What Items Are Checked During a Vehicle Inspection?

[MacNatalie]

The following items are checked during a vehicle inspection: 1. Inspect the body paint: Check for scratches, spots, dents, and wear on the paint. Observe under sufficient sunlight to see if there is any color difference in the paint. Open the doors and push/pull them from various angles to let light shine from different directions, checking if the sheet metal is smooth and whether there are any signs of repair. 2. Check the vehicle identification plate: The vehicle identification plate is located on the side of the driver's door or inside the engine compartment. Check if the manufacturing date is too far in the past. If it's more than six months old, the vehicle might be a stock car or a test drive car. Also, ensure the information on the vehicle identification plate matches that on the vehicle certification. 3. Check the windshield: The numbers represent the most recent production year, and the dots represent the production month. If the dots are on the left side of the number, it indicates production in the first half of the year—subtract the number of black dots from 7 to get the specific month. If the dots are on the right side of the number, it indicates production in the second half of the year—subtract the number of black dots from 13 to get the specific month. If the windshield production date is too far from the vehicle's manufacturing date (a year or more), the windshield has likely been replaced. 4. Check if the engine compartment is clean: If the vehicle has been stored for a long time or used, some areas may have obvious dust or stains. Also, check if the engine oil is sufficient and whether the levels of other fluids are within the acceptable range. 5. Check if the doors open and close smoothly: The door hinges should rotate without noise, the gaps between the doors and the front/rear bumpers should be consistent, and the doors should close properly in one motion. 6. Check the tire production date: If the tire production date is significantly older than the vehicle pickup date, consider replacement. 7. Check basic vehicle functions: Ensure the windows roll up and down properly, the air conditioning cools, the air vents have no strange odors, the dashboard functions operate correctly, the wipers work, the lights turn on properly, and the sunroof opens and closes smoothly, among other things.