MyCarInspector

What Does a Pre-Purchase Car Inspection Cost?

A pre-purchase inspection costs $249 for most cars, trucks and SUVs, and $499 for commercial, classic, luxury and exotic vehicles. You pay when the report is delivered, not when you book.

$249.00
Standard inspection
Minutes
From finished to your inbox
$0
Until your report lands
75
Items checked

What decides the price

Most of it is the inspector’s time and travel. A thorough inspection takes over an hour on site plus the drive there, and the person doing it is a working technician being paid properly rather than a checklist-filler. The Specialist price reflects more time on site and a more experienced inspector, not a longer list of checks.

What we deliberately do not do is charge before the work happens. Every other cost in buying a car comes with the risk that you walk away and lose it. This one does not: if we cannot get an inspector to the vehicle, there is nothing to refund because nothing was taken.

On this kind of purchase

Every inspection also covers the full checklist — engine, transmission, brakes, suspension, tires, body and interior — with a diagnostic scan and a road test where the seller permits one.

Worth knowing first

Why is it more than a garage would charge?

A garage inspection means getting the seller to release the car for half a day and finding a shop with a free bay. Ours goes to the vehicle, usually within a day, and the report arrives within the hour. You are paying for the logistics as much as the inspection.

Do I pay if you cannot find an inspector?

No. There is no card on file to charge. If we cannot cover your area we close the request and email you within 24 hours.

Is it worth it on a cheap car?

Proportionally more, not less. On a $4,000 car a single unexpected repair can be half of what you paid.

Other situations we cover