Used car inspection checklist

Before you go

• Get the VIN from the seller and run the free VIN check: recalls, NHTSA investigations, known problems for that generation.
• Ask for service records and recall paperwork. A dealer for the brand can tell you by VIN which recalls were done.
• Run the VIN through the NICB’s free VINCheck for stolen, salvage or flood reports from participating insurers.
• Ask to see the car cold. Don’t let the seller warm it up before you arrive.

Paperwork

• The name on the title matches the seller’s ID.
• The VIN on the title matches the dashboard plate (through the windshield) and the driver’s door-jamb sticker.
• The title isn’t branded salvage, rebuilt, flood or lemon, and shows no lienholder (or the seller has the lien release).
• The odometer reading on the title or last registration makes sense next to what the dash shows.

Outside

• Panel gaps are even and the paint matches from panel to panel. Overspray on rubber seals or trim means bodywork.
• Tires: even wear across the tread (uneven wear points to alignment or suspension problems). The last four digits of the DOT code are the week and year the tire was made; many tire makers advise replacing tires older than about six years.
• Rust: rocker panels, wheel arches, door bottoms and, underneath, the frame or subframe. Surface rust is common; flaking or holes are not.
• Glass: chips or cracks in the windshield. All lights and signals work.

Under the hood (engine cold)

• Oil: on the dipstick, not below the minimum. Milky or foamy oil on the dipstick or filler cap can mean coolant is mixing in.
• Coolant at the level mark in the overflow tank.
• Belts and hoses: no cracks, fraying or bulges.
• No fresh oil or fluid wet spots on the engine or on the ground under it.
• Battery terminals free of heavy corrosion.

Inside

• Turn the key: the dash warning lights come on, then go out once the engine runs. A check-engine or airbag light that stays on needs an answer.
• Heat and A/C both work. Every window, lock, mirror and seat adjuster works.
• Smell and look for water: a musty smell, water lines, or silt and rust under the carpets and seat rails are flood signs.
• Wear on the steering wheel, pedals and driver’s seat matches the mileage.

Test drive (20 minutes, mixed roads)

• Cold start: no loud knocks or rattles, no blue or thick white smoke that keeps going.
• The transmission shifts smoothly, without slipping, flaring or banging into gear.
• Brakes stop straight, without grinding or a pulsing pedal.
• The car tracks straight, and the steering doesn’t clunk over bumps or when turning at low speed.
• No vibration at highway speed. Afterwards, look under the car again for fresh drips.

Before you pay

• Get an independent pre-purchase inspection at a shop you choose, not one the seller picks.
• Plug in an OBD-II scanner (or have the shop do it): stored codes, and whether the emissions “readiness monitors” are set. Monitors that aren’t set can mean codes were just cleared.
• Use what you found to negotiate: a known problem, a due repair or open recalls are all fair reasons to ask for less.
• Get the sale in writing, with the VIN, price, date, mileage and both signatures.

Checks for a specific model

Every model has its own weak spots. Find yours under problems by model (each page lists what to check for), or run the VIN through the free check. The NICB’s VINCheck is free too.