The Basics
Exterior
Interior
Wheels
Engine /
Engine Hood
Chassis/
Underbody
Road Test
No accident
Clean Title
Less 3 owners
The Basics
- Make
- Model
- Year
- Mileage
- Vin No.
- Title
- Registration
- Exterior color
- Interior color
- Insurance card
- Owner’s Manual
- Has the car been serviced regularly? (No large gaps in cars history)
- Do you suspect the mileage is not legitimate?
- Avoid cars with title that have “salvage” or “rebuilt” in them.
Exterior
- Is the windshield intact? Is there any spots or cracking?
- Are the head lights in working order?
- Are the high beams in working order?
- Are the fog lights in working order?
- Are the front turning lights in working order?
- Does the hood operate properly?
- Does the Fuel Door operate properly?
- Does the sunroof operate properly?
- Does the convertible top operate properly?
- Does the trunk lid operate properly?
- Is there any damage to the front bumper?
- Make sure the front bumper is same color as the body.
- Check the front fender for damage.
- Take note of paint cracking or fading on doors.
- Are there signs of collision damage?
- Inspect the paint for cracking and/or fading.
- Are any panels discolored?
- Are any of the panel gaps marked differently than others?
- Inspect the vehicle’s body for missing or loose trim.
- Does a magnet fail to adhere to the sheet metal? (Try several spots.)
- Is there evidence of an accident that has been poorly repaired?
- Are there any irregular spotting on the bumper near the exhaust pipe?
- Look closely for small rust spots.
- Is there a noticeable amount of rust?
- Do all the mirrors operate properly?
- Do all the door handles operate properly?
- Are the windshield wiper blades in working order?
- Does the trunk lid work the way it should
- Are the hatch/Tailgate work the way it should
- Do the brake lights work the way they should?
- Do the backup lights work the way they should?
- Do the hazard flashers work the way they should?
- Do the license plate lights work the way they should?
- Do the rear turning lights work the way they should?
- Are the tail lights good? Work good and no crack or spot?
- Is there any dent or crash on the rear bumper?
- Is rear bumper the same color as body?
- Does the trunk handle work the way it should?
Interior
- Interior lights
- Mirrors
- Cup holders
- Seat functions
- Central locks
- Speakers
- Pedals
- Audio
- Navigation
- Door panels
- Gear selector
- Console
- Parking brakes
- Dashboard
- Trunk interior
- Steering wheel controls
- Scan the onboard computer
- Heating/air conditioning
- Carpet/floor mats
- Headliner and pillars
- Trunk floor plan
- Instrument panel
- Middle dash and vents
- Door weather seal
- Glovebox and console compartments
- Turn signal and light switches
- Nothing unusual with the diagnostic/airbag codes
- Do the fans make excessive noise when climate control is on?
- Do all of the windows move at the same speed? Or make noises?
- Check for tears or wear marks in the seats.
- Are there any cracks, blemishes or broken trim?
- Are the spare tire, jack, or tools damaged or missing?
- Do all of the accessories operate properly?
- Test the brakes to see if they are worn out.
- Is there any rust or evidence of water in the spare-tire well?
- Does the sunroof operate slowly, as if it’s struggling to move?
- Is there a stale smell, like mildew or spoiled milk?
- Check the air temperature that comes out of the air conditioner.
- Is there evidence of water damage in the glovebox or under the rear seat?
Wheels
- Tires match
- Lug nuts/bolts
- Spare tire
- Brake lining
- Brake hose check
- Tire pressures
- Tire condition
- Wheel rims
- Suspension bounce test
- Wheel locks and key
- Are any lug nuts missing?
- Check for curb damage on the wheels.
- Are any hubcaps missing, damaged or lose?
- Are all the tire pressures properly set?
- Are any of the tires a different brand or size?
Engine
- Cold engine performance
- Engine fans performance
- Plug in a scan tool. Check for pending codes.
- Pressure-test the cooling system. Check for leaking.
- Do a compression test. Cylinders cannot be more than 25% different than the others.
- Do a cylinder leak-down test. Do any cylinders leak more than 15 percent?
- Throttle performance during warm-up conditions
- Does the airbag light stay on or blink?
- Operation temperature
- No abnormal vibration from engine
- Are there any strange noises (belt squeak, exhaust leak)?
- Turn the key to the “on” position. Do the warning lights fail to illuminate?
- Check the battery for parasitic drains. Is the standby current more than 75 milliamps?
- Start the car. Do the warning lights remain on?
- Manual transmission: depress the cutch. Does it feel stiff or jerky?
- Automatic transmission: put the car in drive. Does it clunk into gear?
- Does the engine fail to settle into a consistent idle within a couple of minutes?
- Check the voltage between the coolant and battery ground. Is it higher than 250 millivolts?
Engine Hood
- Hinges
- Engine odors
- Panel’s alignment
- P/S fluid level and condition
- Coolant level and condition
- Brake fluid level and condition
- Washer fluid level and condition
- Carrying rails and firewall
- No signs of body dust
- Factory painted bolts and body
- Battery and battery cables
- Check for cracks in the belt.
- Are there any wires not covered by sheathing?
- Are there any loose hose clamps?
- Are there any loose and corroded battery clamps?
- Is the battery more than 4 years old?
- Is there any sign of fluid leaks in the accessories?
- Is there any evidence of mice or other animals?
- Inspect the air filters for cleanliness.
- Are fluid levels (power steering, brake, coolant, oil, transmission) sufficient?
- Is the oil from the dipstick black or gooey?
- Assess the oil for any impurities such as shiny metallic particles
- Does the oil look milky or smell like gasoline?
- Remove the oil filler cap. Are there thick, black deposits in the cylinder head?
- Wipe the dipstick on a rag. Are there a lot of black particles or dark fluid?
- Does the fluid transmission dipstick smell burnt?
- Check for oil change stickers. Make sure the car is not overdue.
- Is there seepage at the bottom of the brake reservoir?
- If the engine has a timing belt, is it older than 4 years? If unknown, answer “yes.”
- With the engine off, squeeze the hoses (they may be hot). Do they feel stiff or brittle?
Chassis/Underbody
- Do the tires have uneven ware?
- Are the brake pads and rotors worn out?
- Does oil coat any of the shock absorbers?
- Check for rust on the underbody of the car.
- Are any of the inner fender shields missing or broken?
- Pull on the tie rods and the suspension mounts. Do you detect any movement?
- Jack up the car, then tug and push on the wheels. Is there any lateral play at the hub?
- Bounce the car three times with your knee on the bumper, and then stop. Does the body continue to move up and down?
- Check the bottom of the engine. Any sign of fluid leaks?
- What about transmission and differential leaks?
- Look for any bent or dented metal in the underbody.
- Are there shiny marks on the pinch welds?
- Is there fluid seepage around the brake caliper or from the bottom of the brake drums?
- Check for puddles of oil or fluid under the car.
- Is the bottom of the radiator wet from coolant?
Road Test
- Drive the car in tight circles in a parking lot. Does anything rub or clunk?
- Brake firmly. Does the pedal feel soft and mushy?
- Does the feel of the brake pedal change (e.g., soft one stop, firm the next)?
- Does the car veer to one side while braking?
- Does the car bounce after going over bumps?
- Listen for any loud clunks or creaks from the suspension.
- Do the wheels wobble, or does the vehicle have an odd stance (e.g., it rides low in the rear)?
- Get up to highway speeds. Is there any vibration?
- Listen for excessive wind noise.
- Do the interior pieces rattle over bumps?
- Evaluate if the car veers to one side.
- Does the car accelerate in fits and starts?
- Is the steering wheel off-center when the car is going straight?
- Accelerate briskly. Does the transmission jerk at the shift points?
- Transmission/Clutch performance
- Vehicle drive straight on level surface
- Does the car feel tired, as if it’s worn out?
- Steering has normal feel in lock-to-lock turning
- Test to see if the engine revs climb quickly, as if the clutch is slipping.
- Listen for any knocking noise from the engine as the engine goes at higher speeds.
- Manual transmission: Put the car in top gear while driving at 30 mph. Floor the throttle.
- Check for smoke coming from the exhaust during acceleration.
- Vehicle does not pull to the side when applying brakes
- Are the headlamps, marker, and brake lights burnt out?
- Look under the hood. Do you hear a hissing noise?
- Steering wheel centered
- No abnormal tire noise/ road noise
- Repeat check for fluid leaks under the car.
- No abnormal squeaks and rattles from interior
- No abnormal noise or vibration from suspension
- Is there sustained visible smoke behind the car when it starts?
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