What a proper pre purchase inspection should cover
iRetailAnyCar team · 21 July 2026 · 6 min read
Every car we list goes through the same inspection at our sister garage before it appears on the site. This is what that means in practice.
Mechanical
- Engine compression and leak check
- Gearbox operation, cold and warm
- Suspension, bushes and steering play
- Brake pad and disc measurement
- Diagnostic scan for stored and pending fault codes
Body and paint
- Paint depth readings on every panel
- Chassis and structural check
- Glass, lights and seals
- Underbody corrosion and off road damage
Interior and electrics
- Air conditioning output temperature
- All electrics tested, including every window and seat motor
- Infotainment, cameras and sensors
If an inspection report has no advisories at all on a five year old car, be sceptical. Honest reports have small notes on them.
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