Pre-purchase Car Inspection at your home or office

Our mobile mechanics offer services 7 days a week. Upfront and transparent pricing.

Estimate price near me

Service Location

Customer Ratings

(5,189)

Included for free with this service

Book Online 24/7

Top-rated Mobile Mechanics

On-site Inspections

Get an Instant Report

Our certified mobile mechanics can come to your home or office 7 days a week between 7 AM and 9 PM.

Customer Ratings

(5,189)


Pre-purchase Car Inspection Service

What does a pre-purchase inspection entail?

For your convenience, our mechanics go to the car owner’s location to inspect the car. The mechanic performs a standard 150-point inspection that includes a visual inspection of the fluids, body, brakes, cooling system, suspension, HVAC, tires, and overall external appearance. They do not put the car on a lift but may use floor jacks to raise up parts of the car as needed. The mechanic will also take photos of the exterior and interior. You can see a sample report here.

The mechanic may scan the car's various computers for trouble codes and test drive the vehicle if it’s safe, operational and the owner has been given permission. If the mechanic inspecting the car is not given permission to test drive the car or it is unsafe to test drive the car, the inspection will be completed without the road test portion. Tools used in the pre-purchase inspections are those needed to check the fluids, brakes, tires, batteries, and other parts of the vehicle. For a full step-by-step break down of how a pre-purchase inspection is performed read this article.

Pre-purchase Car Inspection

When are the mechanics available to inspect the car?

The mechanics are available 7 days a week from 7am to 9pm nationally You can book an appointment online anytime by selecting your location, car, and the pre-purchase inspection job. The specific availability of the mechanics in your area will appear after you request a quote.

Mechanic's Qualifications

On average our mechanics have over ten years of experience and most are master technicians with ASE Certifications. We extensively screen all of our mechanics with background, criminal, and reference checks. On each mechanic’s profile page, you’ll see a full list of all their certifications, years of experience, job skills, and feedback from real customers. We constantly monitor the performance of our mechanics to make sure they’ll provide you with professional and courteous service. If you would like to view mechanics in your area browse them for your city here.


Car buying advice from our expert mechanics

1. Do your research

It is important to do proper research on the car you're considering. You'll have tons of options when it comes to buying a car, so arm yourself with as much information as possible before you make a big decision. Websites like CarBuyingTips.com are great repositories of car buying information. When you find a car that piques your interest, determine that there are no major potential problems with it. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration maintains a list of Recalls and Technical Service Bulletins (TSB), which will tell you about issues with the car.

2. You found a car you like—what to do before meeting with the seller

You'll want to know if the car has been in any accidents, has failed smog checks, or had other past issues. Get the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) from the seller, which you can use to learn about the car. CarFax is a good source of car history, taking data from insurance companies, shops, and other providers. Also be sure you know your budget, as well as the fair price and full cost of ownership of the car. Use Edmunds.com as a solid resource for determining the average cost of ownership of a car. We also recommend getting an insurance quote as well as pricing on registration fees and estimated yearly maintenance costs so you don't later discover any surprises.

3. When you meet the seller

Always, always,alwaystest drive the car. Ask a lot of questions about the car including why the owner is selling it, and whether they have any service records showing regular maintenance. Do a visual inspection of the car's exterior and interior to see that it is in an acceptable condition, and check for signs of accidents or damage.

During the test drive, listen for any strange noises coming from the car during acceleration or braking. Be sure to take the car out on a freeway to ensure it operates properly at high speeds. Test the brakes several times during the drive, braking both hard and normally to determine their responsiveness. Check the dashboard for any warning lights and make sure all the various controls (wipers, blinkers, radio, etc.) and the air conditioning system work.

4. The vehicle passed your inspection—now have a professional look it over

If you like the car and it is in good condition, negotiate the price subject to the inspection of a professional mechanic. At this point you can enlist a professional mechanic to give his/her diagnosis of the condition of the car. The mechanic's inspection will cover the fluids, brakes, electrical systems, cooling system, suspension, engine/exhaust, HVAC, tires, and body. The mechanic will scan the car's various computers for trouble codes and test drive the vehicle. Should the mechanic discover any problems, he can estimate repair costs and you can use these for further negotiations with the seller. This way you can have complete peace of mind about the car you are buying.


Recent Pre-purchase Car Inspection reviews

Excellent Rating

(5,189)

Rating Summary
4,847
184
37
38
83
4,847
184
37
38
83

Johnny

33 years of experience
264 reviews
Johnny
33 years of experience
Lexus GX470 V8-4.7L - Pre-purchase Car Inspection - Roseville, California
Johnny is a great mechanic. Very knowledgeable and thorough and willing to walk you through what he finds and recommends. Very happy with the service and value.

Juan

9 years of experience
301 reviews
Juan
9 years of experience
Mazda 3 L4-2.5L - Pre-purchase Car Inspection - Orlando, Florida
Very happy with Juan’s customer service. He went over the paper report with us via phone and answered all of our questions.

Nicholas

11 years of experience
585 reviews
Nicholas
11 years of experience
Buick Enclave V6-3.6L - Pre-purchase Car Inspection - Cary, North Carolina
Nick is detail oriented and went above and beyond what I expected. He answered all my questions and explain the answers in detail. His recommendations and opinions were very valuable to me and proceeding with the purchase of the vehicle I would highly recommend him and use him again if I purchase another vehicle

Attila

19 years of experience
906 reviews
Attila
19 years of experience
Cadillac SRX V6-3.6L - Pre-purchase Car Inspection - Edison, New Jersey
Attila was great! Very knowledgeable and actually detected a fault during a pre-purchase inspection that would have cost me later.

Recently inspected cars

Car Health - 29/100
2014 BMW 328i L4-2.0L Turbo
Inspected in San Juan Capistrano, California.
Car Health - 62/100
2015 Land Rover Range Rover Sport V8-5.0L Turbo
Inspected in Chicago, Illinois.
Car Health - 60/100
2005 Ford E-350 Super Duty V8-6.0L Turbo Diesel
Inspected in Midlothian, Illinois.
Car Health - 70/100
2017 Chevrolet Volt L4-1.5L Hybrid
Inspected in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Commonly overlooked issues when buying a used car

1. Smog check

The seller of the car is required to get the car smogged before selling it. The car must pass the smog within 90 days of the intended sale date. This is the responsibility of the seller, so make sure you get a smog certificate or you may be in for a surprise when registering the car.

2. Keys, locks, remote controls, and other accessories

Make sure the seller is providing you with all necessary keys, key fobs, and remotes that go with the vehicle. For instance, if the car has wheel locks, make sure the seller provides you with the proper wheel lock key/socket. Also make sure the car comes with the owner’s manual, any extended warranty documents and service records, as well as a spare tire, and jack, and tools (this one often goes unnoticed).

3. Verify that the pink slip gives you clear title

Make sure that there are no liens against the car—in other words, no bank or other party still holds an interest in the vehicle. On the pink slip you will see the owner’s name and any lien holders listed. “Lien holders” should either be blank or any holders will have signed off as “lien-satisfied.” Essentially, make sure all owners have signed off on the car before going through with a purchase.

4. Salvage title

A vehicle pink slip may list a vehicle as having a salvage title. What this means is that at one time in the car's life, an insurance company recorded this vehicle as totaled, indicating that the car has been in a major accident with repair costs higher than the vehicle’s value. Buyer beware, some of these salvage vehicles may have extensive problems, have voided warranties, and/or not be eligible for comprehensive auto insurance. You can check the full history of the car onCarFax, which takes data from insurance companies, shops, and other providers.

Everything you need to know about
pre-purchase car inspections


Recent articles & questions

How to Become an ASE Certified Mechanic
Automotive technician jobs are often easier to get if you have ASE certification. Apply, study, and pass exams to improve your auto mechanic salary.
P0442 OBD-II Trouble Code: Evaporative Emission Control System Leak Detected (Small Leak)
P0442 code definition P0442 is a diagnostic trouble code (DTC) that is seen when a evaporative emission control system malfunction is present....
How to Replace a Camshaft Position Sensor
Camshaft position sensors determine the position of the camshaft in relation to the crankshaft to control the fuel injector.

Do I need to replace the timing chain tensioner cover gasket?

This would depend on the severity of the oil leak (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/oil-fluid-leak-inspection). If the oil leak (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/oil-fluid-leak-inspection) is fast, I would recommend having this issue resolved as soon as possible to prevent any damage to your engine. The labor charges likely...

Car radio wont turn on.

Hi there. Sometimes when major mechanical work is completed, a mechanic will forget to reattach some accessory switches; assuming they were removed. It's also possible that during the service, a fuse that powers the radio or electrical relay was damaged...

I changed all 6 spark plugs on a 06 avalon yesterday and when i got it all put back together the engine shakes and shuts off

Hello, thank you for writing in. A simple spark plug change can turn into a nightmare for anyone if they are not careful. What typically happens is that you screw in and tighten the spark plugs too hard. When this...

How can we help?

Our service team is available 7 days a week, Monday - Friday from 6 AM to 5 PM PST, Saturday - Sunday 7 AM - 4 PM PST.

+1 (855) 347-2779 · hi@yourmechanic.com