Five minute car check
Print it, take it to the car. Anything you tick "no" on is a question for the seller or a job for a pre-purchase inspection.
Outside
- ☐ Panel gaps even, paint colour matches on every panel
- ☐ Tyres: tread above 1.5 mm, same brand per axle, no cracking
- ☐ Glass: chips in the driver's view fail a WOF
- ☐ Rust under doors, around windscreen, boot floor and wheel arches
- ☐ Lights and indicators all work
Under the bonnet
- ☐ Oil: level and colour, no milky residue on the cap
- ☐ Coolant level, no oil in it
- ☐ Belts and hoses not cracked
- ☐ Battery terminals clean, date on the battery
Inside
- ☐ Every warning light goes off after start
- ☐ Air con blows cold within a minute
- ☐ Seatbelts retract and latch
- ☐ Odometer reading matches the CIN
- ☐ Smell: damp or mould points to leaks
Drive
- ☐ Cold start, listen for rattles
- ☐ Brakes pull straight, no shudder
- ☐ Steering centred, no wandering
- ☐ Gearbox shifts clean, no slipping
- ☐ Cruise at 100 km/h: vibration means wheels or driveline
Paper
- ☐ CIN matches plate, VIN and odometer
- ☐ WOF and rego current
- ☐ No security interest, or it is disclosed
- ☐ Plate not on the Police stolen list