Buying a car

Pre-purchase car inspection

Buying privately or from a small trader means the car is exactly as good as the seller says it is — unless somebody independent looks at it first. A pre-purchase inspection is a mechanic meeting you at the car, going over it properly, and telling you what they'd want to know before handing over money.

We arrange inspections across London and anywhere inside the M25, and a little beyond if you ask. The mechanic meets you at the seller's address, so nothing has to be moved before you've decided.

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Anywhere within the M25 — and if you're a little bit outside it, we'll still make the effort to reach you.

When it's worth arranging one

Buying privately from a listing with limited history
The price looks noticeably below the market
Buying at distance and you can only see the car once
Recorded write-off, imported or high-mileage examples
You want leverage to negotiate on genuine faults
You simply don't know what to look for and would rather someone did

What the inspection typically covers

The exact scope depends on the car and the site, but an inspection generally includes:

A diagnostic scan for stored and pending fault codes across the vehicle's modules
Cold start behaviour, idle quality and any obvious noises
Visual check for leaks, corrosion and previous accident repair
Tyre condition, brake wear and visible suspension play
Bodywork panel gaps and paint consistency where accessible
Interior electrics, warning lights and service indicators
A road test where the seller permits it and the car is legally usable
A verbal summary on the spot of what's good, what needs money soon, and what would make us walk away

What it isn't

It's an experienced mechanical opinion at a point in time, based on what can be seen and tested without dismantling the car. It isn't a warranty, an HPI/finance and history check, or a guarantee that nothing will fail later. Hidden internal wear can't be ruled out without stripping components, which no seller is going to allow before a sale.

Arranging access

Clear the visit with the seller first and let us know the address, the make and model, and a couple of times that suit. It helps enormously if the car has been left cold — a warmed-up engine hides cold start problems.

When a workshop or recovery is still the right call

If the car is parked somewhere that can't be worked around safely, or the seller won't allow a road test or access to the service history, the inspection is inevitably limited. The mechanic will tell you what they could and couldn't check rather than filling in the gaps with guesswork. Anything suspected internally — gearbox, turbo or engine wear — needs a workshop to confirm.

We'll either get you back on the road, or our experienced mechanics will give you a solution.

Other things we can come out for

Request a mechanic

Call or WhatsApp us and tell us where you are and what the car is doing — you can share your location straight from your phone. Prefer to type it out? Use the request form on the homepage and we'll come back to you.

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Rolling Mechanics is a trading name of Symatec Ltd. We introduce customers to independent mobile mechanics — see our terms & conditions.