MyCarInspector

Mobile Pre-Purchase Inspection — We Come to the Car

Every inspection we do is mobile. The inspector goes to the car rather than the car going anywhere, which matters more than it sounds.

Why the car should not move

The traditional advice is to take a used car to your own mechanic. It is good advice that almost nobody can follow. It requires a seller willing to hand over their vehicle for half a day, a buyer with time to arrange it, and a shop with a free bay at the right moment. Most deals move faster than that.

There is also something you lose when the car is driven to a shop. An inspector who sees the vehicle where it has been sitting learns things — a fresh oil patch on the driveway, tyres flat-spotted from standing, a garage full of parts. That context disappears the moment somebody drives it across town.

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

Does the seller need to be there?

Someone needs to give the inspector access to the vehicle and the keys. Beyond that, no. Many sellers leave the inspector to it.

What if there is nowhere to work?

Our inspectors work in driveways, dealership lots and street parking routinely. If a vehicle genuinely cannot be accessed safely, we will tell you before charging anything.

Can you put it on a lift?

A mobile inspection is done on the ground, so the undercarriage is assessed by eye rather than from underneath on a ramp. If a vehicle needs a lift, some of our inspectors have their own shop and can take it in.

Other situations we cover