AE AE & AC (08) 9249 8619

Pre-Purchase Vehicle Inspections

An honest assessment of a used vehicle before you commit — including the electrical and air conditioning checks that most inspections skip entirely.

Malaga workshop Mon–Fri 8:00am–5:00pm Sat 8:00am–12:00pm Auto electrical, AC & mechanical in-house

What we check

  • A full diagnostic scan across all modules — stored and pending codes, and codes recently cleared. A car scanned clean the day before viewing is itself information.
  • Engine and driveline — running condition, leaks, cooling system, belts, mounts, noises, smoke.
  • Brakes — pad and rotor measurements, fluid condition, operation.
  • Steering and suspension — play, bushes, ball joints, shock condition, and tyre wear as evidence of alignment or component problems.
  • Auto electrical — battery and charging system, lighting, accessories, and any signs of amateur wiring or previous accessory installs.
  • Air conditioning performance — vent temperatures and operation. Rarely included elsewhere, and expensive to discover afterwards.
  • Evidence of previous damage or poor repair — panel alignment, paint finish, overspray, mismatched fasteners.
  • Fluids and service evidence, and whether the condition matches the claimed history.
  • Tyres — condition, matching, and age as well as tread.

What you get, and what we will tell you

A report on what we found, separated into what needs attention now, what will need attention soon, and what is normal wear for the age and kilometres. You can use it to negotiate, to plan, or to walk away.

We work for you, not the seller. Our job is to tell you what is wrong with the car. If we would not buy it, we will say so.

What an inspection cannot do is guarantee a vehicle will not develop a fault later. It tells you the condition on the day and flags what looks likely to need attention. Any inspection promising more than that is overselling.

Why the electrical and AC checks matter

These are the two most commonly skipped items in a pre-purchase inspection, and two of the more expensive things to find out about afterwards.

Electrical faults are the hardest to diagnose and often the costliest to chase. Amateur accessory wiring is very common on used 4WDs and utes, and it causes problems that surface months later. Spotting it before you buy is worth a great deal.

Air conditioning is easy to check in five minutes and easy to hide in a short test drive on a mild day. A compressor or evaporator replacement is a significant bill, and "the aircon just needs a gas-up" frequently means a leak somewhere expensive.

What affects the price

We quote after we have looked at the vehicle, because an honest number needs the actual fault rather than a description of it. What moves the price on this kind of work:

  • Diagnostic time. An obvious fault is quick; an intermittent one that only appears when hot, cold or over a bump takes longer to reproduce and confirm.
  • Part cost for your specific vehicle. This varies enormously between makes — European parts are frequently multiples of the equivalent for a common Japanese model.
  • Access. Some components are behind a dash, a subframe or an engine mount. The part can be cheap and the labour the opposite.
  • Whether the fault has caused secondary damage that also needs addressing.
  • Whether coding or calibration is required after fitting.

You get the number before the work starts, and nothing extra happens without you approving it first.

Frequently asked questions

What is included in a pre-purchase inspection?

A full diagnostic scan, engine and driveline assessment, brakes with measurements, steering and suspension, auto electrical and charging system, air conditioning performance, evidence of previous damage or poor repair, fluids, service evidence and tyres — with a report separating urgent items from normal wear.

Do you inspect the air conditioning?

Yes, and it is routinely left out elsewhere. It takes minutes to check vent temperatures and operation, and an AC repair discovered after purchase can be a significant bill.

Can you inspect a car at the seller's location?

Talk to us about the vehicle and where it is. A proper inspection needs a hoist for the underbody assessment, so bringing the vehicle to the workshop gives you a far more complete picture.

Will an inspection guarantee the car won't have problems?

No, and nobody can honestly promise that. It tells you the vehicle's condition on the day and flags what looks likely to need attention, which is what lets you negotiate or walk away with your eyes open.

Do you work for me or the seller?

You. Our job is to tell you what is wrong with the car, and if we would not buy it we will say so.

Other services

Areas we service: Malaga · Morley · Ballajura · Wangara · Bayswater · Midland · Guildford · Ellenbrook · Bassendean · Perth and the wider Perth metropolitan area.

Book your vehicle in

Tell us what the vehicle is doing and we will diagnose it properly. You get the price before the work starts.