Pre-purchase inspection

The best $149 you will spend on a used car is the inspection that tells you not to buy it.

Bring the car in, or have the seller drop it off, and we put it on the lift for about 90 minutes. We check the frame and underbody for collision repair and rust, the engine and transmission for leaks and noises, the suspension and brakes for wear, all fluids, all tires, all lights and electronics, and we scan every module for stored and pending fault codes, including ones that have been recently cleared.

You get a written report with photos, a list of what the car will need in the next year with estimated costs, and a straightforward opinion on whether the asking price is reasonable. Plenty of customers have used that report to negotiate a lower price. Some have walked away, which is the point.

We will also tell you if a car is a known problem: certain years of certain models have transmission, engine or rust issues that no inspection can completely rule out, and we would rather you know that first.

Book a few days ahead if you can. Sellers rarely wait long.