MyCarInspector

Dealership Pre-Purchase Inspection

Dealers inspect their own cars, and many do it properly. The issue is not competence. It is that the inspection you are being shown was commissioned by the person selling you the vehicle.

What a certified pre-owned check does and does not mean

Manufacturer certified pre-owned programmes have real standards, and a car that passes one has been through a genuine process. But the check is designed to establish that a vehicle meets a threshold for resale, not to give a buyer a full account of its condition.

A car can pass a multi-point check with tyres at the legal limit, brakes near the end of their life, and a repaired accident that was repaired competently. None of that is concealment. It is simply not what that inspection was for. Yours is.

On this kind of purchase

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

Worth knowing first

Will a dealership let me bring my own inspector?

Most will, and it is a routine request. Some will ask for an appointment. A dealer who refuses outright is telling you something worth listening to.

Is this worth it on a certified pre-owned car?

Often yes — not because the certification is meaningless, but because it answers a different question from the one you are asking.

Can I use the report to negotiate?

That is what a great many customers do with it. A documented list of findings is a far stronger position than an opinion.

Other situations we cover