Used Car Inspection Checklist & Offer Calculator

01 The printable checklist: 10 pages, US Letter

87 checks rated OK / Watch / Problem, with tick boxes, notes lines and line numbers that match the spreadsheet scorecard.

1. 01
   Before You Go 8 checks
   At home and on the phone. Most bad cars can be ruled out here. Checks include: Get the full 17-character VIN · Run a vehicle history report · Check the title database and theft records.
2. 02
   Paperwork & Identity 7 checks
   At the car, before anything else. Rate each line. Checks include: VIN matches everywhere · Title: clean, in hand, in the seller's name · History report matches the car.
3. 03
   Exterior & Body 9 checks
   Walk around slowly, then crouch and look along each side. Checks include: Sits level, paint matches · Panel gaps are even · No overspray or masking lines.
4. 04
   Tires & Brakes 8 checks
   Check all four corners plus the spare. Checks include: Tread depth on every tire: PA minimum 2/32" · Even wear across the tread · Tire age and sidewalls.
5. 05
   Under the Hood, Engine Cold 9 checks
   Do this BEFORE the engine is started. Never open a hot radiator or coolant cap. Checks include: Engine is actually cold · Engine oil · Coolant.
6. 06
   Cold Start, Smoke & Blow-By 4 checks
   Have a helper start it while you stand at the back, then the front. Checks include: Starts promptly, settles to a steady idle · No bad noises in the first seconds · Exhaust smoke.
7. 07
   Interior & Electrical 12 checks
   Key on, engine off first. Then engine running. Checks include: Warning lights do their bulb check · No warning lights stay on with the engine running · OBD-II scan: codes.
8. 08
   Underneath 8 checks
   Flashlight and a mat. Never get under a car held up only by a jack. Checks include: Fresh drips on the ground or underside · Frame rails and unibody · Subframe and suspension mounts.
9. 09
   Test Drive 11 checks
   20 minutes or more if you can: neighborhood, rough road, highway, parking lot. Radio off. Checks include: Transmission engages and shifts smoothly · Pulls cleanly · Brakes.
10. 10
    EV & Hybrid Extras 11 checks
    Skip this page for gas or diesel cars. Never touch orange high-voltage cables or open high-voltage parts. Checks include: Battery state-of-health report · Range on a full charge · High-voltage battery warranty.

Also in the printable: a deal breakers vs. negotiate two-column guide, state inspection notes (what a fresh Pennsylvania inspection does and doesn't tell you, and what to check in other states), and a pre-purchase inspection request page to hand to the shop.

02 The spreadsheet: Excel and Google Sheets, no macros

• Compare

  Up to 5 cars side by side: year, make, model, miles, asking price, title and recall status, checklist score, problems found, repair total, offer and verdict.

• Scorecard

  The same checks as the printable, with OK / Watch / Problem / N/A dropdowns and scores that total up automatically. Prints on Letter paper.

• Repair Cost Estimator

  One row per issue, with area, severity and where your estimate came from. Includes a short table of rough cost examples, clearly labelled as examples only.

• Offer Calculator

  Enter the fair market value from KBB or Edmunds. It subtracts your repair estimates and a cushion for surprises, then suggests an opening offer and a walk-away price.

Live formulas, dropdowns, and locked formula cells so nothing breaks by accident. Works in Excel 2010 or newer, Google Sheets and LibreOffice. Want to see how the offer math works? Read how much to offer on a used car with problems.