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Pre-Purchase Inspection

After buying a property, buying a new car is one of the biggest purchases most of us will make. Getting it right is important. Nobody wants to buy a vehicle which is going to go wrong or be unreliable, and one of the best strategies to guard against this is by paying for a formal pre-purchase vehicle inspection. A basic inspection will start at around £99, but you can expect to pay up to as much as £400 if you require a full inspection on a more expensive model of car.

These inspections are about looking at the overall condition of a second-hand vehicle which you are considering buying. The inspections are carried out by a fully trained mechanic, who will point out any major faults which could affect your decision over whether or not to buy the vehicle. In the past, it was relatively easy for anyone with a working knowledge of mechanics to inspect under the bonnet and give an opinion on whether a car was worth the money being asked for it, or not. But modern cars are made with sealed engine units, and are more complex than ever with onboard computers, touchscreen entertainment systems and climate control. Even the most enthusiastic amateur would struggle when confronted with a modern sealed engine unit. It’s usually best to get an independent mechanic to perform the inspection. Although a car dealer may say that their inspection is independent, how can it be when they have a vested interest in selling you vehicle?

What Is Included in a Pre-Purchase Inspection?

The format of a pre-purchase inspection will vary according to who is doing the inspection and the age and model of the vehicle. Large organisations such as the AA will have a standard format of inspection, so when you pay for an inspection from one of their mechanics, you know exactly what you are getting. Many of the larger testing companies will also offer a written report as part of the package deal. If you deal with a local garage or independent inspector, it’s more important than ever to be crystal clear about what you are expecting them to look at in the inspection, and what sort of information you want at the end of it. Not all car inspections are equal, and you need to be sure that you are getting good value for money.

Although a pre-purchase vehicle inspection will vary, as a minimum you should expect the following to be covered:

• Tyres – condition and a check to make sure the tread is not wearing too thinly and might need replaced soon.
• Air conditioning – this can be expensive to put right, so it’s important to make sure that the system is working properly before purchase.
• Brakes – the inspection will look not only at the way the brakes work, but also the wear and tear on consumable parts such as the brake pads.
• Filters and battery - filters will usually be changed as part of the annual service, but battery performance can deteriorate over time
• Check of coolant, transmission fluid and oil levels
• Brakes
• Making sure all lights are working correctly
• Steering
• Body condition – looking for scratches or rust

Car Inspection Reports

Many inspection services will offer to send you a written report when the inspection is completed, usually by email. The report will cover any issues the mechanic found in the inspection. Many companies offer a differing level of inspection, depending on your requirements. A very basic inspection might only cover safety essentials such as brakes and steering, and if you want to find out about the condition of the air conditioning, for example, you’ll have to opt for a more premium package. You may not want a written report and be happy with a verbal recommendation from the inspector about whether the car is worth the price or not. This is up to you to agree with the mechanic who is doing the work for you.

Usually, a pre-purchase inspection will take around 90 minutes to complete, but could take longer or be completed more quickly depending on the package you have opted for. You don’t need to be there when the inspection is done, unless you want to be. If you choose to attend, it’s best to leave the mechanic to get on with the work in peace – you are paying for their time, after all. If you are buying from a dealer, it is worth warning them that you are arranging a mechanic for a pre-purchase inspection and arranging a convenient time. Most inspections will also include a road test, where the inspector takes your intended purchase out onto to the road to see how it performs, and try to detect any suspicious knocking or banging sounds.

Vehicle History Reports

A vehicle inspection is not the same as a vehicle history report. A mechanic won’t be able to tell you if a vehicle is stolen, has outstanding finance on it or whether it has been written off in the past. This is something you can do yourself, or ask the seller whether they have already carried out a HPI check. HPI, or hire purchase investigation, is an online check which will tell you a bit about the past history of the car and will protect you from scams. There are however some checks you should do yourself in addition to the HPI check which should help you identify any potential problems with the car’s past.

The most important piece of paper you should look at is the V5 form. This is also known as the “log book” and is a multi-coloured form with different sections. Check that the V5 the seller is showing you is the right one for the car – do the make, model, colour and registration match? You should also look for the VIN (vehicle identification number) on the form, and then look for the same number on the car – it’s usually visible at the bottom of the windscreen. If there is a problem with these basic details, walk away from the purchase.

Car Data Checks

As well as HPI checks, other organisations such as the RAC and AA offer data check services on used cars which help weed out any vehicles which might have a shady past which the owner is trying to conceal. This is more common than you may think, as research suggests that as many as 25% of used cars being offered for sale have a hidden past. They may have previously been an insurance write-off, stolen, or have outstanding finance due. If you buy a car with outstanding finance, it could cost you dearly – you might find yourself without your car, and also liable to settle the finance.

Many of the larger inspection companies will also compile more general data to give you information about the make and model of car you are thinking about buying. This might have information about the most common reasons for failing a MOT test for that particular model, or the most common breakdown faults. This sort of information should help you target your inspection of the car, making sure that any “high-risk” areas are thoroughly covered.

Mileage should be checked too, in order to ensure that the stated mileage is consistent with previous reports and with the condition of the car. Mileage is recorded annually when a car goes through its MOT and it’s easy to look at this information online. Does the mileage rise fairly consistently between checks? Also, does the condition of the car match with its stated mileage? A skilled inspector will be able to look at the wear and tear on a car and estimate its mileage.

DIY Checklist for Car Inspection

It’s well worth investing the money in paying a professional to do a formal car inspection for you, but if you can’t afford the time or money then the only option is to do the inspection yourself. This involves a bit more than just driving the vehicle once around the block, but use this handy checklist to keep you right.

• Tyres – kicking the tyres is such a cliché, but will tell you if they are sound of have a puncture. Take a 20p with you for the inspection and push the coin into the tread pattern. The dots around the edge of the coin should be completely hidden – if they’re not, the tread could be less than the legal minimum of 1.6mm. If they’re approaching the minimum, that’s a warning that you should factor in the cost of a new set of tyres fairly soon.
• Dents, dings and scratches – always inspect a car in daylight. Darkness can hide a multitude of sins and it’s easy to miss damage to the bodywork which would be obvious in broad daylight. Always walk right round the car, and remember to look at the roof too. Don’t worry too much about minor scratches or dents which are easy to remedy, but take a note of them as you might be able to negotiate a discount off the asking price.
• Gaps in the panels – the gaps between the main panels should be uniform, and should be the same width all the way down the gap. Large gaps between panels, or gaps which are wider at the top than the bottom could be an indication of a bodged repair after an accident. Similarly, check for consistency in paint colour and finish between panels.
• Ripples in the panels – bodywork panels should be smooth and even. Any ripples or uneven spots could indicate that they have been badly filled. A good trick is to take a magnet with you when inspecting a car. Filler is not magnetic, and a magnet won’t stick to patches which have been filled as it will stick to other parts of the bodywork.
• Oil, brake fluid and steering fluid – you should check that the levels of all the key fluids in the car engine are within the right ranges. If you find that the car is almost dry of oil, and the windscreen wash is empty too, is that really a sign of a much-loved family car?
• Oil cap – one more technical thing to look at is the underside of the oil cap. You’re looking for a sticky white substance which looks a bit like mayonnaise. Although this substance can sometimes form due to condensation, the usual cause is the oil mixing with coolant and this can be a red flag to indicate there are problems with the head gasket which will cost a lot of money to fix.
• Electrics – test everything. Switch the lights on and off, make sure the electric windows are working, check the radio. Electrical repairs needn’t be expensive to fix, but finding a fault gives you room to negotiate on price.
• Glass – chips in the windows might not be a major fault now, but can easily turn into a major crack if left. Look also for any chips in the glass covering headlights and tail lights.
• Interior – use your nose! A strong smell of smoke can be very difficult to shift. Also look at the general condition of the upholstery. Are those furry seat covers hiding something unpleasant?
• Spare wheel – check that if there is supposed to be a spare wheel, that it is where it should be. Make sure that other items such as a jack for raising the wheel to repair a puncture, or the key for the locking wheel nuts is in the vehicle too.
• Wear and tear – it’s unreasonable to expect that any vehicle purchased second hand is going to look as immaculate as one which has just rolled off the production line. You are looking for indications that the car’s condition is consistent with the stated mileage. For example, a car with very few miles on the clock should not be showing heavy signs of wear on the driver’s seat, or the pedals. If it does, it is an indication that it may have been clocked.