Pre-Purchase Car Inspection Melbourne

Mobile Pre-Purchase Car Inspection in Melbourne

A pre-purchase car inspection is an independent mechanic's check of a used car before you pay for it. Mechanic Near You sends a mobile mechanic to inspect the car where it is parked: at the seller's home, a dealer's yard or your workplace, anywhere in Melbourne's west. You get a photo report the same day, with every fault rated and costed. Inspections start from $199.

• From $199, including GST and travel
• 50+ checks across 9 areas
• 60 to 90 minutes on site
• Mechanic's report the same day
• 7 days a week, 7 am to 9 pm

You've found the car. Now find out what it's hiding.

The photos look great. The seller seems decent. The price is right, and part of you has already driven it home.

Then the other part speaks up. What if the gearbox is on its way out? What if it has been in a crash? What if you hand over your savings and a warning light comes on a week later?

That worry is reasonable, and you can't settle it by kicking the tyres. The seller knows the car's whole history. You get twenty minutes and a drive around the block. A pre-purchase inspection evens that up before any money changes hands.

What is a pre-purchase inspection?

A pre-purchase inspection is a full condition check of a used car, carried out for the buyer by a mechanic who has no stake in the sale. You may also hear it called a pre-purchase check, a pre-buy car inspection or a pre-purchase vehicle inspection. They all mean the same thing.

It answers three questions. Is this car mechanically sound? Has it been crashed, flooded or tampered with? What will it cost to put right?

Consumer Affairs Victoria's guide to buying a used car advises having a used car inspected by an independent qualified mechanic before you buy. If a seller won't agree to an inspection, it says to consider not buying the car.

Why a roadworthy certificate is not enough

Many buyers relax when they hear "it comes with a roadworthy". Transport Victoria is blunt about what that means: a roadworthy inspection doesn't tell you if a car is mechanically reliable or what its general condition is. It doesn't confirm that non-safety items such as the air conditioning or electric windows work, and the certificate is only current for 30 days.

A car can pass a roadworthy and still need a gearbox. Our inspection is there to catch that.

What our pre-purchase vehicle inspection covers

Every inspection runs through more than 50 checks across 9 areas.

The road test goes ahead wherever the seller allows it.

What's in your mechanic's report

Your report arrives the same day, written in plain English. It includes:

• Photos of each fault we find
• A rating for each fault: fix now, fix soon or monitor
• A rough repair cost for each fault
• The fault codes from the computer scan, and whether codes were cleared just before the sale
• A call from the mechanic to go through the findings

Your mechanic's report is yours to keep, and you can show it to the seller when you negotiate. What you do with it is up to you. If the car is sound and priced fairly, buy it and sleep well. If it has faults, use our repair costs to negotiate, or ask the seller to fix them first. Worn brakes are a common find, and our brake and rotor replacement cost guide shows what that repair costs in Melbourne.

If we find structural repairs, cleared fault codes or an odometer that doesn't add up, walk away. Losing $199 hurts far less than paying for a gearbox rebuild.

How much is a pre-purchase inspection?

Our mobile pre-purchase inspections cost $199, $279 or $349, depending on the car. Every price includes GST and travel within our service area, and there are no hidden fees.

For comparison, the Melbourne inspection providers we checked in October 2026 advertised prices from $199 to $599. Mobile inspections of European and prestige cars sat at the upper end of that range.

Mobile inspections for prestige, European and 4WD cars

A European sedan or a loaded 4WD has more control modules and dearer parts than a small hatchback, so a missed fault costs more. Our Prestige inspection adds an extended scan of those modules and a check of the 4WD system. If the car is elsewhere in Victoria, call us and we will confirm whether we can travel to it.

Hybrid and electric cars

For hybrids, we scan the hybrid system for fault codes and check the hybrid battery's cooling system, on top of every standard check. For fully electric cars, call first. Battery health reporting differs by make, and we will tell you what we can check before you book.

How a mobile pre-purchase car inspection works

1. Book and send us the ad. Share the listing, the seller's name and number, and where the car is parked.
2. We call the seller. We arrange a time and ask them not to start the car beforehand, because many engine faults only show on a cold start.
3. We inspect the car. Allow 60 to 90 minutes, including the road test. You are welcome to come, but you don't have to.
4. You get the report and a call. Photos, rated faults and repair costs arrive the same day.

Your protection depends on where you buy

Victorian law treats dealers, private sellers and auctions very differently. This is the position set out by Consumer Affairs Victoria.

If you cancel during a dealer's cooling-off period, the dealer can keep $100 or 1% of the price, whichever is greater.

Two more checks matter. A PPSR search costs $2 online. It shows whether money is still owed on the car, and usually whether it has been written off or reported stolen.

Then there is the odometer. In July 2026 the Victorian Government reported that nearly a third of sampled used cars advertised online had odometers wound back by at least 25,000 km. On every inspection we compare the odometer with the service records and with the wear on the seats and pedals.

Problems we find most often

• Odometer readings that don't match the service records or the wear on the seat and pedals
• Fault codes cleared just before the sale to hide a warning light
• Hidden accident repairs: overspray, uneven panel gaps and replaced panels
• Oil leaks disguised by a freshly degreased engine bay
• Harsh or slipping automatic gear changes, and worn clutches
• Worn brakes and old tyres
• Rust in the sills and underbody, and signs of flood damage

Where we inspect cars

We go to the car, so you never have to talk a seller into driving it across town. From our base in Wyndham Vale, we cover Melbourne's west, including Werribee, Hoppers Crossing, Tarneit, Point Cook, Truganina, Williams Landing, Altona, Laverton, Deer Park, Caroline Springs, Melton, Eynesbury, Lara, Corio and Geelong. Found a car further out? Call us and we will confirm.

After you buy

A new-to-you car deserves a clean starting point. Book a general service soon after you pick it up, so the oil, filters and fluids are fresh and you know exactly where the car stands. If the car is still under its manufacturer's warranty, book a logbook service instead, so the service history stays complete. If the report listed faults you decided to live with for now, our mobile repairs can fix them in your driveway.

Why buyers choose Mechanic Near You

• We work for you, not the seller. We don't sell cars, and we take no commission from anyone.
• We repair cars every day. Our repair costs come from doing the work, not from a price guide. See how our prices sit against a dealer's in our mobile mechanic vs dealership cost comparison.
• You know the price first. $199, $279 or $349, fixed before we set off.
• Buyers rate us. 4.8 out of 5 from 79 Google reviews.

Pre-purchase inspection questions

Is a car pre-purchase inspection worth it?

Yes, for almost any used car. A private sale in Victoria has no cooling-off period and no statutory warranty, so once you pay, the car's faults are yours. An inspection from $199 is small beside the cost of a gearbox, an engine or a hidden crash repair.

How long does a pre-purchase car inspection take?

Allow 60 to 90 minutes at the car, including the road test. Prestige cars and 4WDs can take a little longer. Your report arrives the same day.

Do I need to be there?

No. Send us the seller's details and we arrange everything. You are welcome to come along, and we call you with the findings either way.

Can you inspect a car at a dealership?

Yes. Tell the dealer we are coming and we handle the rest. If you can't get an inspection done before you sign, Consumer Affairs Victoria suggests making the sale conditional on your satisfaction with an independent inspection report.

What if the seller won't allow an inspection?

Treat it as a warning sign. A seller with nothing to hide has no reason to refuse, and walking away is usually the right call.

Does the inspection include a PPSR check?

The Comprehensive and Prestige packages include it. With the Standard package, you can run one yourself on the Australian Government's PPSR website for $2, using the car's VIN.

When should I book?

Before you pay a deposit or sign anything. Give us the seller's details as early as you can, so we can see the car on a cold start.

Don't buy someone else's problem

Book your pre-purchase car inspection before you hand over a deposit, and know exactly what you are paying for. Call 0406 396 397 between 7 am and 9 pm, any day of the week.