FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

A pre-purchase inspection is a thorough, independent evaluation of a used vehicle before you commit to buying it. We come to the car wherever it is, inspect mechanical, electrical, body, undercarriage, and cosmetic condition, run a brand-compatible diagnostic scan, do a paint thickness scan, and take it for a test drive.

Why do you need one? Because buying a used car is one of the largest financial decisions most people make, and what you see on a listing or a CarFax report only tells part of the story. We've inspected over 10,000 vehicles since 2009 — and many "great looking" cars have failed inspection for issues hidden under the paint, in the diagnostic codes, or in the way they drive.

Three things no competitor in Canada offers:

• You're present during the inspection. We meet you at the car and you stand beside our inspector for the entire process. Other services tell customers their presence is "not recommended" — we say it's essential.
• Every remote inspection is on video. 100+ photos minimum, full video walkthrough, brand-compatible diagnostic scan with proof pictures, paint thickness scan with proof pictures, and a full written report within 6 hours. Browse 1,200+ real inspections on our YouTube channel to see exactly how we work.
• You only pay for what we do. If we arrive and determine early that the car is in poor condition, we stop and charge accordingly. No other inspection company in Canada operates this way.

Both. We do pre-purchase inspections for buyers and pre-sale inspections for sellers. Same thorough process, same deliverables.

For sellers, we strongly recommend a remote pre-sale inspection — the full video and 100+ photos give potential buyers the documentation they need to feel confident, often closing the sale faster and at a better price.

Booking takes under 2 minutes on our online booking page. Choose your city, pick the service level, pick a time, and you're done.

The earliest we can schedule an inspection is 16 hours from booking time. If you find a car today and want it inspected tomorrow — book as soon as possible. The closer your booking is to "right now," the more limited your time slot options become.

Most inspections take around 90 minutes, but it depends on the level and the vehicle. Bronze inspections are faster (focused paint + scan only). Diamond inspections take longer because more time is spent on every detail.

Remote inspections may take similar time on-site, but you receive your full report and video documentation within 6 hours after — much faster than the 24-48 hours competitors offer.

Yes — and we strongly encourage it. In fact, our entire business model is built around your presence. You stand beside our inspector the whole time, see every issue as it's found, and can ask questions in real time. Get answers immediately rather than possibly never getting one, or receiving a distilled written summary days later that raises more questions than it answers.

This is the biggest difference between us and every other inspection service in Canada. Other companies will tell you your presence is "not recommended." We think it's the entire point.

For on-site inspections: you receive the report on-site, right at the end of the inspection, along with a full verbal consultation. No waiting.

For remote inspections: you receive the full written report, video walkthrough, and 100+ photos by email within 6 hours. We then call you to walk through the findings.

Short answer: No, we don't lift the car.

Long answer:

• For noises: We take the vehicle for a test drive — many suspension and drivetrain issues are most obvious under load and at speed.
• For suspension: We visually inspect the shocks for leaks. For front-wheel and all-wheel-drive vehicles, we check the CV joint boots and axle boots. We assess overall suspension condition through driving feel and visible components.
• For rust: We visually inspect the undercarriage. Most cars have enough ground clearance to look under them. For low vehicles, we use mirrors and/or a borescope camera to inspect for missing parts, rust, or scrapes.

Note: rigor depends on the inspection level — Diamond gets the most thorough undercarriage attention.

This can actually work to your advantage in negotiations. If we find something we can describe but not fully verify due to access, that's still useful leverage when discussing price.

No, and here's why — it's not necessary on most modern vehicles.

Most cars built from the mid-1990s onwards have OBDII diagnostic capabilities that continuously monitor engine health indicators including:

• Misfires (cylinder by cylinder)
• Air-Fuel (A/F) ratio
• Crank speed variation
• Engine knock
• Camshaft synchronization

If a cylinder has serious compression loss, it translates to a misfire or abnormalities in combustion patterns that almost always trigger a fault code — which our brand-compatible diagnostic scan will catch. A compression test is most useful when you already have a code or symptom and need to diagnose further. For pre-purchase inspections, the diagnostic scan is the better first-pass tool.

We use brand-compatible diagnostic software — not just a generic OBDII reader. That means we scan all available modules in the vehicle:

• Engine control module (ECM)
• Transmission module
• ABS and stability control
• Airbag and safety systems
• All available body modules (doors, audio, climate)
• Battery & charging modules for EVs and Hybrids

We provide proof pictures of every scan as part of your report. Competitors typically use only generic OBDII — they pull basic engine codes and call it a day. Our scan covers what they miss.

Yes — and we strongly recommend our Gold level as the minimum for hybrids and EVs. Gold includes brand-specific software scanning of the battery and charging modules, which generic OBDII readers cannot do.

EVs and hybrids have unique systems that require deeper inspection, and the diagnostic data from the battery and charging modules is often the most important indicator of vehicle health and remaining value.

Short answer: No to both.

For Ontario Safety: Even though we have certified technicians who could conduct an Ontario Safety inspection, the requirements include lifting the car in a garage using a hoist. Since our service is mobile (we come to the vehicle), we can't issue a safety certificate because it would not comply with the regulations. For more information, see the official page: Ontario Safety Standards Certificate.

For Quebec SAAQ: The SAAQ contracts CAA centers and a list of specific approved garages to conduct that inspection — see the full list of approved service outlets here: SAAQ Approved Service Outlets. Those are the only facilities approved to conduct that inspection. Since we send our technicians directly to the vehicle and don't operate from a garage, we don't have the basis to apply to become an SAAQ testing facility.

Yes — we routinely inspect vehicles outside Montreal, Toronto, and Ottawa. The cost depends on the distance.

Within 35 km of city centers: No extra mileage fee. Included in the standard inspection price.

Beyond 35 km: Extra mileage fees apply based on the vehicle's postal code, calculated at approximately $1.50/km for the total distance.

For example: if the car is 60 km away from downtown, you would account for approximately $90 + tax in extra mileage fees (60 km × $1.50).

Because it's not fair to charge for work we haven't completed. If we arrive at a vehicle and determine early that the car is in poor condition, we stop the inspection and charge only for the work completed up to that point.

You don't pay for a full inspection if we've only done 60% of the work. No other inspection company in Canada operates this way.

In short:

• Bronze ($169 + tax, Montreal only): Paint thickness scan and basic OBDII scan only. No report, no test drive. For quick checks.
• Silver ($200 + tax): Our most popular level. Full inspection for standard gas-powered vehicles.
• Gold ($250 + tax): Recommended minimum for hybrids and EVs. Includes battery & charging module scan.
• Diamond ($300 + tax): Maximum time spent on the vehicle. Includes detailed cosmetic assessment (scratches, leather, stitching, smells).

All levels except Bronze offer a remote option for an additional $50 + tax. Full details on our services and pricing page.

Yes, we conduct pre-purchase and pre-sale inspections on classic, vintage, and exotic vehicles regularly. We have one of the largest publicly documented repositories of supercar and classic car inspection videos in Canada — browse our YouTube channel to see for yourself.

These vehicles require specialized knowledge and more inspection time, so pricing is provided on a case-by-case basis. Send us an email or contact request with vehicle details for a quote.

Yes, but it's handled on a case-by-case basis. These vehicles have unique inspection requirements compared to standard cars, so we evaluate each request individually.

Please contact us with the vehicle details and we'll get back to you with availability, pricing, and what we can cover.

Yes — Car Inspected has conducted countless CPO inspections. Dealerships go through so many cars every month that they miss things sometimes — not because they're trying to trick anyone (they have a reputation to protect), but because of honest errors.

For example, many dealerships trust the CarFax report and may not catch everything an independent third-party inspection would. An inspection of a CPO vehicle by our team can also confirm what was replaced — or still needs to be replaced — beyond what's listed in the dealer paperwork.

Almost always, yes. We're regularly asked about the receptiveness of small car lots to having an inspection done by Car Inspected — and the answer is: if the seller has nothing to hide, they generally welcome the idea of an inspection.

Many dealerships and private sellers actually prefer a mobile inspector coming to the car versus the buyer asking them to drive it across town to a "trusted garage." It's faster and lower-friction for everyone.

For private sellers, the best approach is to agree on the inspection upfront — before booking — so there are no surprises.

First, consider what a refusal means: either the seller has something to hide about the car or the transaction, or they don't trust the process. In either case, that's a critical piece of information about whether you should proceed with the purchase at all.

If the seller doesn't trust the process, show them our YouTube channel — chances are we have inspection videos of a similar vehicle to the one you want inspected. Letting them see how we work usually resolves their concerns quickly.

In the extremely rare case of an inspection being refused after it's been booked:

• A cancellation fee applies — you only pay for what we've done
• If we only showed up before being refused, a planning and logistics fee applies (usually $50 to $100 + tax)
• However, the buyer and seller normally agree that the vehicle is to be inspected before any booking is made, so this scenario is uncommon

We understand things change. There are two scenarios depending on timing:

24 hours or more before the inspection start time: You can cancel or reschedule directly through our booking platform — it's self-serve and there are no fees. Just use the link in your confirmation email.

Less than 24 hours before the inspection start time: Please contact us via our contact form (mention your inspection date, time, and name on file) or call/text (514) 746-9557 as early as possible. The earlier you reach out, the easier it is for us to adjust without any fees.

Last-minute cancellations may incur a logistics fee (typically $50 to $100 + tax) since we've already allocated time and assigned an inspector. That said — we don't want to charge customers for nothing.

A remote inspection is when we go to the vehicle on your behalf — you're not there in person. This is typically used when:

• You're buying a car from another city or province
• You can't get time off work to attend
• You're selling and want documentation buyers can review remotely

Remote inspections include everything in-person inspections include, plus:

• Full video walkthrough of the entire inspection
• Minimum 100 photos documenting everything (not just problems)
• Brand-compatible diagnostic scan with proof pictures
• Paint thickness scan with proof pictures, panel by panel
• Full written report within 6 hours
• Consultation call to walk through findings

Remote add-on cost: $50 + tax on any Silver, Gold, or Diamond level. No other inspection service in Canada offers video documentation for remote inspections.