Pre-Purchase Car Inspections in Las Vegas, NV

Las Vegas is hard on cars in ways that don't show up in a listing photo. Five summers of 110-degree heat will dry-rot belts and hoses, cook a battery, and fade a dashboard, and a lot of what's for sale here rolled in from another state with a history nobody local knows. A pre-purchase inspection puts a mechanic next to the car before you pay for it.

We come to wherever the car is, a dealer lot on Sahara, a private seller in Henderson, a parking garage on the Strip, and work through our written checklist: a scan of the car's computer for stored codes, a walkaround, the suspension and brakes, the electrics, everything visible under the hood, and a few minutes behind the wheel. You get the checklist back with the mechanic's notes the same visit.

It's an experienced second opinion, meant to sit alongside your own test drive and a vehicle history report. It isn't a guarantee and it doesn't replace a history check. What it does is put a trained set of eyes on the car while you can still walk away.

What our mechanic checks

The same written checklist every time, and you get it back with the notes. This is what is on it.

• Computer scan. We plug in a scanner and read any trouble codes and warning lights the car has stored.
• Walkaround. Body panels, paint, glass, signs of rust or salt damage, and the condition of the seats, carpet, and trim.
• Suspension and brakes. Tires, what we can see of the pads and rotors, struts and shocks, and bushings.
• Electrical. Windows, locks, wipers, power seats, mirrors, sunroof, and rear defrost.
• Under the hood. Visible leaks, belts, fluids, battery and charging, the air and cabin filters, and the exhaust.
• Behind the wheel. How it starts and idles, dash lights, the shifter, steering, the A/C, and every exterior light.

If the seller is okay with it and the mechanic judges it safe, a short, low-speed drive is part of the visit too. A "pass" on the checklist means we didn't see a problem with that item on the day. It isn't a prediction about how long the part will last.

What a pre-purchase inspection is not

We would rather you know the limits before you book than find out afterwards.

• It is not a teardown. Nothing gets removed and the car doesn't go on a lift. We can't see inside an engine, a transmission, or a differential, so internal wear in those parts is outside what this inspection can tell you.
• It is not a history check. We don't verify the title, liens, mileage, or accident history. A Carfax or AutoCheck report covers that side, and we suggest running one alongside our visit.
• It is not a certification. We don't issue emissions, state, or safety certificates, and a completed checklist is not a statement that the car is safe or roadworthy.
• It is not a warranty. The checklist records what one mechanic could see, hear, and read from the scanner on one day. It doesn't guarantee the car's condition or how it will hold up.
• It is not the whole decision. Buying is your call, made with everything you've learned about the car. Our notes are one part of that.

Every inspection is done under our Pre-Purchase Inspection Agreement. It is short and worth reading before you book.

Booking an inspection in Las Vegas

Found a car you're serious about? Send us the address and the year, make, and model through the contact page or call 702-825-7255 and we'll get a mechanic out to it. If the seller's car already has a warning light on, our car diagnostics visit goes deeper on that one fault. And if you'd like to read the fine print first, the inspection agreement is right here on the site.