Car Inspection: Pre-Purchase Mechanical Inspection Can Save You A Lot Down The Road

It is important to test drive a vehicle you are about to buy. If you buy a car over the internet, and you do not plan on picking up the car by yourself, it would be a good idea to hire a mobile car inspection guy to have the vehicle thoroughly checked out. It could uncover a lot of problems not disclosed in the advertisement.

Mobile car inspector can take a lot of up-close pictures on uncommon spots, and they can also reveal the cosmetic flaws that do not show up on the pictures without special technique. They are also trained to inspect the mechanical condition of the vehicle and report any unusual engine sound, offensive emission odor, and possibly diagnostic result with special instrument.

Some vehicles have been in an accidents, and only the trained eyes can tell if extensive body repair works have been done. And they can also tell if the repair work has been done professionally and if it can stand to the test of road in the next many years to come. More importantly, they can tell if it is safe for the road.

Whether you buy the vehicle from a licensed dealer, or individual, you will get a true objective assessment of the condition of the car. "Excellent condition" may mean different thing to different people and it is very subjective. And the cosmetic flaw can be a major problem while the seller may think it is just a minor scratch.

The cost of the inspection varies. But normally it is under $100. It could be well worth the money if you can not take the test drive on your own. You can look at it as an insurance policy to prevent costly financial loss. Some cars many have extensive front repairs, and it is only obvious to the trained eyes. Surprisingly most of them are not showing up in the regular history report.

Some questions you can ask when hiring a mobile inspectors:

What equipments, instrument, and chemicals used in the testing?

Can you tell frame damages from visual inspection?

Can you tell major repairs have been done? Like front end hit

Can you show me a sample inspection report?

Any warranty you have on your inspction?

Bonded and insured?

You want someone that does beyond simple road testing and fluid checking. But keep in mind they can not take heavy computer equipments with them for emission testing. They should have handheld device for that purpose.