Generic competitor content says "we check the engine". This page tells you exactly what we do: which systems, which tools, which tests, and just as importantly, what we cannot check and what to do about it.
A pre-purchase inspection is a structured, independent assessment of a specific car's condition before you buy it. We come to the car anywhere in Sydney, work through six major systems with proper diagnostic tools, road test it, and give you a plain-language report the same day with the faults, the likely costs, and a clear verdict. The goal is simple: tell you what a test drive around the seller's quiet street cannot.
A pink slip (eSafety inspection) checks the minimum needed to register a car in NSW: lights, brakes, tyres, steering, and structure to a pass or fail standard. It does not tell you the clutch is at 20%, the transmission is slipping under load, or the car has a history of a recurring fault. A pre-purchase inspection is about condition and cost, not just legality. A car can pass a pink slip and still be a bad buy.
Oil and coolant condition, leaks, smoke on start and under load, and a compression test where access allows to reveal cylinder wear before it shows symptoms. The engine is the most expensive thing to get wrong.
Shift quality, fluid condition, slipping or flaring under load, and known failure patterns for the specific gearbox, including dual-clutch units that fail expensively.
Shocks, struts, bushes, ball joints, tie rods, and steering response. Worn components show as clunks, uneven tyre wear, or vague steering, common on cars that live with Sydney potholes and speed humps.
Pad and disc thickness measured with a gauge, not guessed; fluid condition; and brake feel and pull on the road test. We tell you how much life is left, not just pass or fail.
Battery and charging system under test, all lights, windows, locking, climate control, infotainment, and warning lights, plus a scan of the fault-code memory.
Paint depth across panels, panel gaps, weld quality, and signs of past accident repair or hidden rust, the things that separate a clean-history listing from a clean car.
"A seller can clear the active fault codes the morning of the sale. The history of those codes is much harder to hide, and that is what we read."
Lead Mechanic, Sydney Mobile Car InspectionsBeing honest about limits builds more trust than pretending to do everything. Without a hoist, some underbody access is limited, and we do not dismantle engines or gearboxes on site. If the car shows signs that need a teardown, an automatic transmission with a worrying history, for example, we tell you plainly and recommend a workshop strip or a specialist. You will always know what we checked, what we could not, and what it means for your decision.
You get a verbal call within about 90 minutes of us finishing, so you can act fast if the seller is waiting, followed by a written report with photos by end of day. The report lists each system, the findings, photos of anything significant, an estimate of likely repair costs, and a clear overall verdict: buy with confidence, negotiate, or walk away.
Most cars take 60 to 90 minutes on site. European, performance, and EV vehicles take longer because there is more to scan and check. We book same-day or next-day across Greater Sydney, the Central Coast, Illawarra, Blue Mountains, and Hunter.
EVs and hybrids get a separate process that includes battery state-of-health diagnostics, common on Teslas, BYDs, MG4s, and Toyota and Hyundai hybrids across Sydney. Luxury and performance cars get extra attention on electronics and known expensive failure points. These take longer and are priced accordingly.
What it costs, what is included, and the ROI we see.
See pricing ›What the buyer saw vs what we found.
Read the cases ›Filter the obvious bad cars before booking us.
Get the checklist ›A pink slip (eSafety check) is a minimum legal roadworthy for registration. A pre-purchase inspection is far broader: it assesses condition, wear, fault-code history, and likely upcoming costs, not just whether the car is legal to drive.
Yes. We are mobile and come to the dealer yard, private driveway, or street anywhere across Sydney, so you do not have to move the car or take the seller's word for anything.
We read stored and historical fault data, not just current codes. A seller can clear active codes the morning of the sale, but the history often still tells the real story.
Without a hoist we are limited on some underbody access, and we cannot dismantle the engine or gearbox. We are upfront about this and tell you when a workshop teardown is the right next step.
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.
