Pre purchase inspection · Sydney wide

An independent opinion before you spend thousands.

A car can look perfect online and still have hidden problems. It can look perfect on the driveway too. Then you drive it home, and three weeks later something starts slipping, and the seller stops answering their phone.

I inspect used cars across Sydney for the people buying them. Not for the dealer, not on referral commission, not with a finance kickback waiting at the end. I look at the condition, the history, the value, and whether the car actually matches what the seller is claiming.

Inspection
From $289
Inspection & Verdict

Car, paperwork and seller read in person, PPSR, market analysis and a written verdict, same day.

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Your flat price is confirmed on the call and doesn't move after that. Sydney wide; interstate and unusual cars quoted upfront.

You're not just buying an inspection

An inspection is where it starts.

Most people come to me for a pre-purchase inspection. Then they realise the inspection is the smallest part of what I actually do. Here's the whole service, you can take one piece or all of it.

You can start with an inspection. Most people end up wanting the rest. That's the point.

A real differentiator

Market analysis, not just a condition check.

A mechanic tells you if the car runs. I tell you what it's worth. I price it against comparable cars that actually sold in your market, so you walk in knowing the real number, and whether the seller's price is a deal, a con, or a starting point.

Why most inspections miss things

Mechanics look at the engine. Nobody looks at the driver.

Most mobile mechanics do a good job on the engine. Compression, diagnostics, a proper look underneath. That work is genuinely useful and it is exactly why I work with a licensed mobile mechanic rather than pretending I am one.

The driver is a reflection of the car.

A mechanic does not see how someone drives the car on the test drive. They do not read the cleanliness of the interior. They do not notice how the seller talks about it, whether they know their own service history, or whether they get vague at exactly the wrong moment.

Most of what goes wrong with a used car is already visible in the first ten minutes, if you know where to look. Not in the engine. In the story.

What I actually check

Three layers. Miss one and you get burned.

Layer01

The car

  • Full walkaround: paint depth on every panel, panel gaps, evidence of past repairs
  • Underbody with a torch: rust, leaks, previous damage, signs of a crash
  • Interior condition against claimed kilometres, water ingress, general care
  • Modifications: what was done, whether it was done properly, whether there is any paperwork
  • Tyres, brakes, suspension, obvious mechanical concerns
  • Extended test drive, including what it does once it is warm
Layer02

The paperwork

  • PPSR check: written off, stolen, or finance owing. I do this before I leave home.
  • Service history: is it real, is it consistent, are there gaps that should worry you
  • Logbook stamps versus actual receipts, because a stamp is not a service
  • Ownership history, and how quickly the car has changed hands
  • Rego, roadworthy, and anything outstanding against the vehicle
Layer03

The story

This is the layer nobody else does, and it is where I have saved people the most money.

  • How the seller talks about the car. Proud owner, or moving it fast?
  • Do they know why they are selling, and does the reason hold up?
  • Can they walk you through the maintenance from memory?
  • Does the price make sense against real comparable sales?

If the three layers do not line up, I tell you to walk. If they do, we talk about what to offer.

A real example

Three Fiestas. Three water pumps. Nobody wanted to talk about why.

I have inspected three Ford Fiesta STs. Three separate cars, three separate sellers. Every one of them had a water pump replaced at some point.

The Fiesta ST is a good car. That is not a routine failure item on one that has been looked after. So what does it tell you? It tells you those cars got hot. Not always catastrophically, but enough that a pump got changed, and nobody wants to talk about the day it happened.

One of them had been through four owners, and every one of them had modified it in a different direction. Not a single receipt between them. When I asked the owner what tune was on it, he told me it was the one that came with the car.

A compression test comes back fine on a car that has been beaten within an inch of its life and tidied up just enough to photograph well. Cheap mods, cheap repairs, four owners, no paperwork. Everything about it said walk.

That is what an inspection is for. Not finding faults for the sake of it. Working out whether the car is worth your money.

I never take a cent from a dealer, a seller, a finance broker or a mechanic. My only pay cheque is yours.

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Frequently asked

Questions worth answering.

How long does an inspection take?

About an hour and a half at the car, plus travel and writing the report. You get the report the same day for most cars, next morning at the latest.

Do you inspect modified cars?

Yes, and it is where I actually specialise. Mods with no receipts, work that was done cheaply, engineering that was never certified. A generic mechanic does not see any of that. If the car is modified in any meaningful way, tell me before you book.

Do you do the mechanical inspection yourself?

The car, the paperwork, the seller and the negotiation, that is me. For the mechanical side, engine, transmission and diagnostics, I bring in a licensed mobile mechanic who is part of my team, so you get a qualified mechanical report alongside my inspection. On the Inspection + Licensed Mechanical package it is included in the one price. I never take a kickback on it, my only pay cheque is yours.

What areas do you cover?

All of Sydney, seven days a week. Interstate as well. Interstate jobs are quoted upfront, flights included, so there are no surprises.

What happens if you find something bad?

I tell you. In writing, with photos, in plain English. Then we talk about whether it is a walk, or whether the problem knocks enough off the price to be worth continuing. My job is to give you an honest read, not to talk you into or out of the car.

Can I come along?

Yes, and a lot of people do. You will learn what to look for on your next car, and sellers behave differently when someone turns up who knows what they are looking at.

Ready when you are

Request a free call.

Tell me what you have found and what you are worried about. No commitment, no sales pitch. Just an honest read.

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