Pre-Purchase Inspections for Wimbledon Buyers

We can tell you a good deal: whether it raises and levels correctly, whether the compressor sounds laboured or runs too long, whether any corner has settled, and what the suspension module has stored or pending. What we cannot do is predict when a component in good order will fail, and we will not pretend otherwise.

Often yes, because a warranty covers failure, not condition or wear. It will not pay for tyres, brakes, a previous accident repair done badly, or a service history with gaps that affect your cover. An inspection tells you what you are taking on and where the warranty will not help.

We can give you a reasoned estimate for the things we have measured, such as how much brake and tyre life is left and what service items are due, and quote that in writing. We will not put a figure on failures that have not started, because that would be guesswork dressed up as a number.

It cannot see inside a sealed engine or gearbox without dismantling, so internal bearing wear, a marginal head gasket or a gearbox that only misbehaves when hot may not show up. It cannot predict when a healthy component will fail, and it cannot prove that a well-repaired accident car was repaired badly. It is an informed snapshot of one day, not a warranty.

No, and no physical inspection can. Outstanding finance, insurance write-off markers and stolen records live in data held by finance houses and insurers, so you need a separate provenance check from a data provider. We always recommend running one alongside the inspection, because a mechanically excellent car with finance against it is still not safely yours.

Only approximately. We can judge bite point height, whether it slips under load, and listen for dual mass flywheel rattle at idle and on release, which together give a fair indication. Putting a percentage on remaining friction material is guesswork unless the gearbox comes off, and we will not pretend otherwise.

Usually, yes. Measured figures carry far more weight in a conversation than an impression, so a report showing 3mm of pad left, two tyres near the limit and an overdue cambelt is a concrete basis for a price discussion. It is equally useful when it comes back clean and simply confirms the car is what the seller said.

No. The two look at different things. An MOT is a legal pass or fail against a defined standard on the day, while an inspection is broader and judges condition, wear and cost to come, including items an MOT never covers such as engine internals, gearbox behaviour and service history. Many buyers want both.