A used car is bought well or badly at the inspection. Every number that follows depends on it: the price you can pay, the refurbishment budget, how long the car will take to get ready, and what you can honestly tell the next buyer. A rushed inspection on a busy afternoon is how a showroom ends up owning a car with a bank on the RC, a tampered odometer or a monsoon in its carpets.
This checklist is written for the person at the purchase desk. It runs in the order that saves the most time: papers first, because a paperwork problem can end the deal before anyone opens the bonnet.
1. Papers and records
- The RC against the carRead the chassis and engine numbers on the car itself and compare them with the RC. Check the registration number, make, model and fuel type. Any difference stops the deal until it is explained.
- The seller against the RCThe person selling should be the registered owner, or should have the owner present. Check their identity document against the name on the RC.
- HypothecationIs a bank or finance company named? If so, the loan has to be closed and the entry removed before the car is cleanly yours to sell. Our guide to removing hypothecation covers the NOC and Form 35.
- InsuranceIs the policy current, and in the owner's name? MoRTH has said insurance data uploaded to the VAHAN database shows on the mParivahan and eChallan apps, so you can confirm a policy is in force. Look at the NCB on the policy too: IRDAI's handbook says the bonus is lost in the next policy period after a claim, so a policy carrying NCB suggests no claim last year.
- PUCA valid pollution under control certificate.
- ChallansSearch the car's registration number on Parivahan's e-Challan portal. Note that some challans are forwarded to the virtual courts; ask the seller to clear what is pending before the sale, not after.
- Police recordsNCRB's Generate Vehicle NOC service, on digitalpolicecitizenservices.gov.in, lets you check a vehicle against the national police database before a second-hand purchase and download a NOC. Run it for every car.
- Keys, books and service historyBoth keys, the owner's manual and service book, and any service invoices. Invoices with dates and odometer readings are the best evidence you will get on the kilometres.
If you hold a dealer authorisation certificate, read the owner's declaration in Form 29C before the seller signs it. The owner declares that no tax demand or challan is pending, that the car is not involved in a criminal case or a pending accident case, that it is not held under hire-purchase, lease or hypothecation, and that it is free from all encumbrances. Every item on that list is something you can check on the day. Our guide to the dealer authorisation certificate covers the form.
2. Body and paint
- Panel gapsEven gaps around the bonnet, doors and boot. Uneven gaps on one side usually mean a panel has been off.
- PaintColour or texture that does not match between panels, overspray on rubber seals and trims, and sanding marks. Look along the car in daylight, not under showroom lights. A paint thickness gauge, if you have one, settles arguments quickly.
- The structurePillars, the apron and radiator support under the bonnet, the boot floor and the spare wheel well. Wrinkles, fresh sealant or non-factory welds there mean a serious repair, not a scratch.
- Glass, lamps and tyresWindscreen chips and cracks, mismatched glass markings, cloudy or fogged lamps, and the tyres' tread and age. Uneven tyre wear points at alignment or suspension work to come.
3. Engine and running gear
- Start it coldAsk for the car not to be run before you arrive. Listen for rattles at start, watch the exhaust, and check for warning lights that stay on.
- Fluids and leaksOil level and condition, coolant level and colour, and any leaks under the engine and gearbox. Milky residue under the oil filler cap needs a closer look.
- Gearbox and clutchSmooth engagement, no slipping, no crunching between gears. For automatics, smooth shifts with no delay or jerk.
- Steering, brakes and suspensionOn the drive: a straight run without pulling, firm brakes without vibration, no knocks over bumps.
- Electricals and ACWindows, mirrors, central locking, infotainment, lights and the AC's cooling. Each fault is small; together they are a real refurbishment line.
- A diagnostic scanIf you have a scanner, read stored fault codes. Codes that were cleared just before the inspection are a question to ask.
4. Signs the odometer has been wound back
No single sign proves tampering, so look for readings that do not agree with each other:
- Wear against the readingA shiny steering wheel, worn pedal rubbers, a polished gear knob or a collapsed driver's seat bolster on a car showing low kilometres.
- Paper against the readingService invoices, service stickers and any earlier inspection or valuation reports. A reading lower than an older invoice ends the conversation.
- The cluster itselfScratches on the screws or clips around the instrument cluster, or a cluster that looks newer than the dashboard.
- Tyres and brakesReplaced tyres and discs on a car that claims too few kilometres to have needed them.
5. Signs of flood damage
Flood is one of the risks a comprehensive motor policy usually covers, according to IRDAI's handbook, so a flooded car may have been repaired under an insurance claim. Ask the seller directly, and look for:
- Silt and water linesFine mud under the seats, in the seat rails, inside the spare wheel well, and on the seat belts when pulled all the way out.
- Smell and dampA musty smell, damp carpets or underlay, or heavy air freshener covering one.
- Rust where it should not beCorroded seat rail bolts, screws under the dashboard, and pedal brackets on a car that is otherwise clean.
- ElectricsCorroded connectors, intermittent faults, fogged lamps and warning lights that come and go.
- New carpet in an old carFresh carpet or seat covers on an older car deserve a look underneath.
6. Write it down, with photos
An inspection nobody wrote down is an opinion. The record should belong to the car and include:
- Who and whenThe inspector's name, the date, and the odometer reading at inspection.
- Pass or fail by areaPapers, body, engine, gearbox, brakes and suspension, electricals, interior.
- Damage markedEach dent, scratch and repaint marked on a diagram of the car, with a photo.
- A refurbishment estimateThe work each finding needs, so the buy price is agreed with the refurbishment budget already in it. Our refurbishment cost guide covers tracking it per car.
- The checksThe e-Challan search, the vehicle NOC and the hypothecation status, with screenshots or downloads attached.
- The decisionBuy, buy at a lower price, or walk away, and who approved it.
Where Kenro Dealership fits
In Kenro Dealership, inspection is a step in each car's life. The physical inspection is a checklist with photos, a pass or fail on the mechanicals and damages marked against the car. The RC can be scanned and the purchase documents kept with the car from the day it is bought, the owner approves the purchase before money moves, and the inspection's findings become the car's refurbishment jobs. See how the stock view works.
Questions dealers ask
How can a dealer check pending challans before buying a used car?
Search the car's registration number on Parivahan's e-Challan portal, and ask the seller to clear anything pending before the sale.
How do I check whether a used car is stolen?
NCRB's Generate Vehicle NOC service on digitalpolicecitizenservices.gov.in checks a vehicle against the national police database before a second-hand purchase and lets you download a NOC.
What are the signs of flood damage in a used car?
Silt under the seats and on fully extended seat belts, a musty smell or damp carpet, rust on seat rail bolts and screws under the dashboard, corroded electrical connectors, and new carpet in an old car.
What should a dealer write down at inspection?
The inspector, date and odometer reading, pass or fail by area, every damage marked with a photo, a refurbishment estimate, the challan, NOC and hypothecation checks, and the buy decision with who approved it.
Sources
- Parivahan e-Challan: check challans by vehicle number
- PIB, Ministry of Home Affairs, 29 January 2020: NCRB launches the Generate Vehicle NOC service
- PIB, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, 9 August 2018: DL and RC in DigiLocker or mParivahan to be accepted
- Gazette of India: G.S.R. 901(E), 22 December 2022, Rules 55A to 55H and Forms 29A to 29F (PDF)
- IRDAI: Motor Insurance Handbook (PDF)