How much does a pre-purchase car inspection cost?

KES 9,860 including VAT and travel when the car is up to 15 km from the inspector, and KES 11,020 for 15 to 40 km. Over 40 km we quote the travel fee. We confirm your total before you pay, and the scored report and every photo are yours to keep and share.

Can you also check the car's history?

Yes, for cars our data sources hold records on. Enter the chassis number or VIN and we search for free. If we find records, the report shows auction records, mileage readings, photos when available, registration, damage notes and recalls. Not every car has records, and no record doesn't prove a clean history.

Does the inspection include the history report?

No, they're separate. The inspection shows the car's condition today, and the history report shows what's on record from before. Buy either one, or both to compare them.

Can the seller choose or pay the inspector?

You book and pay CarTrust, and we match the inspector. On your booking the seller doesn't choose or pay them, and CarTrust doesn't sell cars.

Will other people see my inspection?

Yes, 14 days after it's published. It then becomes part of the car's CarTrust history. Anyone can see its score, mileage, general area and inspector's name for free, and other buyers can pay for the full report with its photos and red flags. Your name and contact details aren't included, and your own report link works from the day it's published.

Is this the same as an NTSA inspection?

No. NTSA inspection checks whether a vehicle is fit for the road. A pre-purchase inspection is for you as the buyer: it looks for hidden damage, mileage problems and faults that affect whether to buy the car and at what price.

How long does it take?

Once an inspector is matched and reaches the car, a full PPI takes about an hour on site. The reviewed report is usually published the same day.

Do I need to be there?

No. The inspector meets the seller on your behalf. You receive the full report remotely and can share the link with anyone: a partner, mechanic or lender.

What if the inspection finds serious faults?

The report lists each fault with photos and what the checks showed. We don't tell you whether to buy the car. You decide, with the facts in front of you.

Who does the inspection?

Accredited CarTrust inspectors, each running the same standardised digital checklist so reports are consistent and comparable. Every report is signed off by a senior reviewer.

PRE-PURCHASE INSPECTION

Never buy a car blind

Never buy a car blind. An inspector the seller doesn't choose checks the actual car in person: paint, engine, OBD and mileage. You get an overall score and a report with photos before you pay for the car. The decision stays yours.

Book an inspection See a sample report Browse inspected cars near you

THE PROBLEM

The seller only shows you the good side

Repaints hide crash damage. Clocked odometers hide the real mileage. Flood cars get cleaned up and re-listed. A test drive and a quick look will not catch any of it: a measured, in-person inspection will.

BEFORE YOU BUY

See the car's recorded history too

An inspection shows the car's condition today. A CarTrust history report shows what our data sources hold from before: auctions, mileage readings, registration and damage records. Put the two side by side: if the odometer today sits below an earlier reading, you know before you pay.

Auction records

Sale dates, the auction house, the grade it was given and the mileage on the day.

Mileage readings

Odometer readings recorded at inspections and auctions, in date order.

Auction photos

Photos from the auction listing showing the car as it was then, when available.

Registration and use

First registration, and whether it was used privately or commercially.

Damage and repair notes

Accident and repair records on file, so a repaired car can't pass as clean.

Recalls

Manufacturer safety recalls on file for the model.

The history report is separate from the inspection and priced on its own. Searching is free, so you can see whether we hold records for the car before you pay. Not every car has records, and no record doesn't prove a clean history.

CHECK THE CAR'S HISTORY SEE A SAMPLE HISTORY REPORT

HOW IT WORKS

Four steps to your report

TELL US THE CAR

Share the listing, VIN or registration and where the car is. We match you with a vetted inspector near the vehicle.

INSPECTOR GOES TO IT

An accredited CarTrust inspector meets the seller and runs the full digital checklist on the actual car, photos and OBD plugged in on site.

WE SCORE & REVIEW

Our engine scores every panel and system, flags rollback, flood and repaint patterns, then a senior reviewer signs it off.

YOU GET THE REPORT

A shareable report lands with an overall score, the red flags, the findings and every photo, before you pay for the car. The decision is yours.

THE CHECKLIST

What the inspector measures

Not a vibe check. A standardised digital checklist with gauges, an OBD reader and model-specific fault lists, the same on every car so reports are comparable.

EXTERIOR & PAINT

Paint-thickness gauge on every panel. Uneven readings expose hidden repaints and crash repair the eye misses.

INTERIOR & ELECTRICS

Damp smell, wet carpets and dash warning lights cross-checked, the signature of a flood-damaged car.

ENGINE & OBD

Live OBD snapshot plugged into the car. Stored fault codes and ECU mileage captured, not just what the seller says.

ODOMETER INTEGRITY

Cluster reading compared against ECU mileage and prior CarTrust history. Mismatches over 5,000 km are flagged as rollback.

BRAKES & TYRES

Pad and tread depth measured in millimetres against minimum-safe thresholds, not eyeballed.

MODEL-SPECIFIC FAULTS

Known weak points for that exact make and model: head gaskets, CVTs, DSG shudder, checked on purpose.

AUTOMATIC RED FLAGS

The faults that cost you the most

Our scoring engine cross-references the inspector's readings and raises these patterns on its own, even when each single measurement looks innocent.

REPAINT SUSPECTED

Paint thickness varies wildly across panels or exceeds factory range, bodywork was hidden.

FLOOD SUSPECTED

Damp interior paired with electrical faults, a written-off flood car cleaned up for resale.

ODOMETER ROLLBACK

Dashboard reads lower than the ECU or prior recorded mileage. The clock was wound back.

FAQ

Questions, answered

Are you a mechanic or inspector?

Run PPIs on the CarTrust app and earn on every inspection and report.

Become an inspector

Book before you buy

One inspection costs less than one hidden fault. See the findings first.

Book an inspection See pricing