Buying guide
Used Car Inspection Options Compared
Last updated
Inspecting a used car in Australia costs anything from nothing with a free checklist, to $24.99 with an inspection app like Shufti, to $250–350 for a mechanic's pre-purchase inspection. Each suits a different stage of the search, so most buyers use more than one as they narrow down their options.
Costs and Coverage
| Option | Typical cost | What you get | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile mechanic or motoring club inspection | $250–350 | A qualified inspector checks the car where it's parked and gives you a written report. | A final check before you pay, especially if an inspection found anything safety critical, or the car is older, high-kilometre, a diesel or a 4WD |
| Free checklist | Free | A printable list of what to check, what a problem looks like, and when to walk away. | A quick first look at each car |
| Shufti app | $24.99 per check | An inspection built around that exact car's make, model, year, odometer reading and listing description, with PPSR and recall checks, a crosscheck of more than 3 million recalls and owner complaints, problems flagged from your photos and audio, a planned test drive, a shareable report with repair cost estimates, and coaching through the negotiation. | The cars you're serious about: knowing what's wrong, what it will cost to fix and what to pay |
| PPSR search | $2 | Whether there's money owing on the car, and whether it's been reported stolen or written off. | Every car. Included in every Shufti check |
Which to Choose
A free checklist suits a quick first look at each car. For the cars you're serious about, Shufti tailors the inspection to that exact car, includes the PPSR and recall checks, tells you what's wrong and what it will cost to fix, and coaches you through the negotiation.
A professional inspection is worth booking as a final check before you pay when an inspection turns up anything safety critical, or the car is older or high-kilometre, a diesel or a 4WD.
Read more: Is a pre-purchase inspection worth it? and What is a PPSR check?
More Guides
Ready to Inspect Smarter?
Get Shufti on your mobile now.
