Pre-Purchase Car Inspection: What We Found on a Used Audi A4

The customer was shopping for a used car and wanted an independent check before committing money. They asked whether we do pre-purchase inspections, then booked one for a car they had seen at a dealer.

Buying a used car without an inspection is a gamble. What looks clean on the surface can hide worn suspension, failing mounts and absorbers that cost thousands to fix after you have signed. An inspection done before the purchase puts you in control: you either get a clean report and buy with confidence, or you find the problems and walk away before the money changes hands.

The first car came to us in June. A second candidate followed in early July, on its own day.

Our pre-purchase inspection covers the major items, such as the engine and gearbox, with oil leak checks and a computer diagnostic scan. On the Audi, we sent the customer photos of our findings, then a parts estimate.

Audi A4, about 69,000km: The engine and gearbox mountings needed replacing. So did the front and rear absorbers. At the front, our estimate also covered the upper arms, the control arms, the lower arms with their ball joints, the linkages and the stabiliser bar bushes, followed by a wheel alignment. Together that is a big bill on top of the purchase price.

We sent the photos and the parts estimate so the customer knew what the Audi would cost to put right before deciding. The estimate ran to several thousand dollars on top of the purchase price. We did no repairs on either car.

In early July the customer sent a second candidate car to us for the same check. The first inspection came with a $500 servicing credit, and the customer later used it on servicing with us.

A pre-purchase inspection at 1 Car Service is complimentary when you purchase a $500 servicing credit, before GST. The inspection covers the major items, such as the engine and gearbox, on a best-efforts basis, and includes oil leakage checks and computer diagnostics, with a written report. An engine compression test is available at $120 if requested. Accessories such as windows, radio and signal lights are not covered. You can bring the car to our workshop at Sin Ming AutoCity, or arrange for the seller to deliver it.

If you decide not to buy the car, nothing is wasted: the servicing credit transfers to another car, or you can inspect another candidate at $100 per car, and that amount also adds to your credits.

An independent, unbiased assessment is the cheapest part of any used car purchase in Singapore. Compare it to what it costs to repair worn control arms, absorbers and an engine mount after you have already paid for the car. On the Audi A4 here, our estimate for the mountings, absorbers and front suspension parts ran to several thousand dollars on top of the purchase price.

If the car is clean, the report tells you that too, and you can buy with confidence.

This Audi (Pre-purchase car inspection) was handled at 1 Car Service, an independent workshop in Sin Ming AutoCity, Singapore. For Audi, we use dealer-level ODIS diagnostics. We hold a 4.9★ rating from 1,836+ Google reviews.