How we choose our cars — and how to read their inspection reports

Open the report before looking at the score. Find the car's identity and the inspection date. Then turn to the limitations. That order may seem an unusual introduction to a showroom's inspection process, but it tells you what the document can actually support.

A buyer needs to understand the car, including the parts of its story that still need an answer. An unexplained mark should lead to a question. A missing photograph leaves a detail unseen, however clearly the rest of the report is presented.

Before a car joins the collection

We own the cars we sell. Our selection starts with service records and a check before purchase; certification follows after we buy the car. These are distinct steps, and the later report should be read for its actual scope and date.

Prithvi oversees decisions on inspection concerns and preparation work with an experienced internal team. For repair-related findings, start with the car’s report. You can request it through our WhatsApp assistant and ask to speak with a team member for further detail.

A service file, a pre-purchase check and a certification report each contribute something different. None should be used to fill a gap in another. The useful question is what the evidence tells you about this particular car.

What the supplied report actually records

For this article, we examined the CarTrade Tech report supplied to us for the Audi Q8. Its terms say the assessment relates to the vehicle's condition on the inspection date. They also say the odometer reading was relied upon rather than independently authenticated, and that concealed or uninspected parts fall outside the assessment.

That distinction matters. A score is not a statement that nothing can go wrong later. A recorded odometer reading is not proof of the car's lifetime distance.

The report contains separate areas for mechanical systems, cabin equipment, tyres, electrical functions and air conditioning. Some entries include written findings; other entries are headings without an explanatory result in the supplied export. We should not turn those blank fields into fresh claims.

The original document is the source for this example. Its case-specific findings are not a diagnosis of another Q8, a GLE or any other car in our collection.

A photograph and a finding do different jobs

An engine-bay photograph lets you see what was photographed. It does not establish oil pressure, compression, maintenance history or the absence of an intermittent fault.

The same is true of a wheel photograph. You can examine its visible presentation, but a photograph alone cannot replace measurements or a technician's assessment of the tyre and brake components.

When reading a car page, check whether the image beside a finding shows the relevant area. The caption should explain what you are looking at. The written finding should retain its source and scope. If the inspection records a concern that the photograph does not show, the concern stays in the text.

Lighting and presentation must not become a way of losing evidence. Ask to see the original report imagery or arrange a viewing when a detail matters to the decision.

Follow a declaration to the actual panel

A body map is useful because it gives a location. It is not a complete repair history.

For a recorded repaint, locate the panel in the report and read the finding in full. If the explanation is unclear, request the report through our WhatsApp assistant and ask to connect with a member of the team. The report is the repair evidence we provide; do not assume that additional repair photographs or invoices are available.

Do not infer that an unmarked diagram proves a car has never been repaired. Ask what the inspector checked and how the results were recorded. Equally, do not treat a cosmetic declaration as a diagnosis of structural damage without supporting evidence.

The service file belongs beside the inspection

A present-condition check and a maintenance history answer different questions. Keep both available.

Dates, recorded mileage, workshop identity and the work invoiced form a useful chronology. Where an entry is absent, ask for it. Where an invoice lists work recommended rather than completed, find out whether there is a later completion record.

Maintenance requirements are vehicle-specific. BMW India's explanation of Condition Based Service, for example, describes its on-board system displaying individual service requirements. That is a manufacturer-specific reference, not a schedule we can apply to every make.

Paperwork has its own limits as well. Mechanical inspection does not complete ownership transfer. Parivahan's transfer guidance is a separate starting point for the administrative process; the relevant registering authority must confirm the requirements for the transaction.

What happens to an unresolved point?

Ask for the answer in writing before agreeing to accept an unresolved point. There are several possible outcomes: obtain another record, commission further diagnosis, agree preparation work, or decide not to proceed with the car.

A report describes what was recorded at its inspection date. It should not be read as proof of work completed later. If your question concerns later work or an unresolved finding, our WhatsApp assistant can connect you with a team member. Keep any unresolved concern open until you have an answer you can assess.

Bring your questions about the report to the viewing. Asking what was not inspected is not being difficult. It is part of understanding the purchase.

Bring three questions to the viewing

First, ask which findings apply to this exact car and when they were recorded. Second, ask what has changed or been worked on since that date. Third, ask what remains unverified.

Those questions are useful whether you are buying from us or elsewhere. Our used-car buying guide carries the process through to quotations, deposit conditions and handover paperwork.

If you are considering selling your car, gather the records you have, including work you would otherwise need to explain from memory. If you want to understand our approach to selection, read about Classic Machines.

And when a car in the collection interests you, ask for its report. Make the conversation about that car: what is documented, what you can inspect yourself and what still needs an answer.