A pre-purchase inspection is a complete inspection of a used car a customer is considering buying. We strongly recommend pre-purchase inspections to all our customers who are considering buying used cars, and for good reason. No matter how good a car looks on the outside, a used car can have hidden problems that range from annoying to catastrophic – and most of the time, the only way to know for sure what you’re getting is for a technician to pop the hood and see for him or herself.

For example…

A while back, one of our customers had totaled their car and began looking for a new one. After discussing the benefits and pitfalls of buying new versus used, the customer decided to purchase used. They did not, however, opt for a pre-purchase inspection.

Soon enough, the customer brought the new-to-her car, complaining of a noise in the rear. We swapped cars with the customer and drove the car back to the shop. On the expressway, the noise is loud enough, but by the time the car is coming to a stop at a light, it sounds as if the car has been rear ended – but there’s no one behind the car. The noise turned out to be a bad differential, so we replaced the complete rear axle assembly (with a used assembly, since this is an older vehicle), and completed the repair.

Twenty five minutes after the customer has picked up her vehicle, she calls in again telling us that the car is low on power, and that he’s concerned she won’t be able to get to her next appointment. We pick the vehicle up again, give the customer a loaner car, and start the diagnostic process. The car runs fine on our standard and extended road test, and all online research shows no common problems or known related issues. Unable to locate the problem, we sent the vehicle home with the customer, only for her to discover the same problem twenty five minutes later. The car is brought back to our shop, and this time we take the car for an extended half an hour diagnostic drive with all diagnostic equipment running. We finally find the problem: the car needs a new transmission, plain and simple. There are, however, no remanufactured transmissions available for this particular vehicle, and the cost of rebuilding the transmission would cost more than the car is worth.

The customer wisely took all this information back to the business she had purchased the used car from and asked the dealer to buy the vehicle back. After a week of negotiations (and, we’re pretty sure, some hair pulling), the dealer finally agreed.

Having learned her lesson, the next used vehicle our customer looked at, she brought into the shop for a pre-purchase inspection. The second car, too, had major transmission problems – problems which would have cost more than it was worth to fix. The third vehicle was the charm; the third one she brought to us worked great for her business and personality, and the price was right. Since purchasing her “new” used vehicle, she has joined our Lifetime Oil Change Club – and the car has run flawlessly.

You can see why we recommend all our customers have a pre-purchase inspection performed on any vehicle they’re serious about buying. A level one pre-purchase inspection generally costs about $95; a level two pre-purchase inspection, which is slightly more, is ideal for classic, muscle, antique and exotic cars.

The moral of the story? If you plan on buying a used vehicle, the money that you’ll invest with us to have the vehicle thoroughly examined will save you enough time and potential major repair costs to be well worth the expense. Not to mention, you will have the peace of mind of knowing – not just hoping – that you made a great buy.