifts or the clutch engages normally, that the brakes pull up straight, and that the steering tracks straight when you release the wheel on a flat road. Park, then look under the car and in the engine bay again.

Scan and finish the evidence

Plug in an OBD scanner and record stored and pending codes, and whether the readiness monitors are complete. Monitors that are not ready can mean the codes were recently cleared. Take photos of the defects, the VIN and compliance plates, and the odometer, so the buyer has evidence for every Advisory or Fail.

Write the recommendation

This is the part the buyer will read first. Give one clear recommendation: proceed, proceed and negotiate, investigate further, or do not proceed. Back it up with the two or three findings that drove it, in plain language. Where you can, give a rough cost range for repairs. See what to include in a vehicle inspection report for how to structure it.

Common mistakes

• Inspecting a warm engine and missing a cold-start problem.
• Recording a single tyre reading instead of every tyre.
• Writing “fair” or “poor” with no detail about where, what and how bad.
• Leaving the road test until the end of a long day and rushing it.
• Presenting an inspection as a roadworthy certificate. It is not one. See the difference.