The purpose of this article is to help those who don’t have their own mechanic, but want a professional vehicle inspection service that provides consistent, accurate results. I don’t recommend companies in this area lightly. If you lived in the East Bay in the San Francisco Bay Area I would gladly give you the name of my mechanic — a mom & pop-type hole-in-the-wall shop where you’ll receive honest, straight up service that’s actually affordable. When’s the last time you knew — and I mean really knew — you could trust the person who just recommended a  $300 repair to your old beater? Well, that’s exactly the kind of place I use in the East Bay.

However, if you don’t live in the East Bay I recommend just one company with a national presence, and one that specializes in performing pre-purchase vehicle inspections that are consistent, accurate, and ones that you can trust.

AIM Vehicle Inspections

Alliance Inspection Management, LLC is the only national company that I recommend for pre-purchase inspection services. They don’t use part-time contractors. Instead, 600 full-time employees spend all their time — everyday — inspecting vehicles from one part of the country to the other. This isn’t a side job for them. They are the professionals in vehicle inspection. And AIM does an incredible 10 million vehicle inspections annually. To be fair, a good number of these are for dealers and businesses, but that only increases their credibility with me.

In my book, HELP! I Gotta Sell My Car NOW! (available on Amazon), I suggest that savvy private sellers have their car inspected BEFORE it goes on the market. Then, offer the inspection report, along with a vehicle history report, as part of the basic information you initially pass along to prospective buyers. This builds an enormous amount of trust in both you as a seller and your car. It also makes negotiating price much easier. After all, if you’ve been totally above board with your car’s history and current mechanical condition, it makes it more difficult for potential buyers to find something wrong with your car to justification for a lower offer. Stay in control of negotiations by being transparent and completely honest in your approach and they won’t know what hit them. (Its something else I teach in my book….)

In my free 18-page report, The 8 Biggest Mistakes Used Car Buyers Make and How to Avoid Them, mistake #3 is not getting a vehicle inspected BEFORE you buy it. This can be such an expensive mistake for used car buyers to make. Be safe. Get any vehicle inspected prior to signing on the dotted line.

Just One Recommendation

I held off recommending any vehicle inspection company until I discovered Alliance Inspection Management, LLC. They are quick, easy to use, and affordable. Even more important, they get the job done in a way that makes them the only company I recommend.

If you’re buying or selling your vehicle on Craigslist, AutoTrader, Cars.com, Kijiji, Backpage, or another online classified website, use every tool you can to get all the money coming to you. First, read my book (see above), and second, consider getting a professional inspection service to provide a pre-sale report on the car you’re buying or selling. It’s an honest effort to build credibility with potential buyers.

Good luck, and for goodness sakes, try to have fun buying or selling your next vehicle.

Review this Product