Tunerworks Service: Pre-Purchase Inspections

The best money you can spend on your next used vehicle is a Pre-Purchase Inspection (PPI). Even if you are buying from a respected used car dealership that advertises their vehicles as “certified” or “inspected”, it is still in your best interest to get the opinion of an independent 3rd party.

We don’t claim the ability to predict every possible future mechanical failure, but a trained eye can tell you if there are any repairs needed right away and can advise you on the general condition of the vehicle. We will also take a look at the service records and confirm if any regular maintenance is past due or upcoming – anyone who’s ever bought a used car and then realized that they needed to immediately replace the timing belt can tell you how valuable a PPI can be.

What is Involved in a PPI?

During the inspection, one of our technicians will go over every available square inch of the vehicle to determine its mechanical, safety, and cosmetic condition. The technician will identify any existing problems and will also highlight potential issues that could arise in the future.

By learning more about the condition of the vehicle, you will either feel more confident that you’re making a good investment, or you’ll be able to more successfully negotiate the price based on concrete evidence.

Our technician examines the exterior of the vehicle, the interior, under the hood, and the under carriage. The report is then digitally compiled and shared with you through a weblink or text so you can consult it on your phone, tablet, or computer and even share it with the seller.

Why is it Worth Getting a PPI?

It’s pretty simple – after making an investment on a used vehicle, the last thing you want to learn is that you are on the hook for a pile of repair and maintenance bills. Remember the timing belt replacement we mentioned earlier? That is typically a $1000 repair, but could be as much as $2000 depending on the make and model of the vehicle.

It’s easy for things to get lost in translation between the dealership’s technician, the dealer, and you, so there is no way to guarantee that what is disclosed to you during your test drive is the complete story. A PPI is even more important if you are buying from a private seller, because they could simply be unaware that a major service was due 300km ago. Whether you are shopping from a dealership or a private seller, it is imperative that you seek out an inspection from a non-biased third party.

Our digital inspection includes picture and video of concerns and makes it easy to share the information with the seller so you can negotiate on the selling price. Many of our clients will share the weblink of the inspection report with the seller, which allows full disclosure and easy justification should you choose to make an offer that is lower than the listed price. Often, the price of the PPI is more than recouped by successful negotiations.

What PPI’s Can’t Do

Before going on, we think it’s important to set clear expectations for your Pre-Purchase Inspection. Unfortunately, the technician doesn’t have a crystal ball to predict the future – we can’t tell you what’s going to happen 50,000km down the road. The nature of modern vehicles prevents us from being able to look inside your transmission or various engine components to assess any damage that could be hidden inside. What we can do is give you an opinion on the overall state of the vehicle that is based on a wide variety of indicators and founded in decades of experience working on cars.

We can answer questions like, “what would happen if I took the vehicle on a long road trip tomorrow?”, “what would happen if I were to push it to its performance limits?”, and “what repairs or services need to be done immediately or in the near future?”

Make an Appointment

If you are in need of a Pre-Purchase Inspection, simply send us a text or give us a call at 403.398.9833, or email service@tunerworks.com. We respond quickly!