Before you hand over the money, let us put the vehicle on a hoist. We check the frame, the rust, the fluids, the codes and how it actually drives — then hand you a written report you can use to negotiate or to walk away. If it's a good vehicle, we'll tell you that too.
A pre-purchase inspection is the cheapest money you'll spend on a used vehicle, and it's the one step most buyers skip. Private sales in Alberta are sold as-is — once the money changes hands and the bill of sale is signed, whatever's wrong with it is yours. Dealers are a little different, but a shiny detail job and fresh undercoating hide a lot. We put the vehicle on a hoist, go through it the way we'd go through our own, and hand you a written report in plain language. Sometimes that report says buy it. Sometimes it says offer less. And sometimes it says walk away — we'd rather tell you that for a couple hundred dollars than see you back here in six months with a transmission bill.
What a Pre-Purchase Inspection Covers
On the hoist we start underneath, because that's where the truth is. We look for frame and unibody damage, kinked rails, crumpled pinch welds, overspray and mismatched paint, replaced panels, and the tell-tale signs a vehicle has been hit and put back together — factory seam sealer looks nothing like the stuff a body shop lays down. From there: fluid leaks and where they're actually coming from, engine health including a compression test when the mileage or the symptoms call for it, cooling system pressure, belts, mounts, exhaust, CV boots and axle joints. We measure brake pad and rotor thickness rather than eyeballing them, check ball joints, tie rods, bushings, struts and wheel bearings for play, and read the tires — brand mismatch, date codes, tread depth, and the wear pattern that tells you the alignment has been out for a long time.
Rust, Frame Damage and What an Alberta Salvage Yard Sees
Rust is the big one in this province, and it's what buyers underestimate most. Road salt and sand plus freeze-thaw cycles all winter mean moisture sits in seams and rocker panels and works from the inside out — by the time it bubbles through the paint it's been there for years. We check rockers, cab corners, wheel wells, floor pans, subframe and suspension mounting points, strut towers, and the brake and fuel lines. Steel brake lines that look fine and let go two months later are a standard Alberta failure. Our sister company, Eskimo Auto and Truck Parts, is one of Edmonton's largest parts operations, so we see hundreds of end-of-life vehicles a year — we know which model years rot at the rear rocker, which trucks lose their box mounts, and which frames aren't worth touching. That perspective doesn't come off a checklist.
Scan Codes, Odometer Rollback and Branding Red Flags
We scan every module, not just the engine, and we look at three things: stored codes, pending codes, and readiness monitors. Stored codes tell you what has already failed. Pending codes tell you what is failing next. The readiness monitors are the real giveaway — if the battery was disconnected or the codes were cleared in the last few days, those monitors won't be set, and the seller who swore the check engine light has never been on suddenly has some explaining to do. We also compare the odometer against module data, service stickers, and wear on the pedals, seat bolster and steering wheel. If something looks like a rollback or a hidden brand — salvage, rebuilt, or an out-of-province write-off quietly re-registered — we flag it and tell you exactly what to search before you pay.
PPI Cost, Turnaround and Out-of-Province Vehicles in Edmonton
A pre-purchase inspection in Edmonton typically runs somewhere between about $200 and $350 depending on the vehicle — diesels, duallies and complicated European cars take longer and sit at the top of that range. Plan on roughly an hour and a half to two hours on the hoist, and book ahead, because we hold a bay and a Red Seal tech for that block. You get a written report with the measurements, photos of anything significant, and a rough repair estimate — which is what actually moves the price in a negotiation. One thing buyers miss: if the vehicle was last registered outside Alberta, a PPI is not the same as the out-of-province inspection you need to put Alberta plates on it. We do both, and if you buy the vehicle we can handle the repair list too, right up to in-house engine and transmission rebuilds.
Signs you need this service
- You're buying privately in Alberta, where the vehicle is sold as-is and your recourse after the bill of sale is limited, slow and expensive to chase
- The vehicle is coming from out of province and you've only seen photos and a video walkaround
- The seller is pushing a fast cash deal, or won't release the vehicle for a couple of hours
- The asking price is noticeably low for the year, mileage and trim
- Service history is thin, missing, or 'all the receipts got lost in the move'
- It's a truck that's lived on gravel highways, hauled hard, or spent every winter parked outside
- The history report shows a collision claim and you want to know what was actually repaired
- It's a first vehicle for a new driver in the family and you want a second set of eyes on it
What's included
- Full hoist inspection of the frame, unibody, subframe and underbody structure
- Collision-evidence check — overspray, mismatched paint, replaced panels, non-factory welds and seam sealer
- Rust assessment: rockers, cab corners, floor pans, strut towers, suspension mounts, and brake and fuel lines
- Engine health check — leaks, cooling system pressure test, and compression testing when the vehicle warrants it
- Road test for transmission shift quality and torque converter behaviour, drivability, noises and brake feel
- Measured findings, not guesses — pad and rotor thickness, tread depth and date codes, play in steering and suspension
- Full module scan for stored codes, pending codes and readiness monitor status, plus odometer and branding red flags
- A written report in plain language with a repair estimate you can use to negotiate — or to walk away
Frequently asked questions
How much does a pre-purchase inspection cost in Edmonton?
For most cars, SUVs and half-tons a pre-purchase inspection in Edmonton usually runs somewhere between about $200 and $350, depending on the vehicle. Diesels, duallies and European cars with a lot of plastic underneath take longer and sit at the top of that range. Plan on roughly an hour and a half to two hours, and we'll confirm our price when you book. Against a $20,000 used vehicle it's the cheapest insurance there is — one real find pays for it several times over.
The seller won't let me take it to a shop. Is that a red flag?
Yes. An honest seller with a good vehicle has nothing to lose from an inspection, and plenty of them use a clean report as a selling point. 'I've got another buyer coming at five' and 'it doesn't need one, I've babied it' are pressure tactics, not information. If they won't release the vehicle for a couple of hours, or insist you use their shop, walk. There will be another vehicle next week. There won't be another chance to find the rot before the money changes hands.
Will you actually tell me not to buy it?
Regularly. We have no stake in whether you buy the vehicle — we're not the seller and we're not paid on the repairs. If the frame's been pulled, the rockers are gone, the transmission slips on the road test, or the repair list is worth more than the asking price, that's what the report says. We'd rather charge you a couple hundred dollars and send you away happy than have you back here in six months with a bill you can't do anything about.
I'm buying from another province. Is a PPI the same as an out-of-province inspection?
No, and this trips people up constantly. A pre-purchase inspection is voluntary — it's for you, it's about condition and value, and the report carries no legal weight. An out-of-province inspection is a pass-fail check against Alberta's standard at a licensed facility, and you can't register the vehicle here without it. Buying from BC, Saskatchewan or Ontario, you'll usually want both: the PPI before you pay, the out-of-province inspection before you plate it. We do both under one roof.
Can you inspect a vehicle I'm buying online or sight unseen?
That's exactly where a PPI earns its money. Arrange for the seller or dealer to drop the vehicle here, or for you or a driver to bring it in — most legitimate sellers will agree. We go through it and call you with what we found before you commit, with the written report to follow. Listing photos are taken to sell, not to inform. A rocker packed with filler and painted over looks perfect from six feet away in the right light.
Doesn't a vehicle history report tell me everything?
It tells you what got reported. Collision work paid for in cash never shows up, and neither does a repair done in somebody's garage. We've had vehicles roll in with a spotless history report and obvious structural repair underneath — non-factory welds, sealer laid on by hand, a rail that's been straightened. Run the history report by all means, then put the vehicle on a hoist. The report and the inspection catch completely different problems, and you want both before you pay.
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