Pre-Purchase Inspection · Kaki Bukit · Singapore
Pre-Purchase Inspection,
Don’t Buy Someone Else’s Problem
A 120-point independent check before you hand over a single dollar. We strip back the polish, test what matters, and tell you straight what you’re about to buy. You’re welcome to come along and learn.
Why bother inspecting?
Because the used-car market is a minefield
A car can look perfect on a Carousell listing, pass a 10-minute test drive, and still be hiding a repaired chassis, a flood past, a tampered odometer or a gearbox on its last legs. A proper inspection costs from $100. The car you’re about to buy costs fifty to three hundred times that. Worth the insurance.
Hidden accident damage
Resprays, welded chassis, bent subframes. Paint shines, but the structure remembers. Our gauge picks it up in 20 seconds per panel.
Odometer tampering
Low-km car, but the ECU logs tell a different story. We cross-check ECU data against the shown mileage and service records.
Flood and water damage
SG floods during monsoon. Some cars are written off by insurers and quietly resold. Telltale: waterlines in fuse boxes, rust in unusual spots, musty smell.
Worn out behind the shine
New floor mats, polished dashboard, fresh air freshener. Meanwhile the transmission judders, CV joints click, and the timing belt is 20,000 km overdue.
What we check
The 120-point inspection, in plain English
Grouped into five areas. Every car leaves with a written report and photos of anything we flagged.
Mechanical
- Engine compression + oil condition
- Transmission shift quality, fluid condition
- Clutch wear (manual cars)
- CV joints, driveshafts, boots
- Suspension, shocks, bushings
- Steering rack, power steering, alignment
- Brake pads, discs, fluid, ABS function
- Cooling system + radiator leak test
Electrical & electronics
- Full OBD-II diagnostic scan (pending + stored codes)
- ECU data cross-check vs odometer
- Battery health (CCA reading)
- Alternator output under load
- Starter cranking behaviour
- All switches, lights, windows, locks, mirrors
- Infotainment, reverse cam, parking sensors
- Airbag + SRS warning diagnostics
Bodywork & paint
- Paint thickness gauge on every panel
- Panel gaps, door alignment, boot fitment
- Undercarriage rust, welded repairs, jacking points
- Chassis rails, subframe condition
- Glass chips, windscreen cracks, date codes
- Tyre age, wear pattern, brand match
- Wheel damage, curb rash, buckling
- Underbody flood markers
Interior & cabin
- Aircon cooling + compressor cycle
- Seatbelts, seat rails, headrest integrity
- Upholstery damage, water marks
- Dashboard warning lights on ignition
- Odometer vs wear (pedals, steering wheel, seat bolsters)
- Boot liner, spare tyre, jack, tool kit
- Water ingress signs in carpets
- All keys + fob function
Road test
- Cold start behaviour
- Acceleration, gear shifts, kickdown
- Brake feel + straight-line stopping
- Steering pull, vibration, alignment feel
- Suspension noise over bumps
- Wind + road noise, cabin seals
- Parking manoeuvre + reverse gear smoothness
- Engine + transmission temps during drive
Documentation
- LTA logbook + ownership history
- Service records vs mileage consistency
- Original keys + spare key present
- Workshop invoices cross-referenced
- Insurance claim history (if disclosed)
- COE details + PARF eligibility confirmation
- Outstanding finance check (buyer to confirm with LTA)
- Written summary of red flags
Not just a service — a learning session
Come along. Watch. Ask. Learn.
This is your money on the line. You should see what we see.
Most workshops hand you a report at the end. We’d rather you stand next to us while we work. It’s the fastest way to understand what you’re buying, and the best way to recognise the same warning signs on your next car.
→ Paint thickness gauge: you see the reading on every panel and learn what “normal” vs “respray” looks like.
→ OBD scan: we plug in, you see every stored and pending code live on the screen.
→ Underbody walkthrough: car’s on the lift, we point out welds, rust, flood markers, suspension wear.
→ Road test: you’re in the passenger seat. We talk through gear shifts, brake feel, steering pull.
→ Buyer’s takeaway: you leave knowing how to spot the red flags yourself next time.
What we’ve caught before
Real inspections, real saves
Names and plates removed. These are inspections where our buyer walked away (or renegotiated) after we flagged what the seller didn’t mention.
Odometer showed 180,000 km. ECU said 320,000.
Dashboard rolled back by a previous owner or dealer. Buyer walked away. Would have overpaid by at least $30,000 had the deal gone through.
“Accident-free” listing. Welded front chassis and repainted both front fenders.
Paint thickness gauge read 480 microns on a panel that should have been around 120. Clear evidence of accident repair.
Flood car. Waterline visible inside the fuse box.
Interior refreshed, new carpets, new-car smell. But corrosion in electrical connectors under the dash gave it away. Time bomb.
Four panels resprayed. Gearbox mount cracked.
Accident not disclosed. Gearbox mount cracked, already causing the judder the buyer felt on the test drive. $5,800 fix quoted. Seller knocked $7,000 off.
Transparent pricing
What does a pre-purchase inspection cost?
No surprises. Flat pricing based on what you need. Final price confirmed on WhatsApp once you tell us the car.
120-point check, paint gauge, OBD scan, road test, written report
We do not include compression testing by default. In our experience, spark plugs and coil packs on older cars can break during the test if they are already faulty, which may cause complications with the dealer. We will only proceed if both you (the buyer) and the dealer have agreed in writing that neither you nor The Right Workshop is liable for any parts damaged during the compression test. Add-on starts from $60, varies by model.
Subject to availability. We always recommend inspecting at our Kaki Bukit workshop where we have the full range of tools, lifts and diagnostic equipment. If on-site is preferred, add to any inspection above.
* Prices cover labour, diagnostics, report and photos. WhatsApp us with the car listing → and we’ll confirm price + slot within 30 minutes during workshop hours.
What to expect
From enquiry to verdict, in four steps
Send us the car
WhatsApp the listing link or make/model/year. We confirm slot, price and location (our workshop or seller’s site).
Meet + start check
Buyer welcome, sellers briefed beforehand. We begin the 120-point inspection. Road test with buyer in the passenger seat.
Findings + walkthrough
We walk you through everything we flagged. Photos on the spot. No rush. Ask anything.
Report + your call
A written report with our findings will be provided. You decide: walk, renegotiate, or proceed with confidence. We don’t push either way.
FAQ
Pre-purchase inspection, your questions answered
Can’t find what you’re looking for? WhatsApp us directly.
Absolutely, in fact we encourage it. The inspection doubles as a learning session. You’ll see every check live, understand what we’re looking for, and leave knowing how to spot red flags on your next car. Bring a friend if you’d like a second pair of eyes.
About 1.5 hours for a standard inspection. Add 30 minutes if we’re doing a compression test, and another 30 minutes if we’re inspecting at the seller’s location rather than at our workshop.
Yes, we require at least 2 days notice so we can reserve a bay and prepare the right tools. Urgent same-day slots possible, WhatsApp us and we’ll check.
Treat that as a major red flag. Legitimate sellers and reputable used-car dealers have no issue with an independent check. If someone refuses point-blank, they’re usually hiding something. Walk away, you just saved yourself from a bad deal.
Subject to availability. We always recommend having the inspection done at our Kaki Bukit workshop, where we have the full range of lifts, diagnostic tools, paint gauge equipment and lighting to do the most thorough job. If on-location is the only option, we can bring a portable kit (+$50 travel), but some checks that require a lift or workshop-grade equipment may be limited. WhatsApp us with the situation and we’ll advise.
We give you facts, photos, and repair cost estimates for anything we find. The final call is yours. Sometimes a car with flagged issues is still the right buy at the right price, we’ll help you work out what renegotiation is reasonable.
We approach every inspection with the same professional standard we apply to our own workshop cars. Our team does their best to identify every issue that can reasonably be found through visual inspection, diagnostics and a road test without dismantling the vehicle.
That said, cars are fundamentally mechanical and electrical machines. Some faults are intermittent, some are concealed by the seller, and some are physically impossible to detect without full teardown. No pre-purchase inspection, by any workshop, can guarantee 100% discovery of every present or future issue.
Our report is clear on what was checked and what was found. The Right Workshop is not liable for issues that fall outside the reasonable scope of a non-invasive inspection, but you can be confident that we apply our full expertise and experience to give you the most informed picture possible before you commit.
Book a first servicing with us to get baseline oil, filters and fluids all on a fresh record. We can also help with competitive insurance quotes through our broker partner, and schedule any repairs the inspection flagged.
After the inspection