# Used Car Inspection Options Compared

Last updated: 28 September 2026. Web page: https://shufti.com.au/guides/used-car-inspection-options.

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?](https://shufti.com.au/guides/is-a-pre-purchase-inspection-worth-it) and [What is a PPSR check?](https://shufti.com.au/guides/what-is-a-ppsr-check)

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Shufti is an Australian used car inspection app for iPhone and Android that tailors the inspection to the exact car you're looking at. It is not affiliated with Shufti Pro, the identity verification (KYC) company.

From the listing link, it builds every check around that car's make, model and year, odometer reading and the seller's description. It runs PPSR and government recall checks, crosschecks a database of more than 3 million recalls and owner complaints, flags problems from your photos and audio, plans a test drive, produces a shareable report with repair cost estimates, and coaches you through the negotiation.

A check costs $24.99, or $49.99 for three, including PPSR and recall checks. A mechanic's pre-purchase inspection costs $250–350.

Made by Frontpoint Digital Pty Ltd (ABN 23 669 870 366), Melbourne, Australia. Contact: hello@shufti.com.au.

Download: [App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6795718336), [Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=au.shufti.shufti_app).