Used Car Inspection Checklist: The 20-Minute Walk-Around

Looking at a used car and not sure what to check? This printable checklist walks you through a 20-minute inspection, step by step: tires first, then body and paint, glass and lights, under the hood, interior and electronics, an OBD2 scan, and a test drive. It also covers red flags and when to pay for a professional pre-purchase inspection.

You get a scoring sheet for each car and a side-by-side compare sheet, so you can look at several cars and decide with a clear head instead of a gut feeling. Written by Andrew Chandler, a Virginia vehicle appraiser and buyer, in plain language with no hype. Includes a sources page and Virginia-specific notes kept separate from U.S. rules.

This is my opinion and general information, not mechanical, financial, or legal advice, and no checklist replaces a qualified mechanic's inspection.

About 31 pages. Instant download: PDF plus editable DOCX (Word), built to print.