Essential Winter Car Maintenance Tips to Avoid Breakdowns
Stay safe this winter with expert South African car maintenance tips. Learn crucial battery and service checks to avoid breakdowns and save money with Fixxr.
Read More3 December 2025
Bayabulela Jolobe | 14 May 2022 | Vehicle Ownership and Advice, Diagnostic Services
A Pre-Purchase Inspection is a critical assessment of the condition of a vehicle taken before purchase. Fixxr mobile mechanic can be performed at the seller’s facility or one of our affiliated workshops and provides an honest evaluation of the vehicle’s overall condition. The buyer has many benefits when a pre-purchase inspection is done before purchase. Some benefits are:
A vehicle inspection gives you the peace of mind that your prospective car has no hidden surprises. Many crooked sellers will try to hide many sins with pretty paint and a fresh coat of wax, but they can’t keep those secrets from an experienced mechanic who knows what to look for.
Has the car been in an accident? An inspection will give you a clear picture of any damage that may have occurred to the frame, engine, or body. An accident history can be the difference between hundreds or thousands of rands spent on repairs.
Does it run properly? Before buying the vehicle, a proper inspection will alert you if anything is wrong with the brakes, transmission, cooling system, electrical system, suspension, or other significant components. Mechanical problems are expensive and time consuming to repair.
Is it safe to drive? Even some new cars can have hidden defects due to design errors and manufacturing problems such as faulty airbags and seatbelts that could cause serious injury in case of an accident. A proper inspection will point out any safety issues before they become dangerous problems.
A professional vehicle inspection can ensure that you are buying a car in good condition and has not been in a significant accident. If a vehicle has been involved in an accident, this may not be apparent to the untrained eye.
An inspection will find problems and potential issues before they become expensive to fix; however, it will not guarantee that the vehicle is free of any mechanical faults. An expert check could reveal rust or other damage and tell if the tyres and brakes are worn or if there are other signs of wear and tear. The mechanic will also test all lights, electrical systems, the engine, water leaks and any signs of accident damage.
However, you should note that an inspection will only give you an overview of a vehicle’s condition at one point in time—things can deteriorate between assessments.
For this reason (and many others), it’s always good to take your new car for regular check-ups with a trusted mechanic or dealer after purchase.
Do you know how the saying goes? You can’t judge a book by its cover, especially for a used car. The used car owner might have spiffed it up to impress you, so don’t be too dazzled by a shiny paint job or spotless interior. Remember: the seller of a car is putting their best foot forward and trying to sell their vehicle to you.
This means that even if there are minor problems with the vehicle, the seller could hide them from view, e.g. an engine problem. If there are significant problems with the car, however—such as an oil leak—you should smell them before seeing them and will probably be able to notice them right away.
It’s crucial to inspect a used car because sometimes cars can look great (like they’ve been cared for) but have more significant issues that are harder or impossible to fix.
As a buyer, you can request a vehicle inspection before the sale. This gives you bargaining power if the seller is reluctant.
For example, find your dream car but don’t want to buy it without an inspection. Suppose it passes the assessment, of course. In that case, you can offer to pay for the examination and even put down a deposit on the vehicle. This would convince most sellers that you are serious about buying their car if everything checks out.
If your seller is still reluctant, there are a few things they might be concerned about:
Even cheap cars need inspections due to unexpected mechanical failures and costly repairs. And expensive cars with low mileage should be inspected because they could have unseen underlying issues that need immediate attention. Although these concerns may seem valid, this shouldn’t stop anyone from wanting a thorough inspection before spending tens of thousands of rands on a used vehicle—especially one with high mileage or an unfamiliar brand name where maintenance plans may be hard to come by.
A pre-purchase inspection can give you peace of mind by backing up any seller’s claims regarding the vehicle. If, for example, a seller claims an issue has been fixed, or there was never an issue in the first place, an inspection can easily prove or disprove their claims. An inspection can also reveal problems that may not have been disclosed to you by the seller. Or, in some cases, issues that the seller was not aware of.
Before purchasing, a pre-purchase inspection is vital to learn about a car’s history. Whether you’re buying from a dealer or a private party, you want to know what condition it’s in and how much it will cost to fix.
Some people don’t understand why they should pay for an inspection on a car they may not buy. It’s important because:
When it comes to used cars, most dealers and private sellers won’t allow someone else’s mechanic to look at them until after purchase. A pre-purchase inspection is typically done by a mechanic who comes out and does the inspection at their shop or the mobile mechanic unit that comes out and inspects at your home or workplace (which is what we do). This allows both parties involved in the transaction (buyer and seller) to ensure everything goes smoothly without worrying about anything suspicious once they hand over their keys.
The inspector will look at all major components in your car, such as:
Hopefully, after reading our article, you are convinced that a Pre-Purchase Inspection is an essential component of the car buying process. The peace of mind and financial savings from knowing the vehicle is worth your money and more than likely worth the price you pay will be anything but regretful. Book a pre-purchase inspection with Fixxr on our website or call us at 060 043 4632.
Read more: Pre-Purchase Car Inspection
As the Head of Consumer and Operations, Bayabulela is responsible for continuously serving our customers, increasing our supply base, and driving the next phase of our business growth.
What that means is highlighting the Fixxr opportunity for as many potential mechanic partners as possible. The role also includes broadening and deepening our platform in existing markets, scaling into new markets and continuing to set the bar for safety and compliance in our industry.
He typically starts his days by diving into customer data and mechanic partner feedback. He also has to consistently evaluate Fixxr’s business strategy and drive governance and accountability in concert with our cross-functional partners.
Bayabulela has built a breadth of skills and experience across operations, strategy, marketing and product development.
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