Pre Purchase Inspection FAQ

A pre purchase inspection, or PPI, is a full check of a used vehicle by an independent mechanic before you pay for it. The inspector looks at the engine, transmission, brakes, suspension, body and electronics. They scan the computer for codes and take the vehicle on a road test. You get a written report with photos, so you can decide to buy, bargain or walk away. See every item on our 122 point inspection checklist.

Because most used vehicles are sold as is, and a problem you find after the sale is yours to pay for. A seller may not know about a fault, or may not tell you. An inspection finds worn brakes, leaks, hidden body repair and stored trouble codes while you can still walk away or ask for a lower price. Read what buying as is really means.

There are three common levels. A visual check looks at the outside, the tires and under the hood. A standard inspection adds a computer scan, a road test and a full written report, and that is what ours is. An advanced inspection adds tests that take parts off the engine, like a compression test. We only run those after you say yes. There are also versions built for each vehicle type, listed on our inspections page.

Our pre purchase inspection costs $225 for most cars, pickups and SUVs, in every state we cover. That one price includes the 122 point check, the computer scan, the road test, photos and the written report. Diesels, RVs, boats and heavy equipment are quoted on the call because the work is bigger. Across the industry most car inspections land between about $100 and $300. See the full pre purchase inspection price list.

Almost always. One hidden problem, like a slipping transmission or a bent frame, can cost thousands. An inspection costs a small part of that. It also gives you a written list of faults to bargain with, which often saves more than the inspection cost. The only time to skip it is a car so cheap that you could walk away from it. More on what the inspection saves you.

The buyer pays. That keeps the inspector working for you, not for the seller. Some buyers ask the seller to take the cost off the price if the report finds problems, and that is a fair ask. Be careful with an inspection the seller arranges and pays for. Choose your own inspector. See how booking with us works.

The inspection itself takes about 90 minutes for most cars, pickups and SUVs. Big diesels, RVs and equipment take longer. The report usually reaches you the same day, often within a few hours of the inspector finishing. Most inspections are booked for the same day or the next day. Here is how the whole process runs.

You can get one where the vehicle already sits. Our inspectors go to the seller's driveway, the dealer lot or the storage yard, so nobody has to drive the vehicle to a shop. We cover all 50 states. You can also ask an independent repair shop, but then the seller has to agree to bring the car in. Find your city on our inspection locations page.

Call 951-267-8500 with the vehicle, the listing and where it is. We contact the seller, set a time, inspect the vehicle and send you the report. You do not need to be there. If you would rather write, use the request form on our contact page and we will call you back.

Yes, and it is one of the best times to get one. You cannot see the car yourself, so the report and photos are your eyes. We cover all 50 states, so a car three states away is booked the same way as one across town. Do it before you send any money. Read about our out of state purchase inspection.

No. Most of our buyers are not there. We meet the seller at the vehicle, do the inspection and send you the report and photos. If you want to be there, you are welcome. Either way, you get the same report. See how a pre purchase inspection works.

Ours checks 122 points across the whole vehicle. That covers the engine, transmission, drive axles, cooling, air conditioning, brakes, steering, suspension, tires, electrical, interior, paint, body and glass. We also scan the computer for stored and cleared codes and road test the vehicle at real speeds. Every point is listed on the 122 point checklist.

The report covers each of the 122 points with a pass, a fail or a note. It includes the full scan results, tire and brake measurements, and photos of anything that matters. It also covers a history check, an odometer cross check and a title and lien check. It ends with a plain answer about whether the vehicle is worth the asking price, and what any problems are likely to cost to fix. You can see photos from real inspections we have done.

Often, yes. An inspector looks for paint that does not match, uneven gaps between panels, overspray, new bolts on old parts and frame repair. Those are signs of a past crash that a history report may have missed. Some repairs are so good they are hard to see, so the inspection and the history report work best together. Read about salvage and rebuilt title inspections.

Yes. Clearing codes turns the light off, but it also resets the car's readiness monitors. Our scan shows which monitors are not ready, and that tells us the codes were wiped recently. It can also find pending codes that have not turned the light on yet. Read how sellers hide a check engine light.

Yes. Every report we write includes a road test. It shows things a parked car hides, like shifting, braking, steering pull, noises and vibration at speed. Learn how to test drive a used car yourself too.

Yes. Tell the seller your offer stands only if the vehicle passes an inspection by a mechanic you choose. Put it in writing if you sign anything or leave a deposit. That way you can back out, or reopen the price, if the report finds a problem. Our guide on how to negotiate a used car price shows how to use the report.

Most do, especially independent used car dealers. Some franchise dealers will not let a vehicle leave the lot, but they will usually let an inspector come to it. That is why a mobile inspection is the easy answer. A dealer who refuses any inspection at all is telling you something. Read the signs of a bad car dealer.

It is a start, but it is not independent. The dealer's mechanic works for the dealer, and the inspection was done to get the car ready to sell. An independent inspection works for you and has no stake in the sale. Even certified pre-owned cars are worth a second look. See certified pre-owned explained.

It is a rule of thumb, not a law, and people use it a few ways. The most common version says that if one repair will cost more than $3,000, or more than the car is worth, it may be time to replace the car. Some buyers also use it as a budget for repairs in the first year. An inspection tells you what repairs are coming before you buy. See the known problems for your model.