Pre-purchase inspection
Before you hand over the money, have the car put on a lift and looked at properly by someone who is not selling it to you.
A used car in the UAE has usually lived a hard life: heat, sand, short trips and sometimes water. Most of what matters is invisible from the driver’s seat and from a walk around a showroom floor. We put the car on a lift, measure what can be measured, photograph everything we find, and give you a written verdict — whether you buy the car or walk away from it.
What it actually finds
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Accident repair is easy to hide and expensive to inherit
Paint depth readings across every panel show where a car has been resprayed. Panel gaps, weld seams and underbody inspection show whether the structure was straightened or replaced. A tidy respray and a clean interior tell you nothing about either.
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A cleared fault code comes back
Codes can be erased minutes before a viewing. We read readiness monitors and freeze-frame data, which show whether the modules were recently reset — and that is a different question from whether the dashboard is currently clear.
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Heat kills things quietly
Cooling systems, air conditioning, rubber bushes, belts, batteries and plastics all age faster here than the mileage suggests. Low mileage on a Gulf car is not the reassurance it is elsewhere.
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You get the number before you negotiate
Every item we mark as needing work comes with what it would cost to put right. That is the figure you take into the conversation with the seller.
Once the colour is back on, a repaired car looks exactly like one that was never touched. The difference is a measurement, not an opinion.
What gets checked
Every area below is inspected and recorded. Each finding gets a status, a photograph, and a measurement wherever one exists.
This is the report you receive
Not a tick sheet and not a phone call. A report you can read, filter, keep, and show to the seller.
Example report. This vehicle is not real and the data is invented.
Vehicle
SAMPLE Sample: 2019 mid-size SUV, 96,400 km
Reference
SAMPLE-0000
Items checked
19
3
6
10
The verdict
Buyable, with roughly one significant job to budget for. Nothing structural was found. The front brakes and one suspension bush need attention now; the tyres and the cooling system will need money within the year.
Tap a number, point at it, or move to it with the keyboard, to light the section it belongs to.
Showing all 19 items
1 Structure and accident evidence
| Item | Measured | Service limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chassis rails and floor pan No deformation, no heat marks, no replaced sections. Factory seam sealer intact throughout. | — | — | OK |
| Paint depth — all panels Rear right door reads higher than its neighbours. Consistent with a cosmetic respray, not with panel replacement. | 118–146 µm | 90–150 µm | Attention soon |
| Panel gaps and fixings Even throughout. Bolt heads unmarked, which indicates panels have not been removed. | — | — | OK |
Nothing in this category.
2 Engine and cooling
| Item | Measured | Service limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cylinder compression Spread of 4% across all cylinders. Even and healthy. | 12.6–13.1 bar | max 10% spread | OK |
| Coolant condition Discoloured and below the cold mark. No external leak found. Worth a flush and a pressure test soon. | — | — | Attention soon |
| Oil leaks Light seep at the rocker cover gasket. Not dripping. Photograph attached. | — | — | Attention soon |
Nothing in this category.
3 Transmission and drivetrain
| Item | Measured | Service limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gear changes under load All ratios engaged cleanly on the road test, up and down, no flare or shudder. | — | — | OK |
| Transmission fluid Correct level, correct colour, no burnt smell. | — | — | OK |
Nothing in this category.
4 Brakes
| Item | Measured | Service limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front pad thickness Below minimum. Replace before the car is driven regularly. | 2.1 mm | 3.0 mm | Action required |
| Front disc thickness Within limits. Discs do not need replacing with the pads. | 26.4 mm | 24.0 mm | OK |
| Brake fluid moisture Approaching the change threshold. Budget for a fluid change. | 2.8% | 3.0% | Attention soon |
Nothing in this category.
5 Suspension and steering
| Item | Measured | Service limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front lower arm bushes Nearside bush split and separated. Causes the vibration the seller described as "tyre balance". | — | — | Action required |
| Shock absorbers No leakage, no knock over the test route. | — | — | OK |
Nothing in this category.
6 Tyres and wheels
| Item | Measured | Service limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tread depth — shallowest corner Legal, but the front pair will need replacing within the year. Rear pair at 6.1 mm. | 3.4 mm | 1.6 mm | Attention soon |
| Tyre age All four are six years old. In this climate that matters more than tread depth. | 2019 | 6 years | Action required |
Nothing in this category.
7 Air conditioning
| Item | Measured | Service limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vent temperature Measured after ten minutes of driving. Cools properly at idle and in traffic. | 9 °C | at 38 °C ambient | OK |
Nothing in this category.
8 Diagnostics and electrical
| Item | Measured | Service limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stored fault codes None stored across all modules. | — | — | OK |
| Readiness monitors Two monitors incomplete, which means the modules were reset recently. Not proof of a fault, but it means a cleared dashboard proves nothing today. | — | — | Attention soon |
| Battery test Above the rated minimum. Charging system output correct. | 612 CCA | 550 CCA | OK |
Nothing in this category.
What an inspection cannot tell you
Anyone who says an inspection sees everything is selling you something. Here is where ours stops.
How it runs
- 01 You send us the listing and the seller’s location
- 02 We agree a time with the seller
- 03 The car goes on a lift, or we come to it
- 04 The report reaches you the same day
- 05 We talk you through it and what it would cost to fix
What it costs
Send us the car you are looking at.
Request an inspection
A few questions about a car that is not yours yet — where it is standing, what it is, and the date somebody else has put you under. We reply with what we can do on that car and what it costs.