How to Visually Inspect a Vehicle Prior to Purchase

When you are test driving your next vehicle, there are simple exterior eyeball inspections that should be performed. These simple steps can help avoid costly repairs and help you make an informed vehicle purchase.

Tire Inspection

Check for tire wear by feeling each tire with your hands. Check how deep the tread is. Also note if there is any curb rash on the wheels. Rubbing of the outer tread can be associated with poor maintenance and miss-alignment which could lead to worse damage down the road (literally).

Windshield Inspection

Look carefully at the windshield for any small cracks. Small cracks cause by road debris turn into large windshield cracks unexpectantly, forcing the new car owner to repair the entire windshield.

Mileage Regulations

Next, look at the mileage. Most vehicles in order be billed as Clean or Average, require that there are no more than 25,000 miles/per year of age. In other words, in January of 2011, a 2008 car should have no more than 75,000 miles. Vehicles that have only 15,000 miles per year or less are considered more expensive and overall, a better car. Many dealerships still "overlook" these requirements in order to receive the Clean or Average markings, now that you know, double check the dealer information.

The Bob Stallings Auto Group Difference

Most used car dealers do not inspect their inventory prior to sale. At BobStallingsCars.com, we ensure that your next vehicle passes our BobStallingsCars.com Champion Checklist. Our experience, supporting NASCAR’s Daytona Prototype Series racecars has enabled us to properly inspect our inventory for mechanical problems. That’s why we call it the Champion Checklist!