The Benefits of a Used Car Inspection Checklist

You don’t need us to tell you that there’s a lot to think about when you’re in the market for a luxury vehicle. Everything from determining the make and model you’re after to considerations like interior and exterior colors, options that are must-haves versus nice-to-haves, and even whether you’re looking for a car, crossover, or SUV all factor into the conversation.

The result is an experience that’s exciting, certainly, but that’s also just a bit overwhelming if you’re going into things unprepared – which is precisely where we hope this blog can help.

One of the most daunting elements of purchasing a previously-owned vehicle is getting a proper understanding of the history and operating condition of the car in question. Even for those shoppers who tend to be a bit more mechanically inclined, there’s really only so much you can learn about a car by going for a test drive and getting a quick look under the hood.

That’s where the all-important used car inspection checklist comes into play. By having a trained mechanic give your prospective purchase a solid once-over, you’ll be setting yourself up for peace-of-mind and a happy ownership experience – potentially even for years to come.

Read on to learn more about everything that entails and how the INFINITI Certified Pre-Owned vehicle program is designed with all this in mind (and more).

When it comes to the actual process of inspecting a previously-owned vehicle, there’s a lot more to it than simply poking around inside an engine bay listening for any rattles or bangs. In fact, any mechanic worth their salt will have a regimented inspection checklist that should help to guide their efforts forward, both to ensure the once-over is a comprehensive one and to communicate to customers exactly what was looked at and inspected.

Take the INFINITI Certified Pre-Owned Inspection Checklist for example. In order to achieve INFINITI CPO certification, a vehicle must pass this rigorous inspection checklist. This process serves the dual purpose of both ensuring that any INFINITI Certified Pre-Owned vehicle aligns with a certain standard of mechanical excellence while also providing confidence to customers that yes, all these critical mechanical components have been inspected and found to be in proper, certifiable condition.

That checklist is a whole lot to digest on its own, though, so let’s take some time to parse through it and explore the ins and outs of just what should be considered when inspecting a used car – and how INFINITI Certified Pre-Owned works to tick all the right boxes.

It might seem counterintuitive, but the very best vehicle inspections start before even taking a look at the vehicle at all. Instead, they begin with a bit of research, delving into a vehicle’s past by first pulling a vehicle history report and car maintenance records.

Many shops and shoppers may simply go the route of glancing over a CARFAX vehicle history to manage this part of the process. INFINITI Retailers, however, go the extra mile by ensuring all CPO vehicles are originally distributed in the US with a clean title, no open service campaigns or recalls, no warranty exclusions, and no adverse service history indicators (i.e. sludged engine, lack of maintenance, etc.) – all while confirming that there are less than 60,000 miles on the odometer and that the vehicle is not any older than up to five previous model years.

Once the up-front legwork has been done and a vehicle’s history is confirmed to be on the up-and-up, the actual physical inspection of the car can begin. This starts precisely where’d think it would: with the exterior of the vehicle and everything you can see by first walking up to it.

As with everything INFINITI does, though, the CPO certification process goes much deeper than just that.

The first thing an exterior inspection will focus on is vehicle bodywork, with a marked focus placed on looking for dents and rust as well as assessing overall paint quality as it stands. From there, a proper used car inspection should also be looking to ensure that details including windows, windshields and wipers, doors and handles, mirrors, headlights, and taillights are all in optimal condition. Be sure your inspection includes a tire tread depth test, too – because nobody wants to be faced with the cost of a whole new set of tires right after purchasing a new-to-them vehicle.

Once a vehicle’s exterior is considered, the next part of a comprehensive inspection moves to a vehicle’s interior – not necessarily its mechanical interior, mind you, but the actual passenger cabin itself.

All INFINITI CPO vehicles undergo a detail-oriented interior inspection that looks at (among other things) window controls; door handles, locks, and controls; seats, seatbelts, and seat adjustment controls; steering wheel and shift controls; climate control functionality; interior lights; infotainment system operation; cargo space controls; and more.

That’s a pretty exhaustive list, but it just goes to showcase how many inspection considerations are located inside the actual vehicle interior as opposed to simply being under the hood and just how impactful those details can be – as well as how comprehensive the INFINITI CPO certification process actually is.

We’ve gone through the history, the exterior, and the interior of the vehicle; now, we’re finally ready to get to that all-important under-the-hood inspection.

A vehicle’s engine and mechanical elements are central to its ability to perform and provide a confidence-inspiring ownership experience for years to come – while also happening to be an incredibly complex and multifaceted series of systems and components. To this end, a thorough under-the-hood inspection is both an imperative and deeply technical undertaking, requiring a keen eye and an unwavering commitment to service to execute properly.

Precisely the sort of keen eye and unwavering commitment to service that INFINITI Retailer technicians are held to as a standard. From engine operation to fluid levels and suspension condition to transmission health, all these details and more should be considered during an under-the-hood inspection, just as they are on every previously-owned INFINITI that passes certification to become a CPO vehicle.

Beyond the confines of a vehicle inspection bay, getting that previously- owned vehicle out on the road for test drive is a critical step in determining engine performance and overall mechanical condition. In fact, road test results are important enough to merit occupying an entire section of the INFINITI Certified Pre-Owned Inspection Checklist, taking factors such as engine noise, handling, and braking performance into consideration.

A road test is completed as a standard part of INFINITI’s CPO certification process – but just because a mechanic got the chance to get out for a spin doesn’t mean that you can’t do the same, too! Taking a test drive is often one of the most exciting parts of purchasing a new or previously-driven vehicle, so be sure to take the time to schedule yours and get behind the wheel of your prospective INFINITI car, crossover, or SUV today.

When it comes to enjoying confidence in your previously-owned vehicle purchase, it’s tough to beat the peace-of-mind that a professional vehicle inspection has to offer – and that goes doubly-so for an INFINITI Certified Pre- Owned vehicle inspection.

While any prospective shopper can go for a quick test drive and any shade tree mechanic can take a look at an engine for leaks or other tell-tale signs of trouble, an INFINITI CPO inspection comes part-and-parcel with your purchase of an INFINITI Certified Pre-Owned vehicle and goes the extra mile to uncover hidden issues that a more superficial scrutiny might miss. Further, INFINITI Certified-Owned purchases are backed by a limited warranty to further set your mind at ease, giving you the freedom you need to enjoy your new previously-driven luxury vehicle to the fullest.

Explore the benefits of INFINITI Certified Pre-Owned and shop our CPO inventory today to learn more – and thanks as always for reading.