Why you should have a pre purchase vehicle inspection before buying a used car

By not having a used car inspected before you purchase it you run the risk of buying a real lemon.

Did I mention that buying automotive lemons can be a super expensive situation that you’re best to avoid?

Vehicle Inspection Calgary

As a mechanic for the last 20 some odd years I’ve seen a lot of motorists go and buy a used vehicle without having it checked out. Only to find out that vehicle needed $3000 worth of repairs to make it road worthy and reliable, what a nasty surprise.
To avoid these terrible surprises I highly recommend that you get your vehicle checked out before you buy a used car or truck.

Vehicle inspections prices can range anywhere from $100 to $200 maybe $300 depending on how detailed you want to go and what make and model the car is. The sweet spot is about 150 dollars.

Once you found a potential car to buy that you really like and you are in love with, that is the time to have it inspected no one can afford to have multiple cars inspected so get the inspection once you’ve narrowed your choices down to just one or two cars that you think are a sure good buy.

Let’s say you get an inspection on the car for $200 and you find out the car needs $4000 worth of repair work done within the next six months. That $200 is probably the best money you spent even though you would not be buying that used car. Without the inspection you would have bought that car not knowing it needed all these repairs and over the next several months you would be having an automotive breakdown after break down and expensive auto repair after expensive repair what a nightmare.

A vehicle inspection with a good auto mechanic can turn up things like;

Has a car or truck been in a serious accident?

Is there a major rust issue or is there a major rust issue that is trying to be covered up?

Mobile Mechanic Calgary odometer clocking

Sometimes the mechanic can tell if the odometer has been played with, as some unscrupulous sellers try and roll back the mileage indicating that you’re buying a car with a lot less kilometers than actual.

There is also the odd occasion where a mechanic can pick up hints or clues that the vehicle may have been stolen, things such as Vin plates replaced and exchanged. Did you know that if you are caught in possession of stolen goods you are the one held responsible even if everything you did to purchase the vehicle was honest and above board?

A thorough check over can also determine if the vehicle has been in a flood.

Of course a good inspection will also reveal the mechanical and electrical condition of the automobile.

In addition to the pre-purchase vehicle inspection another thing you should be sure of is that the vehicle does not have any liens present.

Computer Diagnostic Inspection

To have lien checks done on a vehicle, take the 17 digit V.I.N. # or serial number of the vehicle to the vehicle registry or government agent.
It usually costs far less than $20 to have a lean search done on the vehicle, this way you’ll be sure that you’re not buying a vehicle from somebody who owes money on it that you will be held responsible to pay for.

Often times you can negotiate a lower price with the seller, when you show them the list of problems the auto technician found during the inspection process.

In the next post I will include a list of what all a good automobile inspection should consist of and why these items are important.

Never have the vehicle inspected at the same place that is selling the car, or at a garage that they recommend.

Go to a private auto repair shop that is not affiliated with the selling person in any way to get a true unbiased opinion.