Premium Pre Purchase Inspection

Typical Cost: Medium
Mobile Repair? Yes
Typical Lead Time: 2 - 24 hours depending on mechanic availability

What is a pre purchase inspection (PPI)?

A PPI is a checklist and report of a vehicle's condition, carried out by a qualified mechanic in order to inform the potential purchaser of any issues or highlight any concerns about the vehicle.

This is very important if you do not have any mechanical knowledge or if you would need to travel a considerable distance to get to it only to find it wasn’t how the vendor was describing it!

What is checked during premium pre purchase inspection?

As its name implies, this is a comprehensive check of the vehicle's overall condition. The report will give information on the following areas

Interior compartment

Door locking

Boot/tailgate lock

Door seals & hinges

Interior sills

Illuminating lights

Seat upholstery

Seat mechanism (front seats)

Steering wheel adjustment

Rear view mirror condition

Cigarette lighter

Headlining

Visors

Carpets

Sunroof condition

Rear parcel shelf

Rear luggage area condition

Tool kit

Electrical/controls

Headlights

Side light/running lights

Indicators/hazard lights

Rear lights/number plate lights

Stop lights

Reverse/fog lights

Auxiliary lights

Panel lights

Switches/controls (Condition & Operation)

Instrument/controls function

Horn

Windows/sunroof operation

Wipers/washers

Headlamp washer/headlamp wiper

Electric/manual mirrors operation

CD / Radio operation

Battery voltage

Road test (vehicle must be road legal and the condition safe to drive in)

Starting system/ignition lock

Warning lights

Cold starting

Fast idle (cold)

Noise level (cold)

Excess fumes/smoke

Engine - noise level

Engine - general performance

Overheating evidence

Turbo/super charger operation & noise

Battery charging system

Hand/parking brake operation

Footbrake operation

Gearbox operation/noise level

Clutch operation

Accelerator Pedal Operation

Instrument/controls function

General steering/handling

Road holding/stability

Suspension noise

Cruise control

Steering wheel alignment

Steering effort

Four wheel drive operation

Suspension ride height level operation

Air con operation

Final drive operation/noise level

Engine compartment

Bonnet catch

Bonnet hinges

General cleanliness of engine bay

Coolant/antifreeze level

Coolant leaks

Radiator / expansion bottle cap

Hoses/pipes

Engine oil level

Drive belts (visible damage)

Water pump operation

Power steering fluid level

Clutch fluid level

Brake fluid level

Engine mountings

Fuel Injection Leak Off Pipe Condition (if visible)

External leaks

Wheels and tyres

Front right tyre

Front left tyre

Rear right tyre

Rear left tyre

Spare wheel condition

Alloy wheel condition (if applicable)

Body exterior

Glass

Door locks/operation

Fuel filler cover/petrol cap

Body damage

Past repairs evident

Corrosion

Paint work

Bumper & number plates

Mud flaps

Front suspension, brakes & steering

Wheels hubs/bearings

Discs/pads (visual check)

Brake pipes/hoses (where visible)

Road springs

Shock absorbers (condition/leaks)

Bump stops/gaiters

Suspension arms/mountings

Suspension arms/fixings

Tie bars/anti roll bars

Location rod/fixings

Bushes

Steering joints/ball joints

Steering rack

Power steering

Rear suspension & brakes

Wheels hubs/bearings

Discs/pads (visual check)

Brake pipes/hoses (if visible)

Road springs

Shock absorbers (condition/leaks)

Bump stops/gaiters

Suspension arms/mountings

Suspension arms/fixings

Tie bars/anti roll bars

Bushes

Brake hydraulics

Master cylinder security (if accessible)

Fluid leaks

Servo/power system

Flexible hoses

Pipes/connections

Clutch and transmission

Fluid/oil leaks

Hydraulic system

Linkage wear (manual)

Casings

Mountings

Drive shaft assemblies

Sliding joints (if visible)

Slave cylinder gaiter/boot (manual)

Propshaft(s)

Bearings

Clutch pedal/cable adjustment

Underside condition

Chassis members

Sub frames/mountings

Corrosion - floor/chassis

Corrosion protection

Engine underside leakage

Fuel system

Tank fixings

Fuel lines

Breather pipes

Evidence of leaks

Exhaust system

Operation

System condition

What does the premium pre purchase inspection cover?

Travel to the vendors location
185-point mechanical and visual structural inspection (including inspection of the fuel system, exhaust system, vehicle underside condition, clutch and transmission checks, brake hydraulics, front and rear suspension checks, water pump operation)
Road test (providing the vehicle is road legal/safe to drive)
Vehicle report emailed to you
Full interior, bodywork and paint inspection
Free phone consultation with the mechanic afterwards
Vehicle raised to conduct more thorough inspections
Plug-in diagnostic check
Photos included in the report
VAT (if applicable)

What to search for on the ClickMechanic site?

Premium pre purchase inspection

Associated services

Standard pre purchase inspection
Basic pre purchase inspection

How much does a premium pre purchase inspection cost?

The premium pre purchase inspection cost depends on the location of the vehicle.

Find out what you could save by visiting ClickMechanic
https://www.clickmechanic.com/bookings/car

FAQ’s

What do I need to do before I book?

You need to notify the seller that an inspection will be taking place and get their permission for the inspection. You also need to make sure the mechanic will have unhindered access to the vehicle including the keys.

Can the inspection be undertaken without me being present?

It can. Customers are not required to be present when having an inspection undertaken. After the inspection, you will receive a report into your inbox and you’ll be able to discuss this with the mechanic over a phone call if you wish.

Will I receive a report?

You will receive the inspection report via email, once your mechanic has completed your used car check. The report is usually sent as soon as the inspection is complete. The report will be attached to your booking receipt and is also available at any time by logging into your ClickMechanic account.

Does the inspection come with a warranty?

Pre-Purchase Inspections do not come with a warranty. The purpose of the inspection is to give an honest and true reflection of the state of the vehicle at that particular point in time and is not intended as a recommendation to purchase, or not purchase the vehicle.

Does the pre purchase inspection include any vehicle history or outstanding finance checks?

The ClickMechanic pre-purchase inspection checklist focuses on physical inspections and does not include any vehicle history checks on the vehicle (i.e. whether the car has been recorded in an accident, reported stolen or has any outstanding balances on it), however you can easily purchase these elsewhere online.

Can motorhomes be inspected?

Motorhomes can be inspected but there are some exceptions to this.

The vehicle must fall under the PLG category, anything over that rating and we cannot test drive the vehicle.

We are also unable to test the fixtures and fittings of the Motorhome, just the mechanical and structural items.

Can you inspect vehicles that have been written off by insurance companies?

We are unable to offer pre-purchase inspections on vehicles that have been written off by insurance companies. Write-offs come in four different categories, which measure how badly damaged the car is. These are Categories A, B, S and N, the last two of which replaced the old C and D classifications in October 2017.

As the mechanic's are not allowed to remove anything from a vehicle (in the same way MOT Inspectors are not allowed), we would not be able to determine the state of many of the repairs. Also as it could be structural damage, this would require a specialist at an Accident Repair Centre to give a verdict on.