Pre-Purchase Inspection
AKA 'Scam Detector 3000' — We find the lies before you buy the lies.
Buying a used car? Don't trust the seller. We inspect vehicles independently and tell you what's ACTUALLY wrong before you hand over cash.
See our upfront pricingQuick Facts
What's This All About Then?
That used car looks great in photos. The seller says it's perfect. The price seems reasonable. But what's really going on? Clocked mileage, hidden accident damage, bodged repairs, imminent failures - these are the things sellers 'forget' to mention. We inspect the car independently - mechanical condition, bodywork, electronics, history checks, the lot. You get a detailed report of what's good, what's bad, and what's going to cost you money. Either you negotiate a better price, or you walk away from a disaster. Either way, £150 on an inspection beats £5,000 on someone else's problems.
How it works
We inspect the car at the seller's location — private driveway, forecourt or dealer. Working through it systematically, we check engine condition (leaks, smoke, noises, oil state), cold-start behaviour, gearbox and clutch, brakes, tyres and their wear pattern, suspension and steering play, and the electrics and warning lights. We scan for stored diagnostic fault codes that a quick test drive would hide. We look for signs of accident repair — mismatched panel gaps, overspray, fresh underseal — and check the service history and mileage plausibility against wear. Crucially we're independent: we don't earn anything whether you buy or not, so the report is straight. You get a clear verdict, a list of faults with rough repair costs, and the ammunition to negotiate or walk away.
Warning signs to watch for
- •You've found a car you like but can't assess it mechanically
- •The price seems too good and you want to know why
- •It's a private sale with no dealer comeback if it goes wrong
- •The service history looks thin, patchy or suspiciously fresh
- •It's an expensive or complex car where a bad buy hurts
- •You want negotiating leverage on faults the seller downplays
Common causes
What we do
We meet the car wherever it's for sale and inspect it independently — we make nothing on the deal, so you get the unvarnished truth. You'll get a plain-English verdict: buy it, haggle, or run. Faults come with rough repair costs so you know what you're really paying. Whether it's five minutes down the road or an hour away, we come to the car, so you never commit to a long round trip on a hunch.
Pre-Purchase Inspection — FAQs
Can you inspect a car at a dealer or private seller?
Yes — we come to wherever the car is, whether that's a private driveway, an independent forecourt or a franchised dealer. Most sellers are fine with an independent inspection, and a reluctance to allow one is itself useful information. We just need reasonable access and, ideally, a cold engine to start.
Do you test drive the car?
Where the seller permits and insurance allows, a short drive tells us a lot — gearbox, clutch, brakes, steering and any noises under load. Even without a drive, a static inspection plus a diagnostic scan catches most serious issues, including stored fault codes that wouldn't show up on a quick spin round the block.
Will it tell me exactly what needs fixing?
We give you a clear list of faults, rated by seriousness, with rough repair costs so you can judge the real price. We can't guarantee a car will never break — nothing can — but we dramatically cut the odds of an expensive surprise and hand you solid grounds to negotiate.
What You Actually Get
Common Pre-Purchase Inspection Faults We Fix
Random Knowledge You Didn't Ask For
About 1 in 16 used cars have outstanding finance against them. We check for that.
Clocked cars cost UK buyers over £800 million per year. A proper inspection costs less than one payment.
Why Get Your Pre-Purchase Inspection Done By Us?
We're Quick
Fast response, efficient work. No dragging things out.
We Come To You
Your driveway, your office, wherever. We travel.
We Guarantee It
If we mess up, we fix it. Simple as that.