We counted the findings on 429 used cars our technicians inspected between April and October 2026. 216 of them had at least one item marked for immediate attention, and on 113 of those it was a tire or a brake.
Updated October 12, 2026. Counted from 429 inspection reports we sent to customers.
These are the cars our customers asked us to check. Here is what our technicians recorded on them, item by item.
| What we found | Cars | How often |
|---|---|---|
| At least one cosmetic note (body, wheels or interior) | 426 of 429 | 99% |
| Diagnostic trouble codes worth a note on the report | 182 of 367 scanned | 50% |
| Tire tread depth flagged | 147 of 428 | 34% |
| A fluid level or condition flagged | 131 of 427 | 31% |
| An oil leak or oil residue | 114 of 367 | 31% |
| Warning lights on the dash | 117 of 425 | 28% |
| A steering note on the road test | 113 of 415 driven | 27% |
| Brake pads flagged | 85 of 422 | 20% |
| A suspension, CV axle or ball joint item flagged | 71 of 426 | 17% |
Trouble codes. About half the cars we scanned had codes our report called out: 182 of 367. The most common were engine codes (72 cars), codes from the driver-assist camera or radar (57), tire pressure sensor codes (55) and codes from the airbag system, current or stored (40). A code tells you where to look, not what is broken, so the report says which codes are current and which are stored history.
Steering. On 101 of the 113 cars with a steering note, the technician described a steering wheel sitting off-center, a drift or pull to one side, or recommended an alignment.
Tires and brakes. These are where "immediate attention" showed up most: on 113 cars, at least one tire or brake item was marked that way. Tires and pads are easy to overlook on a test drive.
Cosmetic notes. All but 3 of the 429 cars had at least one. That is normal on a used car. It is on the report so nothing is a surprise after you hand over the money.
Most of what we found is wear and upkeep (tires, brakes, fluids, alignment) that any used car can need. It tells you how these particular cars were kept, not which brands are better built.
A clean-looking car with a good history can still need tires, brakes or an alignment, and the dashboard will not tell you about a stored code. One of our certified technicians comes to the car, checks it item by item, scans it where the car allows it, takes it on a road test when the seller allows it and it is safe and legal to drive, and sends you a written report with photos.
Across 429 used cars we inspected, all but 3 had a cosmetic note. After that, the most common findings were trouble codes (182 of 367 scanned), worn tires (147 of 428), a fluid level or condition (131 of 427) and an oil leak or residue (114 of 367). Most of it is wear and upkeep any used car can need.
216 of the 429 cars we inspected had at least one item marked for immediate attention, and on 113 of them it was a tire or a brake. Those are things a buyer can raise with the seller before signing, not after.
On most cars, yes. How deep the scan can read varies by make and year, and some vehicles restrict full access to the manufacturer's own service tools. Cars from 1995 and earlier, including most classics, predate the standard diagnostic port, so the scan may not run at all; on those cars the engine is checked mechanically instead.
429 inspection reports with item-by-item findings, sent to customers between April and October 2026. Reports in our older format have no item-by-item findings, so they are not counted.