Pre-purchase & pre-sales inspections
Buying a used car? Get it checked before you pay.
We come to the car — at a dealer, a forecourt or a private seller’s driveway — and give it an independent inspection while you stay out of it. You get a written report by email, so you know exactly what you are buying and what it is likely to cost you.
Independent — we are not selling you the car, so we have no reason to talk it up.
How it works
Four steps, and you never have to be there.
1. Tell us about the car
Send us the registration and the postcode it is sitting at — dealer, forecourt or a private driveway.
2. We inspect it
We attend with the seller’s permission, work through the checklist and road test it where we are allowed to.
3. You get the report
A written report by email in plain English — with photos, and a phone call to talk it through, on the Full and Workshop levels.
4. You decide
Walk away, negotiate, or buy it knowing exactly what you are getting. We take nothing from the sale.
Three levels of inspection
Pick the depth that matches what you are buying — a £2,000 runaround and a £20,000 family car deserve different levels of scrutiny.
Essential Check
A straight answer on whether the car is sound.
Quoted when you book
Takes around 1 hour
- Mechanical and structural visual inspection
- Road test where the seller allows it
- Tyres, brakes and fluid levels checked
- Documents cross-checked — V5C, VIN, service history, MOT record
- Written report emailed to you
Full Inspection
The one most buyers want — condition, faults and photos.
Quoted when you book
Takes around 1.5 to 2 hours
- Everything in the Essential Check
- Bodywork, paint and interior condition assessed
- Plug-in diagnostic scan for stored and pending fault codes
- Photographs of anything we flag
- A phone call to talk you through the report
Workshop Inspection
Up on the ramp, where the expensive problems hide.
Quoted when you book
Takes around 2 to 3 hours
- Everything in the Full Inspection
- Vehicle raised on a ramp at our Sittingbourne workshop
- Underside, subframe and suspension inspected properly
- Corrosion, leaks and exhaust condition checked from below
Needs the car brought to our Sittingbourne workshop, so it suits local sellers or a car you have already agreed to view here.
Book Workshop InspectionPrices depend on the level of inspection and where the car is — call 01795 371 018 or request a slot and we will confirm the cost before anything is booked.
What we actually check
No point-count marketing — here is the honest list of what a mechanic goes through, and what makes it into your report.
Paperwork and identity
V5C details, VIN and plate cross-check, service history and the MOT record.
Engine bay
Leaks, fluid condition, belts, hoses, mountings and battery health.
Diagnostics
Plug-in scan for stored and pending fault codes, plus warning lights on start-up.
Brakes
Pads, discs, lines, fluid and the handbrake — including how they behave under load.
Steering and suspension
Play, knocks, bushes, springs and shock condition.
Tyres and wheels
Tread, age, whether they match, kerb and sidewall damage, spare or repair kit.
Bodywork and paint
Panel gaps, paint finish variation, rust and signs of previous repair.
Interior and electrics
Lights, wipers, windows, climate control, infotainment, seatbelts and warning systems.
Underside and exhaust
Corrosion, leaks, subframe and exhaust condition — most thorough with the car raised.
Road test
Cold start, gearbox and clutch, steering, braking, noises and how it actually drives.
Diagnostics, bodywork and photographs are included from the Full Inspection upwards; the underside is checked most thoroughly with the car raised on the ramp.
Start with the free MOT history check
Before you book anything, put the registration in and see the car’s pass/fail record, recorded mileage and advisory notes straight from the DVSA. It costs nothing and it weeds out plenty of bad buys.
Pre-purchase inspection FAQs
What is a pre-purchase inspection?
It is an independent check of a used car before you buy it — also called a pre-sales inspection, a used car check or a PPI. A mechanic who has no stake in the sale inspects the car, road tests it where possible, and reports back to you on its condition and anything it is likely to need spending on.
Do you inspect the car at the dealer or the seller’s address?
Yes — that is the whole point of the service. We come to wherever the car is: a dealer forecourt, a trade unit or a private seller’s driveway. You just need the seller’s permission for us to attend and, ideally, to road test it.
Do I need to be there?
No. Plenty of our customers are buying from a distance and never see the car until it is theirs. We inspect it, email you the report and ring you to talk it through.
What do I actually get at the end?
A written report by email covering everything on the checklist, in plain English. On the Full and Workshop inspections you also get photographs of anything we flag and a phone call so you can ask questions before you decide.
Will you tell me whether to buy it, or what to offer?
We will tell you exactly what condition the car is in and what it is likely to need spending on. What you do with that — walk away, negotiate, or buy it happily — is your call. We do not take a cut from the sale either way.
Do you check for outstanding finance or if it has been written off?
That is a separate data check — an HPI or similar — and we would always recommend running one. Our inspection covers the physical car and the paperwork put in front of us: V5C, VIN, service history and MOT record. You can also check the car’s MOT history free on this site before you book anything.
How much does a pre-purchase inspection cost?
It depends on the level of inspection and where the car is. Tell us the registration and the postcode it is sitting at and we will give you a price up front, before anything is booked.
How quickly can you inspect a car?
Across our core Kent patch we can usually get to a car quickly. For west Kent, south-east London and west London the inspection goes on a scheduled run, so give us as much notice as you can — and tell us if there is a deadline on the sale.
Where we inspect
The car does not have to be near us — it has to be somewhere we cover. That is Kent, South East London & the South East:
Swale & Sheppey
Canterbury & coast
West Kent & the Weald
Buying from somewhere just outside the list? Call 01795 371 018 — if we can get to it, we will tell you straight away.
Found a car? Get it inspected first.
A couple of hours of our time is a lot cheaper than a gearbox. Send us the reg and where the car is, and we will come and look at it for you.