That Kijiji deal looks great on paper. Let me tell you what's actually wrong with it before you pay.
I've saved people from buying absolute disasters. Cars with hidden frame damage, transmissions about to fail, engines burning oil that the seller masked with a fresh top-up 20 minutes before you showed up. A $180 inspection has saved my clients thousands — sometimes the entire purchase price.
I come to wherever the car is — the seller's driveway, a dealership lot, a parking lot meetup. You don't move the car. You don't take the seller's word for it. You get a mechanic who's seen every trick in the book.
Engine, transmission, brakes, suspension, steering, electrical, body, interior, fluids, tires. Every system, no shortcuts.
$180Full code pull including pending codes and freeze frame data. Sellers love clearing codes before a showing — pending codes tell me what they erased.
IncludedPaint meter readings on every panel. Detects body filler, repaints, and unreported collision work. I've caught "clean title" cars with entire quarter panels replaced.
IncludedOil colour and smell tells me maintenance habits. Dark brown transmission fluid = neglect. Milky coolant = potential head gasket. These are things the average buyer misses.
IncludedI drive it and feel for what you can't — transmission hesitation, suspension clunks at speed, steering pull, brake fade under load. Experience catches what eyes don't.
IncludedYou get a full written report with findings, photos, and a straight go/no-go recommendation. Use it to negotiate the price down or walk away clean.
IncludedNissan CVT transmissions — Altimas, Rogues, Sentras from 2013-2019 are notorious. Transmission feels fine at 80,000 km but I can tell by the fluid and the shudder pattern if it's on borrowed time. I've talked multiple clients out of these.
BMW turbo models (N54/N55) — Beautiful cars, expensive problems. Oil leaks from valve cover gaskets, VANOS issues, water pump failures. A clean-looking 335i can have $4,000 in upcoming repairs that don't show symptoms yet.
Rebuilt title Honda Civics and Accords — Popular targets for rebuilds in the GTA. I check frame rail alignment, weld quality, and panel gaps. A bad rebuild isn't just a bad deal — it's a safety hazard.
Think about it — you can't ask a private seller to drive their car to your mechanic. And you shouldn't buy a car and THEN get it inspected. I come to where the car sits, inspect it right there, and give you the answer before any money changes hands. That's the whole point.
"Just had an oil change" doesn't mean the car is maintained. It means someone spent $50 to make it look maintained. I check the stuff that actually matters — timing chain stretch, suspension bushing condition, transmission behaviour under load.
Dealerships aren't immune. Used car lots buy from auctions and flip with minimal inspection. "Certified pre-owned" at smaller dealers often means they washed it and cleared the codes. I've found frame damage on "certified" cars.
The inspection pays for itself. If I find $2,000 in upcoming repairs, you either negotiate the price down $2,000 or walk away. Either way, the $180 just made you money.
Send me the listing. I'll tell you if it's worth inspecting, then meet you at the seller's location.