What gets checked when a buyer inspects your car

A buyer’s inspection checks the safety basics (tyres, brakes, steering, lights and seatbelts), looks for past repairs in the paint and panels, and checks that the VIN, kilometres and service records match what you’ve said. It happens after you’ve agreed a price and before you’re paid in full, usually at your home or at the buyer’s mechanic.

Many inspectors also read the car’s fault codes with a scan tool. Here’s each check from the seller’s side, so the day holds no surprises.

Is a private buyer’s inspection different from a dealer’s?

Both look at the same car, but the timing and the money work differently. In a private sale, the buyer’s mechanic is checking whether the car is worth the price you agreed. RACQ tells private sellers to let RACQ or the buyer’s mechanic inspect the car, because hesitating can look like you’re hiding something. NRMA suggests agreeing a deposit first, having the inspection done, and handing over the keys once you can see the balance in your account.

Our guide to car sale deposits covers how to take one safely in a private sale.

Which safety items does an inspector check first?

A buyer’s mechanic usually starts with the same safety items a roadworthy tester looks at. Access Canberra’s list of what an ACT roadworthy inspection examines is a good guide:

• wheels and tyres
• steering, suspension and braking systems
• seats and seatbelts
• lights and reflectors
• windscreen and front and rear windows
• front wipers and washers
• overall structure
• identifying numbers, such as the VIN, chassis number and engine number
• other safety-related items on the body, chassis or engine

Access Canberra also spells out what a roadworthy doesn’t cover: mechanical reliability, general condition, and non-safety accessories such as the air-conditioner. A buyer’s inspection usually looks at condition and accessories as well, and it isn’t pass or fail. The inspector is judging wear, so a car that would pass a roadworthy can still come back with a list of costs coming soon, such as tyres or brake pads near the end of their life.

Tyres, brakes and wheels: what counts as worn?

Tyres are the quickest thing to judge and an easy place to lose money. The NSW Government’s vehicle inspections checklist tells used-car buyers to look for at least 5 mm of tread, spare included. That’s a buyer’s benchmark, not the legal limit, so a tyre can be legal and still be a reason to offer less.

Inspectors read the wear pattern too. The same checklist notes that uneven wear might indicate worn or misaligned steering or suspension, so a tyre worn on one edge raises a second question about the car. Expect them to check that the spare, jack and tool kit are in place and in working order (or the inflator kit, if your car came with one instead of a spare).

On the drive, they check what the NSW checklist describes: the car should stop smoothly and in a straight line, the pedal shouldn’t sink to the floor or feel spongy, and the steering wheel shouldn’t vibrate. Alloy wheels get a look for kerb damage.

How do inspectors spot past repairs in the body and paint?

A good inspector walks around the car slowly, looking along each panel in good light. The same NSW checklist tells buyers to look for:

• colour variation, overspray, dents or ripples, which can mean the car has been in an accident
• loose or poorly fitting panels, which can mean accident damage or a car driven over rough roads
• red or other dark stains and dimpled or bubbled paint inside the boot, floor wells, doors and lower sills, which can point to rust or past damage
• hail dents on the horizontal panels: bonnet, roof and boot lid
• plastic body filler, found with a soft fridge magnet
• doors and a boot lid that don’t close firmly, and perished rubber seals

Some professional inspectors also use a paint thickness gauge, which can show where a panel has been repainted.

A repaired panel isn’t a deal-breaker on its own. What hurts is a buyer finding it after you’ve said the car has never been touched. If it’s had a repair, say so early and keep the invoice handy. A written-off history is likely to come out anyway, because a PPSR search can show whether a car is recorded as written off.

Warning lights, scan tools and the paper trail

Inside, the inspector turns the ignition on and watches the dash. The NSW checklist tells buyers to check that the ABS and airbag (SRS) warning lights come on for a short time when the ignition is turned on. Other lights, such as the engine and alternator lights, should also come on and then go off once the engine starts. A light that stays on, or one that never comes on at all, gets noted.

Many inspectors then plug a scan tool into the diagnostic port. It reads stored fault codes, and it can often show that codes were cleared recently, because some of the car’s self-tests won’t have finished running again. Clearing a light the night before rarely helps and costs you trust. Our guide to selling a car with a warning light on covers whether to fix it or disclose it.

Then comes the paperwork. Expect the inspector to check:

• that the VIN and engine number match the registration certificate, with no scratches, grind marks or drill holes around them
• that the odometer works and the reading fits the car’s history (in NSW, a free registration check can show the past three annual odometer readings)
• that the service logbook and receipts line up with the kilometres
• for open recalls, searched by VIN on the government’s vehicle recalls site

Don’t worry if a newer car has no compliance plate. The NSW checklist notes that vehicles made from 2021 on may not have a compliance plate or label, because it’s no longer a requirement.

An open recall isn’t a fault you caused, and recall work is free at a dealer for your brand, but getting it done beforehand removes a question. Our guide to checking for open recalls shows how.

Interior wear, odours and missing items

The cabin shows how the car has been lived with. Expect the inspector to check upholstery, trim and carpets for wear, pull each seatbelt out to see it isn’t frayed, check the buckles and child restraint anchor points, and test the air-conditioning, fan, electric windows, sound system, horn and wipers. Broken comfort items count, because they can be expensive to fix.

Odours count too. Smoke, pets and damp are hard to remove and easy to notice, and a heavy air freshener can make an inspector look harder.

Inspectors also note anything missing. Before the day, find both keys (and check the spare works), the owner’s manual, the cargo blind or parcel shelf, any wheel lock-nut key, and the charging cable if it’s a plug-in hybrid or electric car.

Your inspection-day checklist

Here’s the inspector’s list turned around, with what you can check yourself the day before.

Where does the inspection happen, and how long does it take?

In a private sale, it’s wherever you and the buyer agree: their mechanic’s workshop, a mobile inspector at your home, or a motoring club inspection. If the car has to go to a workshop, drive it there yourself rather than handing over the keys.

When you sell to us, we arrange the inspection after you accept the offer, at a time and place that suits you. Ray Murray’s was at home: “A few days later, they came to my house, inspected the car and the remaining sale price was deposited into my account and the car was picked up.” He didn’t have to go anywhere.

How long it takes depends on the car and the inspector. One customer, Spiros, described his: “two days later, Autohaus Australia sent a mechanic (inspector) to do a thorough check of the car (2.5hrs) and the balance was paid the next day.” So don’t squeeze it into a lunch break.

Give the inspector a flat, safe spot with room to walk around the car and open every door, in daylight if you can. Ask whether they’d like the engine cold so they can hear it start.

What if the inspector finds something you didn’t know about?

It happens, even on young, well-kept cars. Work through it in this order:

1. Ask to see it. A photo, the code reading or the panel itself.
2. Check whether it’s covered. If the car is still under the manufacturer’s warranty, the fault may be a warranty repair, and open recalls are fixed free.
3. Get a second opinion from your own mechanic if you disagree.
4. Decide. Fix it, agree a price change or walk away. In a private sale, what happens to the deposit depends on what you both agreed in writing beforehand.

Whatever you decide, don’t sign anything that transfers ownership until you’ve been paid. That’s the NSW Government’s advice to sellers, and Consumer Affairs Victoria says the same. Tell buyers about faults you already know of, too. WA’s Consumer Protection says a private seller can be liable for a serious defect they knew about and didn’t disclose.

If you’re selling to a dealer, ask before you accept what could change the price after inspection and what happens to the deposit if it does. That goes for us too: ask on the call, and tell us about any known faults then, so the offer is made on the real car. Whatever the inspection finds, the car stays with you until you’ve confirmed the balance has cleared. Our guide to why offers drop after inspection covers the most common reasons.

Which inspection route suits you?

If you’re selling privately, be ready for a buyer’s inspection and a test drive or two, and use the checklist above to get ahead of them.

If you’d rather deal with one buyer, you can sell to us. Sell Your Car Australia is run by Autohaus Australia Pty Ltd, a NSW licensed motor dealer (MD 077404), and we make a genuine offer by phone, not an online estimate. Once you accept, a deposit is often paid the same day and the inspection is arranged at a time and place that suits you. The balance goes into your bank account, and the car is collected only after you confirm the funds have cleared.

We buy cars, utes, SUVs and 4WDs that are 2021 or newer with 100,000 km or less, and collect anywhere in Australia. If yours is older or has more kilometres, send it through anyway and we’ll tell you straight away if we can help. Start with a free, no-obligation valuation, read how it works or call 1800 73 55 73.