Pre-purchase inspection
It Drives Fine and the Service Book Is Full. Should I Buy It?
A full service book is a good sign. It is not the same thing as a good car, and on a European car the gap between the two can be an expensive one.
Service
Inspections
Pre-purchase inspections, safety checks, and roadworthy certifications.
We inspect the car the way we would inspect our own: full module scan, hoist inspection, road test and a written report with photographs and a repair-cost estimate.
A stamped service book and a good test drive tell you how a car was presented, not how it was maintained. The faults that cost real money on a used European car - stored fault codes, oil leaks, worn suspension, deferred maintenance - rarely show on a short drive.
The service history is checked for gaps and outstanding recalls, and the road test logs live data rather than relying on feel. Every finding comes with an estimated repair cost, so you can negotiate on the price or walk away with evidence.
From$195pre-purchase inspection - final price quoted before work starts.
Book this serviceWhat is included
- Full fault-memory scan with printout
- Hoist inspection of underbody and suspension
- Compression and leak-down testing on request
- Service history and recall verification
- Road test with live data logging
- Written report with cost estimates
Signs you need this
- You are buying a used European car, privately or from a dealer
- The service history has gaps, or stamps you cannot verify
- The seller has recently cleared warning lights
- You need a roadworthy inspection to sell or register a car
Questions
Common
questions.
Warning lights can be cleared with a cheap code reader shortly before a sale. The module memory often still holds the history, and a full scan reads it.
The fault-code printout, hoist inspection findings, service history and recall checks, road test observations and estimated repair costs, with photographs.
A full book shows that services were paid for, not what was found at each one or what was deferred. Our article on buying a car with a full service book covers what the book does not tell you.
Also in the workshop
Other
services.
- Logbook ServicingManufacturer-compliant servicing that protects your warranty and preserves resale value.From $395
- DiagnosticsDealer-level fault finding and full system scanning across all European ECUs.From $145
- Performance UpgradesECU tuning, exhaust systems, intake upgrades and bespoke enhancements.
Not sure this is the right service?
Book a diagnostic. We will scan every module, road-test the car, and send you a written report with costs before anything is repaired.