Most inspection listings give you a number and nothing else. A number does not tell you whether anyone drove the car, plugged into the computer, or looked underneath it. So here is the actual list. Every item on it gets a recorded result, either a condition grade or a measurement, and how many apply depends on how your car is equipped. Enhanced and Elite add the deeper electronics and driver assist checks, plus the paint work. We say which is which below.
Before anything gets touched, we confirm what the car actually is and that it matches the paperwork. We check the VIN and verify it against the vehicle, note the year, make, model, trim, transmission, drive type, engine and colors, and read the odometer. We also check for the owner's manual, the maintenance book, and how many keys come with the car.
Keys and books sound minor until you price a second smart key. VIN verification matters more: a plate that does not match the paperwork ends a purchase on the spot.
Worked in a fixed order around the car. Front: bumper, grille, hood, headlights, fog lights, turn signals, front end panel alignment, windshield and wipers. Each side: fenders, both doors, door handles, door seals, mirrors, window glass, rocker panels, quarter panels and the A-pillar. Top: roof panel and convertible top. Rear: trunk or hatch alignment, rear window, tail lights, turn signals, plate lights, bumper and trunk seal.
Panel alignment and door seals are in here for a reason. Uneven gaps and replaced seals are often the first sign of collision repair that never reached a history report.
Enhanced and Elite add the sunroof, antenna, roof rack and luggage compartment, grade body corrosion and rust separately, and check the paint on eleven separate panels: hood, roof, trunk or hatch, both fenders, all four doors and both quarter panels. Paint depth finds repainted bodywork that looks perfect to the eye. When a panel reads far off the others we record the number. That panel was redone, and you decide what that is worth before you pay.
This is where the money usually is. Fluid levels first: engine oil, transmission fluid, coolant, power steering fluid, brake fluid, washer fluid. Then the engine compartment: air filter, accessory belts, timing belt, gaskets and seals, radiator and coolant hoses, water pump and thermostat, coolant fan, A/C compressor and lines, brake master cylinder and booster, and the brake fluid reservoir. Oil, coolant, power steering and transmission leaks are graded separately, because "it leaks" and "it leaks from the rear main seal" are different repair bills.
Underneath: shocks, struts and springs, CV joints and axles, control arms, ball joints and tie rods, the exhaust system, the differential, the frame and undercarriage corrosion. We measure battery voltage with the ignition off and again with the engine running. Two readings separate a tired battery from a charging system that is not doing its job.
We do every wheel individually rather than grading "tires" as one line. For each corner we record tire brand and size, and measure tread depth, tire pressure and brake pad thickness. Those are measurements, not opinions. Wheel condition is graded separately, and dually trucks get all six wheels, inner and outer, not four.
Each tire is then checked against specific condemn reasons: dry rot and cracking, worn out tread, exposed cords or metal, punctures, sidewall bulges, and tire age read from the DOT date code. A tire can have plenty of tread and still be unsafe because of its age or a bulge. The spare is inspected too: whether it is there, whether it is temporary or full size, whether it matches, and its condition, size, tread depth and pressure.
What you touch every day and what costs real money to fix. Warning lights and service lights, interior odor, horn, hazard lights, wiper switches, the touchscreen and infotainment, HVAC, defogger, power windows, parking brake, sunroof operation, mirror adjustment, sun visors, headliner, upholstery, seat function, carpets and mats, interior trim and the center console.
Interior odor is on the list on purpose. A musty smell is one of the cheapest early signals of water intrusion or flood damage. Enhanced and Elite add the sound system, speakers, Bluetooth, the glove box, and seat heaters and coolers, plus A/C vent temperature measured against ambient, so "the air conditioning works" becomes two numbers you can check.
Every tier includes this. It is not an upsell. We connect a scan tool and pull diagnostic trouble codes, check emission readiness status and the OBD-II readiness monitors, and record dashboard warning lights in scan context. The scan report is attached to your inspection as a PDF.
Two things matter here. Codes can be cleared right before a showing, and a readiness monitor that has not completed yet is often how you know that happened. And a stored code means the car has had that fault, whether or not the light is on today. Every tier also includes a plain-English summary of the scan: which systems are affected and what to do next. Enhanced and Elite add an explanation of each code.
With the car actually moving. Starter and engine performance, acceleration, transmission shifting, brake operation, steering, suspension performance, wheel bearings, driving vibrations and unusual noises. We record the odometer again at the end. Enhanced and Elite add the transaxle, driver assist systems and HVAC performance on the road.
Vibrations, noises and shift quality do not show up in a parking lot. This section catches them.
A fully electric vehicle gets high-voltage checks, including the underbody battery shield and charge and range before and after the drive.
Nothing defines what one "point" means, and no standard body certifies it, so the number is easy to inflate and hard to compare. Take our own tires section. Count all four tires as one point called "tires" and our number drops by dozens. Count tread depth, pressure, brand, size, wheel condition and six condemn reasons per corner, which is what we record, and it climbs. Same inspection, very different headline. Two inspections advertised at 120 and 210 points are often two counting methods, not two amounts of work.
Ask these instead. They are harder to fake than a number.
We are happy to be judged on those five. Your report includes photographs of what we found: at least 30 on Essential, at least 60 on Enhanced, and 80 or more on Elite, and every tier includes the diagnostic scan and a plain-English summary of what it found. Inspections are carried out by certified, factory-trained technicians whose credentials include ASE, manufacturer and factory training, collision, and diesel and heavy truck qualifications. See what our customers say.
Full mechanical and safety inspection, diagnostic scan with a plain-English summary, underbody and structural, brakes, suspension and steering, road test, at least 30 photos.
Book EssentialAdds the Panel-by-Panel Repaint & Body Filler Check, accident investigation, repair cost range guidance, a negotiation summary, and at least 60 photos.
Book EnhancedAdds deeper analysis, a detailed video walk-through, priority scheduling, a report by 11:59 PM Eastern on inspection day, and 80 or more photos.
Book EliteSee a full breakdown of what each level includes
We come to the car. A travel fee may apply depending on where the vehicle is, and we confirm it with you before the inspection.
Every item on our inspection gets a recorded result, either a condition grade or a measurement, and how many apply depends on how your car is equipped. Enhanced and Elite add the deeper electronics and driver assist checks, plus the paint work. Enhanced and Elite cover the same checkpoints as each other; what Elite adds is service, such as more Areas of Concern, a longer consultation, priority scheduling and a report by 11:59 PM Eastern on inspection day, rather than more items. Each checkpoint gets a recorded result rather than a tick.
It depends entirely on who is doing it, because no standard defines what a point is. Two inspections advertised at the same number can differ on whether the car gets driven, whether a scan tool is connected, and whether anything is measured. The useful question is not how many points, but whether the inspection includes a road test, a diagnostic scan, measurements at each wheel, and photographs.
Essential is $259, Enhanced is $399, and Elite is $649. Every tier includes the dealer level diagnostic scan (availability varies by make and year) and a plain-English summary of the scan. Enhanced and Elite also explain each code on its own.
We come to the car, at a dealership, a private seller's home, or wherever it is parked. A travel fee may apply depending on where the vehicle is, and we confirm it with you before the inspection.
Yes, on every tier. We pull diagnostic trouble codes, check emission readiness status and OBD-II readiness monitors, and attach the scan report to your inspection as a PDF. You also get a plain-English summary of the scan: which systems are affected and what to do next. Enhanced and Elite add an explanation of each code.
Yes. Essential includes at least 30 photographs, Enhanced at least 60, and Elite 80 or more. Enhanced and Elite also include a video walk-through of the vehicle.
Yes. A fully electric vehicle gets high-voltage checks, including the underbody battery shield and charge and range before and after the drive. Hybrids and plug-in hybrids can choose any tier.
We cover the Atlanta metro and the Orlando metro. If you are not sure whether a location is in our area, enter the vehicle's ZIP code when you book and the site will tell you, or call 833-644-0800.
We cover the Atlanta metro and the Orlando metro, and we come to wherever the vehicle sits.