Free tool · 2 minutes

Used Car Inspection Checklist Builder

Build an inspection checklist for the specific car you are going to see — fuel type, age and seller included.

Everything happens in your browser. Nothing you type is uploaded, there is no account, and the PDF is built on your own device. We count how often this tool is opened and used — a number, with nothing attached to it. What that means.

The car you are going to see

How it works

  1. Say what you are going to look at and who is selling it.
  2. The checklist adapts — an electric car gets battery and charging checks, a diesel gets the ones diesels need.
  3. Print it and take it with you. Do not try to remember it.

Why use this rather than the printable?

Viewing a used car is a memory test taken under mild social pressure in somebody else’s driveway, usually in the rain. A printed list is the difference between checking things and nodding.

Both exist on purpose. If you would rather not type anything, the blank printable versions below are free, need no browser and never change. The tool is for when the personalised version is worth three minutes.

Questions

Does it tell me what a fault means or what to pay?

No. It tells you what to look at. What a particular noise or a service gap is worth in negotiation depends on the car, the market and the seller, and anybody who tells you otherwise on a free website is guessing.

Should I still get an inspection done professionally?

For anything expensive, yes. This checklist is for the hour you spend deciding whether the car is worth paying somebody to inspect properly.

Related free printables

The blank sheets that go with this tool. All free, in A4 and US Letter, with fillable versions.

Used Car Pre-Purchase Inspection Sheet

Carry out the same inspection on every car you view, so a decision made in somebody's driveway is based on what you saw rather than what you remember.

VB-01 2 pages

House Viewing Comparison Sheet

Compare properties on the same points instead of on whichever one you saw last, and remember the things that are easy to ask about on the day and impossible to check afterwards.

MB-03 1 page

Vehicle Service Record

Keep a service history in your own hands, so it survives changing garages and is there when you sell.

VE-01 1 page

Tyre and Brake Record

See wear as a trend, so you can plan replacement instead of being told at a test that it is already too late.

VE-07 2 pages

Auction Bidding Limit Sheet

Set your limit in writing before bidding starts, with the premium and fees included, so the number you bid to is one you decided calmly.

MB-12 1 page

More vehicle tools · All tools · All printable sheets