Before You Buy a Used Vehicle (Car Inspection before Buying a Used Vehicle)
October 27, 2025
Before You Buy a Used Vehicle (Car Inspection before Buying a Used Vehicle)
Perhaps this sounds familiar. Your vehicle seems like it’s been around forever, and you’ve decided it’s time to move on. But when you check the price of new vehicles, the sky-high price tags have you considering a nice, pre-owned one.
So, you start looking through the ads and find a few prospects. A couple look great, and the owners say they’re in like-new shape. But most of us aren’t trained mechanics, nor do we have the equipment to run the tests to determine what’s right and what’s wrong with a used truck, car, SUV or van.
The answer may be to consider having a trained professional perform an independent inspection on the vehicle you have your eye on. Some dealers may conduct their own inspection, but you are best served by having someone not associated with the seller thoroughly check that vehicle you have your eye on.
A technician puts the vehicle up on a lift to look for damage, corrosion or any signs of accidents or flood damage you can’t see when it’s sitting on the ground. A used vehicle inspection includes checking brakes, wheels and tires, belts and hoses, suspension components and the heating/air conditioning systems.
In addition to inspecting the vehicle visually, the technician can use a professional, full-function scanner to look for codes stored in the vehicle’s memory and diagnose other electrical issues. It may also show if there have been any warning lights that have come on recently or if someone has wiped the memory to try to hide something.
Unless you are a professional automotive technician, consider investing in a comprehensive, pre-purchase inspection. No, it can’t guarantee to turn up everything that might fail in the future, but it can be a bargain to have peace of mind that the vehicle you’re considering is worth the considerable investment you are contemplating. It could also give you additional bargaining leverage.
ABC Auto Works
127 E. Walled Lake Drive
Walled Lake, Michigan 48390
800-742-4511
Need Service?
More articles from ABC Auto Repair & Tire Center
Smooth Moves
September 13, 2026
Stop for a moment and think of whats holding that heavy engine that sits under your vehicles hood to your vehicles frame. Your engine weighs hundreds of pounds, so its a big burden on those things that are holding it in place. Same is true for what holds your vehicles transmission in place. The... More
Helping Your Engine Breathe Easier
September 6, 2026
You may have heard someone tell you its time to replace your vehicles engine air filter and thought, Its OK. Ill do it in a while. While its tempting to put that off, keep in mind that having your engine air filter replaced is one of the easiest ways to maintain your vehicles performance and ef... More
Smooth Operator
August 30, 2026
Were used to bringing a vehicle to a stop and hardly noticing the engines even running when were sitting still. But sometimes you might notice it running rough when youre idling. Your vehicle is shaking, vibrating and making sputtering noises. You may even notice the tachometer on your instrum... More