Used Car Inspection Checklist

Who this is for

A checklist to take to the viewing. It walks round the car in the order you would anyway — outside, inside, under the bonnet, underneath, the paperwork and the drive — with room beside every item to note what you found, and a table at the top for the faults that change the price.

Private buyers viewing a used car, van or small motorhome, and anyone helping a friend or family member who does not know what to look for.

What this helps you track

• Nothing forgotten in the moment because the seller is talking
• What you saw, written beside each item, not remembered afterwards
• The faults that need money spent, listed with a rough cost to put right
• The asking price and your offer on the same page as the reasons for the gap
• Two cars compared on two identical sheets

How to use it

1. Fill in the car's details and the asking price before you arrive, from the advert.
2. Work through each group in order, ticking what is fine and writing a word or two beside anything that is not.
3. Put anything that costs money to fix in the advisory table, with your own guess at the cost.
4. Check the paperwork against the car — the identification number on the documents should match the one on the vehicle.
5. Drive it, then fill in the test drive section before you get out of the car.
6. Decide your offer with the sheet in front of you, and keep it if you buy: it is the day-one record of the car's condition.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The online version keeps what you enter in your own browser and builds the completed PDF on your device.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Does ticking everything mean the car is sound?

No. This is a buyer's walk-round, not a mechanical inspection. If the price is significant to you, an independent inspection by a mechanic is a separate step, and this sheet gives them a list of what you noticed.

What should I check in the paperwork?

That the documents describe this car — identification number, registration, colour, engine — and that the seller is the person named on them. What documents a seller must provide differs by country, so check the rules where you are.

How much should I knock off for a fault?

The sheet does not say, because it depends on the fault, the car and the market. The advisory table is there to list what you think each repair will cost, and the sum of that column is the starting point for the conversation.

Is there an online version?

Yes — the same checklist in your browser, saved on your own device, which is handy on a phone at the viewing. There is also a checklist builder tool on this site if you want to change the items.