How long does the inspection take?

About an hour at the car, plus a short road test if you agree to one. It happens wherever the car is already parked, your driveway, your parking spot, the lot. You do not have to drive it anywhere or leave it with anyone.

Will anything be taken apart or removed from my car?

No. Nothing is disassembled and nothing is removed. It is a measure-and-look inspection: a scan tool plugged into the OBD port, brake pads and tire tread measured with a gauge, fluids checked at the dipsticks and reservoirs, a look underneath, and a check of lights and controls. Wheels stay on. Panels stay on. Nothing is drained, unbolted or opened up.

Why should I say yes?

Because it usually closes the sale. A buyer who has had the car inspected stops haggling on suspicion and starts dealing with facts, and serious buyers are the ones who ask for an inspection in the first place. Saying no filters your buyers down to the ones who will lowball you on what they imagine might be wrong.

Is one thing I should not do before the visit?

Please do not warm the car up before he arrives. A cold start is one of the most useful things in the whole inspection, and a pre-warmed engine looks like someone is hiding a rough start even when nothing is wrong. Leave it sitting and you look better, not worse.

Home → Services → Pre-Purchase Inspection → For Sellers

Written for the seller

A buyer wants your car inspected. Here's exactly what that means.

Q: Do I have to hand over my keys?

You keep the keys and you can stay with the car the whole time. Fares needs the ignition on for the scan and the electrical checks, and if you agree to a short road test he asks you to come along or to drive it yourself while he listens. Your car never leaves your sight.

Q: Do I get to see the results?

Yes, you get a copy of the same written report the buyer gets, with the photos and measurements. If the car checks out that report is the strongest thing you can hand the next buyer. If something is worn, you find out from a measurement instead of an argument.

Q: Who pays for it?

The buyer pays. It costs you nothing but the hour. The published price is $120–$250 flat and the buyer settles it directly.

Someone sent you this link because they want a mechanic to look at your car before they buy it. Short version: it takes about an hour, it happens wherever the car is already parked, nothing gets taken apart and nothing gets removed, you keep your keys, you get a copy of the report, and the buyer pays for it. You don't drive anywhere and you don't leave your car with anyone.

About an hourAt your address, where the car already sits. You don't drive anywhere.

Nothing removedNo wheels off, no panels off, nothing drained, nothing unbolted.

You keep the keysStand with the car the whole time if you want. It never leaves your sight.

You get a copySame report, same photos, same measurements as the buyer. Costs you nothing.

I'm Fares. I run Cars With Fares, mobile mechanic work in Mississauga, Oakville, Milton, Brampton and Etobicoke. Most of what I do is repairs in people's driveways. Some of it is inspections for buyers, which is why you're reading this. I wrote this page because sellers get asked for an inspection and picture the worst version of it: a stranger pulling their car apart in the driveway, or driving off with it to a shop across town. That's not what happens, and you should know that before you say no.

What actually happens, start to finish

1I show up at the address the buyer gives me, at the time you agreed to. Your car stays exactly where it is.
2Cold start. You crank it, or you hand me the key and stand right there, your call. This is the one thing I'll ask a favour on: please don't warm it up before I arrive. A cold start is one of the most useful minutes of the whole inspection, and a pre-warmed engine actually makes an honest car look suspicious.
3Scan tool into the OBD port under the dash. It reads codes and system status. It doesn't change anything, doesn't reprogram anything, and doesn't leave anything behind.
4Measurements. Brake pads and tire tread get measured with a gauge through the wheel. Fluids get checked at the dipsticks and reservoirs. Wheels stay bolted on.
5A look underneath and around, rust, leaks, suspension, panel gaps, lights, glass, interior controls. Eyes and a flashlight, not tools.
6A short road test, only if you agree. You come along, or you drive and I listen. Ten minutes, normal roads, nothing hard on the car. If you'd rather skip it, we skip it and the report says the road test wasn't done.
7I write it up, with photos and the actual numbers, and both of you get a copy the same day.

What I will and won't touch

Plug a scan tool into the OBD port and read it
Measure brake pads and tread with a gauge
Check fluid levels and condition at the dipsticks and reservoirs
Look under the car, in the wheel wells and under the hood
Test lights, windows, locks, heat, AC and the electronics
Take photos of what I find, so nothing is my word against yours

Take wheels off, drop panels, or unbolt anything
Remove, drain, replace or "top up" any part or fluid
Open up the engine, transmission or interior trim
Clear codes, reset anything, or change a single setting
Drive your car anywhere without you agreeing first
Keep your keys, your ownership, or your car out of your sight

Why saying yes is usually in your interest

It closes the sale

A buyer who's had the car looked at stops negotiating against their imagination and starts dealing with facts. The inspection is usually the last thing standing between you and a deposit.

It filters for serious buyers

Nobody pays for an inspection on a car they're not planning to buy. The people who ask are the ones with money ready.

You get the report free

You get the same written report, photos and measurements the buyer gets. If this deal falls through anyway, that report is the strongest thing you can hand the next buyer.

It protects you too

"You knew about that and didn't tell me" is a conversation nobody wants a week after the sale. A written inspection both parties saw is the cleanest way to end the deal for good.

An honest note about the awkward part. If your car has something worn on it, the report will say so with a measurement, and the buyer will probably ask for money off. That's the deal, but a number is easier to argue with than a suspicion, and it's usually a smaller number than what a nervous buyer knocks off on a hunch. If the car's straight, the report says that too, in writing, and that's worth more to you than the hour it cost.

Questions sellers actually ask

How long does it take?

About an hour at the car, plus ten minutes if you agree to a road test. It happens where the car is parked, you don't drive anywhere and you don't drop it off.

Will anything be taken apart or removed?

No. Nothing is disassembled and nothing is removed. Scan tool in the port, gauge on the pads and tread, dipsticks, a look underneath, lights and controls. Wheels stay on, panels stay on, nothing gets drained or unbolted.

Do I have to hand over my keys?

You keep them and you can stand with the car the whole time. I need the ignition on for the scan and the electrical checks. If you agree to a road test, you come along or you drive. Your car never leaves your sight.

Do I get to see the results?

Yes. Same report, same photos, same measurements as the buyer, same day.

Who pays?

The buyer. It costs you nothing but the hour. The published price is $120–$250 flat and the buyer settles it directly with me.

Is this a safety certificate?

No, and I want to be clear about that. This is a condition report for the buyer. An Ontario Safety Standards Certificate is a separate thing with its own rules and I'm not issuing one here.

Can I be there the whole time?

I'd prefer it. You know the car better than anyone and half the useful context comes from the owner standing there answering questions.

What if I just say no?

That's your right, it's your car. Understand how it reads, though: a flat refusal to let anyone look tends to end the conversation with the buyers who have the money. If there's something specific you're worried about, tell the buyer instead. Known problems cost you less than mystery ones.

Want to see what the report looks like first?

Fair question. I publish a complete sample report and the full 150-point list, so you can read exactly what gets written down before you agree to anything. Nothing on either page is hidden behind a form.

Selling it, or fixing it before you list it?

If the buyer's already booked, you don't need to do anything but pick a time with them. And if you'd rather sort out the worn stuff before the next buyer measures it, I do brakes, suspension, batteries, belts and leaks in driveways across Mississauga, Oakville, Milton, Brampton and Etobicoke, flat quote first, you approve, then anything gets touched.

Call or text 647-450-0406 Get a flat quote

Seller side

Get it sorted before the next buyer

Brakes, battery, belts, leaks, suspension, done in your driveway. Flat quote before anything happens.