Pre-Purchase Car Inspection — What We Check
A few hundred zloty spent on a pre-purchase inspection can save you thousands. We describe what is worth checking and what the inspection looks like at our workshop.
4 min read · Pulsecar team · updated:
Before you go to view the car
- Check the vehicle history by its VIN (e.g. at historiapojazdu.gov.pl).
- Ask for service records and invoices — especially for the timing system, clutch, gearbox.
- Arrange the viewing for a cold engine — it is easier to hear problems on startup.
What we check at the workshop
- Computer diagnostics — fault codes in the ECUs, including ones cleared recently.
- Engine — cold and warm running, leaks, smoke, condition of the timing system.
- Suspension and steering on a play detector.
- Brakes — discs, pads, fluid.
- Underbody — corrosion, signs of repairs and damage.
- Gearbox and clutch during a test drive.
Red flags
- The seller will not agree to a workshop visit.
- Recently cleared fault codes or a freshly washed engine.
- Mileage that does not match the vehicle history or the interior wear.
- A rattling timing chain on cold start.
How much a pre-purchase inspection costs
At Pulsecar, a pre-purchase car inspection costs 300 PLN, and an engine endoscopy is an extra 300 PLN. After the inspection we go over the faults we found and their approximate repair cost — a good argument in price negotiations.