Visual multi-point inspection
An honest written rundown of what's good, what's wearing, and what needs attention.
$45about an hour
Book it
5.0
215+ reviews on Google, SureCritic & CARFAX
Car advice · Green Light Automotive
Buying a used car? Inspect before you pay.
A test drive tells you how a car feels for twenty minutes. A $45 pre-purchase inspection tells you what the next owner is actually signing up for. In a college town full of first cars bought far from home, it's the cheapest insurance there is.
The playbook
An hour on our lift beats a year of regret.
A fresh wash and shampooed carpet hide a lot. What they can't hide from a lift and a mechanic's eyes: brake life, tire condition, fluid health, leaks, rust, worn suspension, and the little tells of a hard life — overspray from bodywork, mismatched tires, fluids that don't match the story.
The etiquette is simple and normal: agree with the seller to bring the car by during a test drive, or have them drop it off. Takes about an hour, and you get a written rundown — good, wearing, needs attention — plus a rough sense of what the needs-attention list would cost.
Then the inspection pays for itself one of three ways: you buy with confidence, you negotiate the price down with evidence, or you walk away from somebody else's problem. All three outcomes beat finding out in November. Students — check MyGreenDeals for current discounts before you book.
Red flags
Walk-away signals when used car shopping.
- The seller won't allow an independent inspection — that's your answer right there.
- Freshly cleaned engine bay on an older car — sometimes pride, sometimes hiding leaks.
- Mismatched or oddly worn tires — can point to suspension or alignment history.
- A price that's dramatically under market — somebody knows something.
- No maintenance records at all — you're buying the previous owner's habits.
- Pressure to close today — good cars survive a one-hour inspection.
What it costs
Cheap insurance, either way it goes.
Full diagnosis
We test the actual cause — and every diagnosis includes a full vehicle health & safety inspection.
$150flat — inspection included
Book it
FAQ
Pre-purchase questions, answered straight.
How does a pre-purchase inspection actually work?
Arrange with the seller to get the vehicle here — most bring it during a test drive. We spend about an hour on and under it, then walk you through the findings and the written rundown before you decide anything.
What if the seller says no?
Treat that as information. Honest sellers with sound cars almost never refuse an hour-long inspection; refusals correlate strongly with the cars you're glad you didn't buy.
Can you tell me what the repairs would cost?
We'll give you a realistic sense of what the needs-attention items would run, which is exactly the ammunition you want for negotiating — or for walking away with confidence.
I already bought it. Worth inspecting now?
Absolutely — a baseline inspection on a new-to-you vehicle tells you what's coming and what to budget for, so nothing surprises you at highway speed in January.
Related: All car advice · Vehicle inspections · Specials & discounts
Good to know
No waiting room — plan to drop off.
If you can leave the vehicle with us for the day, that's the best way to get it done right. We'll call or text with findings before any work starts.
Book a drop-off time- 🚗Diagnosis & repairs: plan on at least 5 hours — full-day drop-off is ideal.
- 🕑Oil changes & inspections: usually 60–90 minutes.
- 💰No surprises: pricing is confirmed with you before work begins.
Green means go
Found the car? Book the hour.
$45, about an hour, written rundown — book online before you pay anyone.