Tick this off on your phone as you read, then print it for the viewing. It catches the obvious bad cars before you pay anyone for a professional inspection. It will not catch the expensive hidden stuff, and we are honest about that below.
A 20-minute walkaround rules out the worst cars: obvious crash repairs, bald tyres, warning lights, a service book that does not exist. What it cannot do is see inside the engine or read the history of fault codes. Use it to filter, not to give a car the all-clear. If a car passes this list and you are serious about it, that is exactly when a professional inspection pays for itself.
Tick each item as you go. Your ticks are saved in this browser on this device, so you can reopen it at the viewing. Use the buttons to print a blank copy or reset.
Park, leave the engine running for a minute, then check under the car again for fresh drips. Look back at where it was parked for puddles. Re-read the dash for any lights that came on warm. Note anything that failed; that is your negotiation list or your reason to book a professional inspection before paying.
The seller will not show service records, the VIN or seller name does not match the papers, there are signs of a structural repair, the odometer disagrees with the wear, or the seller is rushing you to pay today. None of these are worth the risk.
The car passes this list and you are ready to buy. That is the point where a hoist, a scanner, and a paint gauge tell you what the walkaround cannot. From $300 across Sydney, it is the cheapest insurance in the process.
Use the Print button at the top to print this checklist or save it as a PDF, then take it to the viewing. If anything on it fails, the next step is a professional inspection at the seller's location.
Exactly what we do that this walkaround cannot.
See the checks ›What a professional inspection costs and saves.
See pricing ›Every step from shortlist to drive-away, in order.
Read the guide ›No. A walkaround rules out the obvious bad cars before you pay anyone, but it cannot see cylinder wear, fault-code history, or paint depth. It narrows the field; a mechanical inspection confirms the car.
This checklist, a torch, a phone for photos, a magnet wrapped in cloth for filler, and a tyre tread gauge if you have one. View in daylight and never in the rain, which hides paint defects.
About 20 to 30 minutes plus a test drive. If the seller is rushing you, that itself is a warning sign worth noting.
Yes. The same checklist works on dealer stock. A reputable NSW dealer will give you time and access; one who will not is telling you something.
Mobile pre purchase inspections across Sydney and the surrounding NSW regions. We come to the vehicle, wherever it is.
Call with the suburb the car is in, the make and model, and when you'd like us there. We come to the vehicle anywhere across Sydney.
