Sample Digital Vehicle Inspection Report

SAMPLE ONLY. Everything below describes a made-up vehicle with generic findings, written to show the layout of our inspection report. It is not a real customer, not a real car, and not a prediction of what your car needs. The readings are illustrative. They show how results are recorded, not what is typical for any make or model.

We publish it because people make better decisions when they know what a report should look like before they get one. If a shop hands you a list with no photos, no measurements, and no priorities, this page gives you a reference for what to ask for. For the service itself, see digital vehicle inspections.

The header records the vehicle, the mileage, and your concern in your own words. That last line matters: it keeps the inspection focused on what you came in for, and it lets you check that the advisor heard you correctly.

On a real report, the header also shows the date and the advisor's contact line.

Needed-now items appear first and are marked in red. Each one has a photo, a measurement or observation, and a short reason. In this sample, two items land here: one tied directly to the customer's concern, and one found during the courtesy check.

Notice the second item also connects to the drift complaint. Inner-edge wear often points to an alignment problem, which is noted in the next column.

Can-wait items are marked in blue. They are real, but they do not affect safety today. Each has a suggested check date so the item does not become a surprise later. In the sample, four items fall here.

The alignment sits here in the sample because the car is still controllable, but the advisor would recommend doing it with the new tire so the new tread is not worn the same way. On a real report, the advisor explains that pairing out loud.

A good report also tells you what is fine. Green items were checked and need nothing right now. This section is just as important as the others: it shows the inspection was actually done, and it tells you which systems you can stop wondering about.

When a section is mostly green, that is good news, and we say so.

Each photo is taken to answer one question, and the caption says what that is. A brake pad photo shows the remaining material next to a reference. A tire photo shows the depth gauge seated in the groove. A leak photo shows the wet area and where it starts. If a photo does not make sense to you, ask the advisor to explain it.

Tips for reading photos:

• Look for the reference: a gauge, a ruler, or a new part beside the old one.
• Check the caption: it should name the part and the position (for example, right front).
• Compare with the table: the photo and the measurement should agree.
• Ask for more: if one angle is not clear, a second photo is easy to take.

The technician builds the report in the bay while the car is up, adding each photo and measurement as it is taken. When the inspection is finished, the report goes to the advisor, who checks that every red and blue item has a photo or a reading behind it. Items without evidence do not go to you as recommendations.

In the sample, the drift complaint and the inner-edge tire wear are linked at the review stage, so the estimate pairs the tire with the alignment.

The advisor turns the report into a written estimate. In the sample, the estimate would list front pads and hardware, a replacement tire (or a pair, depending on the other tire's tread), and an alignment, each as its own line with parts and labor separate. The can-wait items would be listed as optional. Nothing starts until the customer approves.

In this sample, the customer might approve the front brakes, the tire, and the alignment today, and schedule the cabin filter and wipers with the next oil change. The invoice would then match those approved lines. The tire and alignment bundle would apply if the customer chose a full set.

Use the report to have a better conversation, not a shorter one. Ask the advisor to start with the red items and explain each photo. Then ask which blue items are closest to becoming needed, and when to check them. Finally, confirm that the green items were measured, not just glanced at.

Good questions include: Which finding explains my concern? What happens if this waits a month? Can you show me the old part after the repair? Answers to those turn a list into a plan.

Ask to see it. If the part is still on the car, the technician can often show you directly, as long as it is safe. If the photo is unclear, a second angle is easy to take. A finding that cannot be shown should not be on your estimate, and the advisor will take it off.

• Ask for the measurement behind the label.
• Ask for another photo if the first one is unclear.
• Ask to see the part on the car, when it is safe to do so.
• Decline the item if you are not convinced; it stays off the invoice.

Declining a can-wait item is always your call. Declining a needed-now item is also your call, and the advisor will explain the risk once, clearly. The transparent pricing promise covers how those decisions are recorded.

Hold your report up against this sample. Every section here should have a match on yours, filled with your car's real results. If something is missing, ask for it before you approve any work.

1. Your concern, written the way you said it
2. Mileage and vehicle details
3. Red items, each with a photo and a reason
4. Blue items, each with a suggested check date
5. Green items, showing what was checked and passed
6. Captions that name the part and its position

If a finding does not match what the car is doing, describe the symptom again. The common problems page lists typical causes you can bring up with the advisor.

An inspection records what can be seen, measured, and felt on the day of the visit. It is not a warranty and not a promise that nothing will fail later. Some problems only show under certain conditions, like a noise that appears when the engine is cold or a leak that starts after a long drive.

That is why the report says "checked" rather than "guaranteed." If something changes after the visit, bring the car back and we will look again. For used-car buyers, the pre-purchase inspection page explains the same limit in more detail.

A report also does not list open recalls, which you can check at NHTSA (opens in a new tab).