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Buying a used car instead of new is a good decision. But how can you be sure the car you're buying isn't a lemon? What if you're not a mechanic, or you're buying a car from across the country?
Vehicle Inspection companies send professionally trained inspectors to examine your potential car and give you an independent report about its health. TopConsumerReviews.com reviews the best Vehicle Inspection companies available today.
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It's often been said, and it's true: buying a used car is a much better financial decision than buying a new one. The value of a car can drop to 50-60% of its original price when it's just 3 years old. If you're looking to get as much value as you can for your dollar, a used car is the way to go.
But how can you make sure the used car you're looking at is a good, quality vehicle? The best way is to have the car inspected by a professional mechanic. They know what to look for and can alert you to problem areas before you've invested in a used car purchase.
It's not always easy, however, to find a good, quality mechanic that you can trust. And these days you might find yourself shopping on ebay and find a car clear across the country. How can you get a vehicle inspection done then?
Fortunately there are services that will provide you with a professional mechanic, trained in the area of vehicle inspections. These companies will send their mechanic to the car, and inspect it for you - whether you're there or not. They will examine the car closely and check a number of items including dents, paint, rust, wear, tire quality, interior, performance, and more. Some vehicle inspection
companies even offer a guarantee if their efforts are not satisfactory in finding a major flaw or issue.
Not all vehicle inspection companies are the same, however. Differences exist in cost, quality, and range of service. Finding the best vehicle inspection company is important to giving you piece of mind before you spend thousands of dollars on your next car.
Some important factors to consider when looking at vehicle inspection companies include:
• Coverage and reporting. What aspects of the car will the vehicle inspector review? How will that information be communicated to you?
• Cost. How does the cost of the vehicle inspection service compare with others?
• Reliability of the company. Is the vehicle inspection company one you can trust, or is it a fly-by-night operation? How is it rated by the Better Business Bureau and other reporting agencies?
TopConsumerReviews.com has reviewed and ranked the best vehicle inspection companies available today. We hope this information helps you find the right car for your next purchase!
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CARCHEX has been in the automobile servicing business for over 10 years. In addition to providing vehicle inspection services, they are a top-rated company in the field of extended warranty programs. They maintain an outstanding website that provides a very user-friendly view and navigation around all of their products and services, as well as a lot of
helpful information
about vehicles in general.
The CARCHEX inspection services are performed nationwide by ASE certified technicians. You don't even have to be present for them to inspect the car, which is especially helpful if you can't take time off from work or are buying a car from across the country.
CARCHEX offers two packages for vehicle inspections:
• The Silver Package provides a 155-point pre-purchase inspection, which includes a 2.5 mile road test. The inspection report includes the condition of the body, paint, dents and scratches, rust, tires and wheels, glass, interior, missing parts, oil leaks, electrical items, and drive train performance.
• The Gold Package provides the same inspection services and reports as the Silver, and also includes the added protection of a CARFAX vehicle history report.
CARCHEX offers vehicle inspections in all areas of all 50 states. The price is the same throughout the U.S. but does vary by the age, make and model of the vehicle being inspected. Their website allows you to enter this basic information about the car, and immediately tells you the actual price of your vehicle inspection. The Silver Package starts at $109.95 and the
Gold Package starts as low as $119.95.
CARCHEX is endorsed by NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt Jr, and by Pat Goss, host of the Goss' Garage segment on the long-running PBS show MotorWeek. They've also earned an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau
CARCHEX provides an excellent service to help ensure you are buying a quality car. It's critical to get an independent report of a potential vehicle before you spend your money. CARCHEX meets that need with professional mechanics and thorough inspections. They set the standard in the industry and earn our highest rating.
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AiM Mobile Inspections offers vehicle inspections services throughout all 50 states. Their inspectors are actual employees of the company and use state of the art computers with 3G cellular capabilities. Their technology, along with web-based scheduling integrated with their call center, allows for fast inspection reporting turnaround.
The basic inspection package is the AiM Plus, which includes a 150 point inspection of the interior and exterior of the vehicle. This includes a review of the engine, drive train, exterior paint and body condition, tires and wheels, as well as all fluid levels and condition. The AiM Plus program is available for all consumer vehicles from the 1981 model year to present. The AiM Plus
program costs $129, regardless of the make, model or the part of the country where the car is located. The AiM Plus program is also offered for vehicles older then 1981, commercial vehicles and classic cars, at a higher price of $179.
AiM Mobile Inspections also offers the AiM Preferred program which includes the same 150 point inspection but also provides an AutoCheck vehicle report that lists any accidents the vehicle may have been involved in, as well as a maintenance history. This Preferred program is not available for vehicles older then 1981, commercial or classic cars.
AiM has received favorable reviews from both Edmunds and Merchantcircle, and have received an A rating from the Better Business Bureau. The cost of inspections can average a little more than the highest ranked provider, for some cars, so take that into account before ordering.
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Automobile Inspections LLC performs vehicle inspections anywhere in the United States and Canada. They are the only inspection service of those reviewed that perform inspections in Canada. They have been in business since 1995 and are a division of Buyers Service International LLC, which provides other specialty services to help people buy cars long-distance. They specialize in Classic,
Exotic and other Specialty cars. So, if this is what you are interested in purchasing and require an inspection, they may be a good option to look at.
Unlike the other companies reviewed, you cannot place your order online. Instead, you must call or submit your information through their website, and someone will contact you during their normal business hours of 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM eastern time, Monday through Friday. You can also call them on a toll-free number.
Their website was functional and fairly easy to navigate. It provided all the basic information that describes their service. It did not contain nearly as much information as the higher ranked providers, however.
Automobile Inspections offer four inspection service reports: The Red Report is for vehicles from model year 1981 to present. It costs $349 no matter the location, make, model or age of the vehicle. It is by far the most expensive of the companies reviewed. Like others, they provide a 150 point inspection of the interior and exterior of the vehicle including body condition, tires
and wheels and a test-drive. They also provide photos of the car and a title and warranty check. For an additional $30 they will perform a VIN verification check. Their Blue Report is for model year cars 1946-1980 and costs $379. The Gold Report is for vehicles 1945 and older, and the Silver Report is for Street Rods. Both cost $399.
For an additional fee, they will help you with transportation services and/or an assessment of the value of the car. There are no refunds once the actual inspection takes place.
If you are in the market for a classic, antique or street rod type of vehicle, Automobile Inspections deserves serious consideration. The extra cost may be worth it, relative to the type of purchase you're considering. However, for your basic, most common vehicle purchases, they seem to be overpriced while providing most of the same quality and range of services as the other companies
reviewed. They have a B+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.
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Autonerds uses ASE certified contract inspectors to perform inspections on vehicles located anywhere in the United States. All Autonerds inspections include a 150-point check of the vehicle which includes the interior and exterior condition, including paint, scratches, dents as well as the condition of the tires/wheels and glass. They check fluid levels, look for leaks and will test
drive the vehicle. They also provide a check of all available ownership and mechanical records. Included with the report are 20-40 pictures of the vehicle, and they will call and provide a verbal report within 24 hours of the inspection. The written report is emailed within 72-hours of the inspection.
Autonerds offers two vehicle inspection packages: The Basic Package for $129 includes all of the aforementioned services for all makes, models and model year vehicles. The Premium Package costs $199 and provides the same services as the Basic Package, but with an additional OBD2 scan to monitor the engine, transmission, ABS and the SRS. This service is only available for model year
vehicles 1996 and newer.
Their website is very basic with very few additional features. When we made inquiries through their toll-free number, we were met with somewhat unprofessional customer service representatives.
Their website says they are accredited by the Better Business Bureau, but in searching the BBB's website, we were unable to find a listing or report on Autonerds. The lack of accreditation from the BBB, questionable customer service, and tepid website pushed Autonerds to the bottom of our list.
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Vehicle Inspections - In the News
Typical uses include fruit and vegetable inspection, the inspection of blister packs or other ... Camera features include multiple shutter modes (including auto shutter), a configurable GPIO module, look-up tables for gamma customization, manual or ...
Publ.Date : 2012-05-16T12:32:47Z
Memphis City Council member Edmund Ford Jr. on Tuesday proposed fees for vehicle inspections and rental-property permits to recover the city's costs for anti-pollution and blight-reduction programs. The City Council will consider a number of ...
Publ.Date : 2012-05-16T04:11:42Z
During the 72-hour event, inspectors will conduct comprehensive North American Standard Level I Inspections, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance said Tuesday. This year?s focus will be on vehicle brake systems and preventing driver fatigue by ...
Publ.Date : 2012-05-16T15:10:16Z
Common was ejected from the truck and the vehicle ran over her ... Department of Labor Mine Safety and Health Administration was on the scene doing an inspection in another part of the mining shaft at the time of the accident early Monday ...
Publ.Date : 2012-05-16T10:09:37Z
Essentially, the title is moved towards the loan provider, however the customer still will get utilisation of the vehicle. Not one credit inspections are essential, except for the change in vehicle title is needed. The title is going to be transferred back ...
Publ.Date : 2012-05-16T04:40:20Z
"He said, 'do you know that your inspection sticker is expired'? And I said ... he should set the tone and the example." State records show the vehicle in question is registered under the mayor's name. The pick up in front of his Rio Hondo home ...
Publ.Date : 2012-05-16T03:21:36Z
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