Pre-Purchase Vehicle Inspection
A pre-purchase vehicle inspection before money changes hands, with a full module scan, a look underneath on jack stands, and a verdict you can negotiate with.
- Works for the buyer, never the seller
- Full diagnostic scan of every module
- Vehicle goes up on jack stands
- Photo report with an honest verdict
A pre-purchase vehicle inspection is the single best protection a buyer has. Sellers hide problems. Odometers get rolled back. Flood and collision history disappears between listings. We inspect the vehicle as if we were buying it ourselves, then hand you a documented report with photos, measurements, and an honest verdict so you can negotiate or walk away with confidence.
- Full OBD-II / module scan — stored and pending codes, readiness monitors, and cleared-code history
- Cold-start behavior, idle quality, and drivability on a road test
- Engine: leaks, oil condition, compression or leak-down where access allows
- Transmission shift quality, fluid condition, and slip under load
- Frame and unibody for prior collision, welds, kinks, and corrosion
- Paint depth readings on every panel to expose repaints and body filler
- Brakes: pad, rotor, and line measurement with remaining-life estimate
- Suspension, steering, ball joints, bushings, and wheel bearings
- Tires: tread depth, age (DOT date), and uneven-wear diagnosis
- Electrical: charging system, battery health, lights, and accessories
- Interior moisture check for prior flood damage
- VIN, title, and odometer cross-verification
- Bidirectional OBD-II scan tool (Autel / Snap-on) with ABS & SRS coverage
- Paint depth gauge
- Tire tread depth gauge & DOT date decoder
- Brake pad & rotor calipers / measurement tools
- Battery & charging system tester
- Compression and cylinder leak-down testers
- Digital borescope
- Floor jack and jack stands
- Digital multimeter
- Coolant & brake-fluid test strips and hydrometer
- Moisture meter (carpet / flood detection)
- Inspection mirror, magnet, and LED inspection light
- Camera for full photo documentation
Request this inspection
Tell us about the cars, light trucks & suvs and where it is. We'll confirm scheduling.
Model-specific guides
Exactly what we look at on these specific machines — the known problem areas and how we check them.
F-150
2011–2020Great trucks, but the 3.5 EcoBoost has two signature issues and the automatics can shudder. The engine choice drives everything you check.
ChevroletSilverado 1500
2014–2019The AFM-equipped 5.3 and 6.2 are the headline risk — lifter collapse and oil consumption. The 8-speed can shudder. Engine internals are the whole game here.
GMCSierra 1500
2014–2019Mechanically the Silverado's twin — the AFM V8s collapse lifters and burn oil, and the 8-speed shudders. Same checks, dressier trim.
Ram1500 (5.7 Hemi)
2009–2018Comfortable and capable, but the Hemi tick, broken manifold bolts, and air suspension are the recurring bills. The ZF 8-speed is a bright spot.
ToyotaTacoma
2005–2023Famously durable and famously resold high — but frame rust on older trucks and the 2016+ transmission's manners are the real inspection points.
ToyotaTundra
2007–2023The 5.7 is a tank with minor leaks and an air-pump quirk; the 2022+ twin-turbo is a different animal with its own engine concern. Identify which you're buying.
NissanFrontier
2005–2019Tough and simple, but one failure can total the truck: the radiator leaking coolant into the transmission. Check the trans fluid first, always.
NissanTitan / Titan XD
2016–2024The gas 5.6 is a solid sleeper; the Titan XD's discontinued 5.0 Cummins diesel is a parts-and-emissions risk. The badge hides two very different trucks.
Chevrolet / GMC2500HD Duramax (LML / L5P)
2011–2023Strong HD diesels backed by the bulletproof Allison — but the 2011–2016 LML carries the catastrophic CP4 fuel pump. The 2017+ L5P fixed it.
FordRanger
2019–2023A capable midsize with the 2.3 EcoBoost and 10-speed. Watch for the oil-pan leak and transmission manners; light-duty by full-size standards.
Chevrolet / GMCColorado / Canyon
2015–2022Midsize twins with a gas V6 or the 2.8 Duramax diesel. Timing-chain wear on the V6 and diesel emissions are the watch items.
JeepGladiator
2020–2024A Wrangler with a bed — which means the 'death wobble' and Pentastar leaks come along too. The optional EcoDiesel adds emissions risk.
HondaRidgeline
2017–2024A car-like unibody pickup — comfortable and reliable, but the VCM oil habit and early 9-speed manners carry over. No frame means collision history matters more.
Ram2500 / 3500 Cummins
2007.5–2018The 6.7 Cummins is a strong engine, but emissions tampering, front-end wobble, and exhaust leaks are the real story. Tuned trucks need extra caution.
FordF-250 / F-350 Power Stroke 6.7
2011–2019A strong diesel overall, but the CP4 fuel pump is the headline risk, and the early trucks had turbo and cooling issues. Fuel-system failure can be catastrophic.
FordSuper Duty 6.0 Power Stroke
2003–2007The infamous one. Untouched 6.0s are a gamble — head gaskets, EGR and oil coolers, and FICM define it. A properly 'bulletproofed' truck is a different conversation.
FordSuper Duty 6.4 Power Stroke
2008–2010Twin-turbo torque with thirsty habits — radiators crack, regens dilute the oil, and tuned trucks crack pistons. Short production run, real quirks.
FordSuper Duty 7.3 Power Stroke
1994.5–2003The legend. Mechanically tough and emissions-free, so condition and age beat any model-year worry — but watch the CPS, cold-start, and turbo pedestal.
Dodge / Ram5.9 Cummins
1994–2007The diesel people chase. Which version matters enormously — 12V dowel pin, 24V VP44 and the '53' block crack, then the strong common-rail. Transmission and front end are the soft spots.
Chevrolet / GMC2500HD Duramax (LB7–LMM)
2001–2010The classic Duramax era behind the bulletproof Allison. The variant is everything — LB7 injectors, LLY overheating, the prized LBZ, then the LMM's emissions.
Ram1500 EcoDiesel
2014–2023A torquey, efficient half-ton diesel — but EGR coolers, oil coolers, and a tangled emissions-recall history make service records essential.