Used Vehicle Inspection Checklist

New

Papers, engine, chassis, brakes, electrics and history — thirty-odd checks, with the ones that end a purchase on their own marked separately

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Work through it

Green if it is fine, red if it is not. Leave anything you have not looked at blank.

Papers

Original Blue Book present, name matchescritical

Engine and chassis numbers match the papers exactlycriticalCheck them yourself — one character out and stop there

Tax token up to date

Fitness and insurance in order

No hire-purchase entry in the Blue Book, or an NOC is in handcritical

Seller's NID and the Blue Book name are the same personcriticalIf they differ, who you are buying from is itself unclear

Engine

Starts first time from coldBe suspicious if it was warmed up before you arrived

Idles steadily without shaking

No blue or white smoke from the exhaustcritical

No unusual noise from the engine

No oil or coolant seeping

Takes the gears, pulls normally

Body and chassis

Chassis straight, no welding or bend markscritical

Paint consistent all overFresh paint on one side usually means an accident

Panel gaps even on both sides

No rust, particularly underneath

No cracks at the headstock or swingarm

Suspension, brakes and wheels

Suspension smooth, not leaking

Both brakes bite properlycritical

Tyres have usable tread left

Rims true, wheels spin straight

Chain and sprocket not worn out

Steering straight, does not pull

Electrical

Battery sound, electric start works

Head, tail, indicators and brake light all work

Horn and switches work

Odometer genuine, no sign of tamperingcriticalCompare the reading against wear on tyres, seat and grips

No patched or scorched wiring

History

No history of a major accidentcritical

Service record can be shown

Number of previous owners is known

You have ridden it yourselfcriticalIf they will not let you ride it, do not buy it

Not finished looking — Some of the items that matter most have not been looked at. Do not decide without them.

So far

Fine

0 / 32

Problems

Not looked at

There is no score out of a hundred here, deliberately. A score lets one thing like a bent chassis or an accident history average away against thirty good marks — when that one thing is on its own enough to walk away from. So the rule is said plainly instead: a problem on anything marked critical is a stop.

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