Pre Purchase Inspection (PPI) in San Diego, CA

PPI Auto inspects vehicles across San Diego, CA and the surrounding metro. Private sales, dealer lots, auctions and out-of-state buys.

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A pre purchase inspection in San Diego, CA costs $225 for most cars, pickups and SUVs. A certified inspector comes to the car, runs the 122 point check and sends you the report the same day.

At a glance

$225 flat for most cars, pickups and SUVs
The full 122 point checklist plus an OBD-II scan
Report and photos sent the same day
Call 951-267-8500 before you pay

Buying a used car in San Diego? A pre purchase inspection, or PPI, shows you what is wrong with it before you pay, not after. PPI Auto runs pre purchase inspections at dealer lots, private sales and auctions across San Diego, CA. There are 607 car dealers around San Diego. Of the 257 with enough reviews to grade, 12 percent earn an F from past buyers. A clean lot is not the same as a clean car, so have it checked. We also cover the drive out to Temecula, about 51 miles away, and Hemet, about 68 miles.

San Diego, CA is inside our national coverage area. A certified inspector comes to the vehicle, runs the full 122-point checklist, and sends you the report the same day.

Sun and heat are the local enemy, so cooling systems, hoses, battery life, dashboard and seal condition all get checked with that in mind.

$225 for a pre purchase inspection in San Diego on most cars, pickups and SUVs. No travel fee inside the metro. Advanced tests that mean taking parts off the car, like a compression, leak down or combustion leak test, cost extra. We only run them after you say yes.

What you get in San Diego

A certified inspector at the vehicle, wherever it sits
The full 122-point checklist, filled in and signed
A complete OBD-II scan with stored codes, pending codes and readiness monitors
Road test notes, tire depths and brake measurements
Photographs of every fault we find, sent to you the same day
A straight answer on whether to buy, negotiate, or walk

Dealers in this area

257 dealers around San Diego are graded A, B, C or F from public reviews, and 23 percent earn an A. See the San Diego dealer grades.

Read before you buy

Before you book in San Diego

Common questions

How much is a pre purchase inspection in San Diego?

$225 for most cars, pickups and SUVs, the same as everywhere else we work. That covers the 122 point check, the OBD-II scan, the road test and the report. Advanced tests that mean taking parts off the car, like a compression, leak down or combustion leak test, cost extra. We only run them after you say yes.

What is a car PPI?

PPI is short for pre purchase inspection. An inspector who works for you, not the seller, goes over the car and scans it for trouble codes before you pay for it. You get a written report and a straight answer on whether to buy, bargain or walk.

Do you inspect cars in San Diego?

Yes. PPI Auto inspects vehicles in San Diego, CA and the surrounding area, at the seller's home, at a dealership, at a storage lot, or wherever the vehicle happens to be. You do not have to move it and you do not have to be there.

How soon can you get out there?

Usually same day or next day. Call before you put money down. The whole point is to know what you are buying while you can still walk away.

What if I'm buying from out of state?

That is a large part of what we do. We inspect the vehicle in San Diego, send you photos and the full 122-point report, and you decide from wherever you are.

What does the report cover?

A 122-point inspection, a full OBD-II scan including readiness monitors, a road test, tire and brake measurements, and photographs of anything we find. If codes were cleared to hide a light before the sale, the readiness monitors show it.

Nearby areas we cover

Temecula, CA (51 mi)Hemet, CA (68 mi)Norco, CA (81 mi)Riverside, CA (90 mi)Pomona, CA (94 mi)Diamond Bar, CA (100 mi)

See every city we cover

One call gets it done

Inspecting in San Diego

Tell us the vehicle and where it is. We handle the rest.

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Request an inspection in San Diego

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Buying a vehicle in San Diego?

Call before you pay. Certified, unbiased, and on the vehicle fast.

Call 951-267-8500