Pre-purchase inspection
A comprehensive car inspection protocol
On-site inspection in Tbilisi, Rustavi and Batumi: every car goes through the same list. Nothing gets skipped because it “looks fine”.
- 1
Documents and VIN
- VIN on the body, under the bonnet and in the papers matches
- Liens and registration restrictions
- Details match the registration certificate
- 2
History
Sample Carfax report- Carfax / AutoCheck report
- Accidents, owners, mileage, servicing
- Auction photos (US cars)
- 3
Computer diagnostics
Sample diagnostics report- Fault codes from every control unit
- Airbags
- Mileage across the control units
- 4
Body
Sample paint map- Paint gauge on every panel
- Filler, respray, replaced panels
- Welds, corrosion, gaps, geometry
- 5
Engine and gearbox
- Leaks, belts, fluids
- Automatic / manual gearbox
- 6
On a lift
- Suspension, steering, brakes
- Underbody, leaks from below
- 7
Cabin and boot
- Wear, electrics, climate control
- Standard equipment
- 8
Test drive
- Acceleration, braking, gearbox
- Knocks, noises, pulling to one side
- 9
Outcome
- Report with photos and video of defects, paint readings
- Verdict: buy, negotiate or walk away
- Costs after the purchase
- Negotiating with the seller
The outcome
What you get
A written report within a day of the inspection: photos of every defect, the measurement table, fault codes and a verdict. Plus our estimate of what the car is actually worth, which is useful leverage when you negotiate.
See also
Related services
What is usually needed alongside this. Each page has the price and a request form.
$100
On-site car inspection
Car Select runs independent diagnostics of the car you've picked, before you buy. Already found something interesting? We'll come to the seller before the deal and check it fully.
$250
Expert for a day
A Car Select specialist spends the whole day with you and checks as many cars as you can get through. Useful when you have several cars on your list.
$500
Turnkey car sourcing
Car Select handles the whole purchase: from the first listing to the moment you get the keys. We do the searching, the car market trips and the talking with sellers for you.
Blog
Articles on this topic
July 14, 2026 · 8 min read
Five ways a serious accident gets hidden at the Rustavi car market
Rustavi is the largest used car market in the region, and the standard of pre-sale prep there is high enough that a seriously damaged car becomes visually flawless in a week. Here are the five most common techniques, and how to test for each one.
May 27, 2026 · 7 min read
Why Carfax can lie: reporting lag and how to check by hand
Carfax is a useful tool, but it isn't a government accident registry. It's a commercial database that records what it gets told. Between a real crash and a line in the report sits a chain of several links, and any one of them can break.
May 6, 2026 · 5 min read
Paint-thickness gauges: what the device shows and how to read the results
A paint gauge is the fastest way to find out whether a car has been in an accident, even on a perfectly polished body. Its readings can't be argued with, but you need to know how to interpret them.
April 2, 2026 · 6 min read
Rolled-back odometers: how to spot one and avoid overpaying
Rolling back an odometer takes an hour and leaves no marks on the dashboard. But mileage isn't stored in one place: it's logged in the control modules, in the service history, and in the wear on parts a seller never thinks to fake.
February 10, 2026 · 7 min read
How to inspect a car before buying in Georgia: the full checklist
Nine out of ten cars on the Georgian market carry hidden defects that don't show up in photos or in a five-minute look-over. Below is the order professionals actually check a car in.