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In the market for a good used vehicle? We all want good value for our money, and we want to know the car is reliable and safe for ourselves and our family to drive. No one wants to be stuck with a “lemon” that requires expensive repairs.
A Pre-Purchase Inspection (PPI) can help you do just that!
For $150 or less and an hour and a half of time, you will be armed with information that will help you negotiate a fair price or decide that the car is a “toad” rather than a “diamond in the rough”.
Our experienced technicians will provide you the following information:
- Review of available maintenance records, including what has been done and what will be needed soon (per the manufacturer’s recommendations).
- Condition of belts and hoses. Is there a timing belt and when is it due to be replaced? Timing belt replacement can run $750-$1200. Do other belts or hoses need to be replaced?
- Inspection for fluid and oil leaks, which may be minor or could add $$$ in repair costs.
- We will determine if the car has ever been in an accident, repaired, or if there is significant rust damage. Even simple curb hits can bend upper or lower control arms, affect the hub assembly, and/or numerous other parts that may not be readily observed until the car is up on a lift.
- What is the condition of the brake pads and rotors? Replacement of brake pads and machining the rotors will run approximately $200/axle, but replacement of rotors could run another $200-300/axle.
- Inspection of the frame, shocks, struts, axles, drive train, and CV joints for integrity or leaking fluid. We will determine the need for alignment or steering components.
- Condition of tires: how much “life” is left on the tires, or will they need to be replaced soon? You can tell a lot about a vehicle’s suspension system by looking at each tire’s individual wear.
- Engine, emission system, and transaxle code check. The vehicle’s computer system stores codes that can give us a snapshot of unresolved and many pre-existing problems.
We had a car in the shop which a customer had recently purchased, but we had not performed a PPI on the car. At first glance, the vehicle’s body and interior appeared to be in reasonable shape. However, once we had it up on the lift, we could immediately observe extensive rust and fluid leaks…serious enough to be a safety concern.
Be an informed consumer! We cannot guarantee that your car will never need car repairs, but a PPI by one of our ASE Certified Technicians is good insurance against buying an expensive set of repair or maintenance bills along with your new, used car. With the information from a Pre-Purchase Inspection, you will be in a better bargaining position because you will know what is wrong (and what is right) with the car.
Buy with confidence and steer clear of that “money pit”!
