Inspections
Pre-purchase inspection near you
Pre-purchase inspection of a used vehicle by an independent mechanic: scan, paint and rust checks, underbody look, road test and a written report.
- Time at the shop
- 1 h 30 min
- about
- Mobile service
- Available
- at your address
- Shops in Canada
- 5
- doing this work
- Your price
- You set it
- shops bid on it
You set the budget
Shops near you send their bids
5 shops in Canada do this
Inspections
What a pre-purchase inspection is
A pre-purchase inspection is a mechanic’s second opinion on a used vehicle, arranged before you pay a deposit. The inspector looks for what a test drive and a good wash can hide: collision repairs, flood or rust damage, leaking gaskets, worn suspension, a transmission that hesitates and fault codes cleared just before the sale. You pay for it, so the report answers to you and not to the seller.
The inspector scans the computer for stored codes, measures paint thickness to spot resprayed panels, checks fluids, tires and brakes, and drives the vehicle cold and warm. Underneath, a hoist or creeper shows the frame, exhaust and salt-eaten brake lines. Allow about an hour and a half at the vehicle. You get a written list of findings, often with photos and rough repair costs, to negotiate the price or walk away.
- For cars, EVs, motorcycles, vans, trucks, RVs and trailers
- Takes about 1 h 30 min
- Can be done at your address
What does a pre-purchase inspection cost?
It depends on your vehicle and the shop. Post a job with your budget and compare the bids shops near you send.
Get bids
Name your budget. Shops near you bid.
5 shops across Canada do pre-purchase inspection.
What to expect
Pre-purchase inspection, step by step
What the job normally covers, what to mention in your request, and the signs that it is time. Every shop says what its bid includes.
The job
What’s included
- VIN on the dash, door pillar and paperwork compared, and the odometer checked against service records
- Engine, transmission and airbag modules scanned for stored codes, plus a check for codes cleared just before the sale
- Paint thickness readings and panel gaps checked for repainting, body filler or collision repair
- Fluids, belts, hoses, battery, tires and brakes inspected, with brake pad and tread depth measurements recorded
- Suspension, steering, exhaust and underbody checked for rust, leaks, worn parts and old collision repair
- Lights, windows, seats, mirrors, climate control and dash electronics operated and tested
- Road test on local streets and a highway, from a cold start to full operating temperature
- Written report with photos and findings ranked by urgency, plus rough repair costs where the inspector gives them
Checklist
Before you post
- 01Ask for a sample report first, and confirm the scan, the paint gauge readings and a road test are all part of the fee
- 02Choose an inspector with no link to the seller; the seller’s own shop, or a dealer’s, has a stake in the sale
- 03Confirm the seller agrees to the inspection, the location and a test drive that includes highway speeds
- 04Ask if a hoist is used; on a driveway the inspector sees much less of the underbody, where rust likes to hide
- 05Ask what is not covered, such as a compression test, a full transmission test or an EV battery health report
- 06Get the seller’s Used Vehicle Information Package and a vehicle history report first; an inspection cannot show liens or past claims
Signs
When you need it
- You have found a used vehicle you like and are about to leave a deposit
- A private seller or small dealer is selling the vehicle ‘as is’
- The vehicle has high kilometres, an import history or plates from another province
- The price is well below similar listings, or the seller is pushing you to decide quickly
- You are buying from another city and want someone you trust to look at it first
Sound familiar?Tell shops near you what you need and what you want to spend.
Get bidsHow it works
Get a pre-purchase inspection done in four steps
You set the budget and choose the shop. Posting is free, and you pay the shop you hire once the work is 100% done.
- 01
Post your job
Choose the service, describe the job and your vehicle, and set your budget. It takes two minutes and costs nothing.
- 02
Shops compete
Nearby shops that do the work see your request and send their best offer: price, when they can start, what is included.
- 03
Accept the best offer
Compare bids, ratings and distance, then hire one shop. The others are told, politely.
- 04
Talk and get it done
Your conversation with the shop opens right away to agree on the day. You pay only after the job is complete.
Keep exploring
Related services
Safety inspection (Safety Standards Certificate)
Safety inspection at a licensed provincial station: brakes, steering, tires, lights and body checked, then a safety certificate issued on a pass.
Mechanical Repair
Engine diagnostics
Engine diagnostics for a check engine light or rough running: a technician reads the fault codes, tests live data and reports the cause and the fix.
Maintenance & Servicing
Scheduled maintenance service
Scheduled maintenance service to your owner’s manual: oil and filter, rotation, fluids, plugs and an inspection, with a dated record for your vehicle.
Collision & Body Work
Rust proofing
Rust proofing with oil or wax sprayed inside body cavities and along the underbody to slow the corrosion that road salt starts.
Keys & Locksmith
Car key replacement
Car key replacement: a new or spare key cut and programmed to your vehicle, from a plain transponder key to a smart fob, even when every key is lost.
Questions
Questions about pre-purchase inspection
General answers for drivers in Canada. The shop you hire confirms the details for your vehicle.
Is a pre-purchase inspection worth it?
For most used vehicles, yes. The fee is less than a single common repair such as front brakes or a set of tires, and the inspection can expose problems that cost thousands: a slipping transmission, a leaking head gasket, structural rust or a repaired collision. A clean report lets you buy with confidence, and a poor one either lowers the price or gives you a reason to walk away.
Can a mechanic tell if a car has been in an accident?
Often, yes. Uneven panel gaps, paint readings well above factory thickness, overspray on rubber seals, mismatched paint texture, fresh wrench marks on fender bolts and bent underbody parts all point to bodywork. A skilled repair can still slip through, so pair the inspection with a vehicle history report, which lists reported claims that no paint gauge can see.
Will the seller let me have the vehicle inspected?
Most sellers who want the sale will agree, within reason, when you arrange it at your cost and at a time that suits them. Dealers often accept an independent inspection, and some offer their own report, which is worth reading but comes from the seller’s side. A flat refusal to allow any independent inspection is a warning sign. A mobile inspector can meet you at the seller’s address.
What is the difference between a pre-purchase inspection and a Safety Standards Certificate?
The certificate is a legal document: a licensed station confirms the vehicle met your province’s minimum safety standard on that day, and in provinces such as Ontario the buyer needs it to register a used vehicle. A pre-purchase inspection is a condition report covering everything a buyer cares about, including the engine, transmission, rust and electronics. Many buyers do the inspection first to decide whether to buy, then the certificate before registering.
How long does a pre-purchase inspection take?
Allow about an hour and a half for a car: 45 minutes for the inspection and scan, a 20-minute road test and time to write up the findings. Larger vehicles, electric vehicles with battery reports and mobile visits with travel can take two hours. Ask when the report will arrive so you can decide before another buyer does.
Something else to ask? Once you hire a shop, you talk to it directly in your request’s conversation.
Ready when you areTell shops near you what you need and what you want to spend.
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