Buying guide

Pre-Purchase Car Inspection: What It Checks and Costs

Last updated 4 November 2026

A pre-purchase car inspection checks a used car's body, engine, gearbox, suspension, brakes, tyres and electrics before you buy, and gives you a report of what's worn or faulty. A mobile mechanic's typically costs $250–350 and needs a booking. You can check a car yourself for nothing with a free checklist, or for $24.99 with the Shufti app's Tailored check, which builds the inspection for that exact car and tells you what it will cost to fix.

What a Pre-Purchase Inspection Checks

The inspection works through the car area by area: the body and paint for crash repairs and rust, the engine for leaks, smoke and noises, the gearbox for slipping or harsh shifts, the suspension and steering, the brakes and tyres, the electrics and the interior. It includes a look underneath the car and usually a test drive.

You can do most of this yourself. The used car inspection checklist covers each area, what a problem looks like and when to walk away.

What's in a Car Inspection Report

Most reports work through the car area by area (body, engine, gearbox, suspension, brakes, tyres, electrics and interior), note what's worn or faulty, and say how urgent each item is. Many include photos and notes from the test drive.

A report describes the car on the day; it can't promise how long any part will last. Its list of faults, with what each costs to fix, is your strongest case when you negotiate the price. Shufti's report gives you the same: what it found, from your answers, photos and audio, with repair cost estimates you can share with the seller. See a sample car inspection report.

What a Pre-Purchase Car Inspection Costs

A mobile mechanic's inspection of a typical car costs around $250–350, done where the car is parked. It costs more for a 4WD, a prestige or performance car or an electric car, and for extras such as a compression test. Checking the car yourself costs less:

Option	Typical cost	What you get
Free checklist	Free	A printable list of what to check, what a problem looks like, and when to walk away.
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.
PPSR search	Small fee	Whether there's money owing on the car, and whether it's been reported stolen or written off. Included in every Shufti check.
Mobile mechanic inspection	$250–350	An inspector checks the car where it's parked and gives you a written report. Needs a booking and the seller's agreement.

When a Pre-Purchase Inspection Is Worth It

An inspection is worth it when a hidden fault could cost more than the inspection does. That's most likely on older and high-kilometre cars, diesels and turbocharged engines, utes and 4WDs that have towed or been off-road, cars sold without a service history, and anything you're paying a lot for.

Those are the cars to check most carefully. On a high-kilometre car, check the service history matches the kilometres and listen for engine noises from cold. On a diesel or turbo, look for smoke on start-up and under load. On a ute or 4WD, look underneath for damage, and check the towbar, the suspension and the diffs for leaks. A car without a service history needs every check on the list.

Most cars you look at won't be the one you buy, so check each one before you spend anything on it. See how to avoid buying a lemon for the problems that cost the most.

Check the Car Yourself First

Working through a checklist at each viewing rules out the obvious problems for nothing. Start with the free used car inspection checklist, or a checklist for your model, which explains its commonly reported problems. Take a proper test drive, and run a PPSR search on ppsr.gov.au (see what a PPSR check covers and what it doesn't).

For the car you're serious about, Shufti, the used car inspection app, builds the inspection for that exact car from the listing for $24.99. It runs the PPSR check, checks the government recall database, flags problems from your photos and audio, estimates repair costs, and coaches you through the negotiation, so you know what's wrong, what it will cost to fix and what to pay.

Questions Answered

How much does a pre-purchase car inspection cost?

Around $250–350 for a mobile mechanic to inspect a typical car where it's parked, and more for a 4WD, a prestige or performance car, an electric car or extras such as a compression test. Checking it yourself costs nothing with a free checklist, or $24.99 with Shufti's Tailored check.

What does a pre-purchase inspection check?

The body, engine, gearbox, suspension, brakes, tyres and electrics, plus a look underneath the car and usually a test drive. The report lists what's worn or faulty and how urgent each item is, often with photos.

Is a pre-purchase inspection worth it?

It's worth it when a hidden fault could cost more than the inspection: older and high-kilometre cars, diesels and turbocharged engines, utes and 4WDs that have towed or been off-road, cars without a service history, and anything expensive. Check each car yourself first, since most you look at won't be the one you buy.

Can I inspect a used car myself?

Yes. Work through a used car inspection checklist at every viewing to rule out the obvious problems. For the car you're serious about, Shufti's Tailored check builds the inspection for that exact car, with PPSR and recall checks and repair cost estimates, for $24.99.

What's the cheapest way to check a used car?

A free checklist and a PPSR search. The checklist covers what to look for at the viewing, and the PPSR search on ppsr.gov.au shows whether there's money owing or the car has been reported stolen or written off.

Do I need a PPSR check as well as an inspection?

Yes. An inspection can't show whether there's finance owing or the car has been reported stolen or written off; only a PPSR search can. Run your own on ppsr.gov.au on the day you pay. See What a PPSR check covers and what it doesn't.