Pre-purchase car and van inspections in Hampshire

What your AtWheel inspection includes

AtWheel offers pre-purchase inspections for cars and vans across Hampshire. Both vehicle types receive the same core service: an inspection of the vehicle, a diagnostic scan, a road test and a written report. The car and van prices reflect the vehicle being inspected; you do not have to buy a higher package to receive the report or scan.

The useful starting point is what you are considering buying and what concerns you. Perhaps an advert mentions an occasional warning light, the seller describes a noise as normal, or the service paperwork leaves a question unanswered. Tell us about those points when you book. They give the inspection context, although an inspection cannot promise to reproduce every intermittent symptom.

We discuss the proposed vehicle and location before arranging the visit. If access, roadworthiness or diagnostic compatibility could restrict part of the work, that needs to be understood. Our report should help you make a buying decision with a clearer picture of the vehicle and any matters needing further attention.

Fixed car and van inspection prices

A car inspection costs £199. A van inspection costs £229. These are the fixed prices for the AtWheel inspection service described on this page, including the written report, diagnostic scan and road test. Call 07444 400271 to arrange the appropriate booking.

Give us the registration and describe the vehicle accurately, especially if it has been converted, modified or is not running normally. We will confirm whether the proposed inspection is suitable before booking. Do not assume that specialist equipment fitted to a van is covered simply because we are inspecting the vehicle itself.

Repairs, replacement parts and moving the vehicle are separate services. Finding a problem does not automatically authorise further work. If you need help beyond the inspection, discuss it with us and agree that work separately.

Before buying a used car

A tidy advert and a short viewing can leave plenty unanswered. You may have seen the car only in rain, met the seller after work or spent most of the visit checking that your family fits comfortably inside. An inspection gives you another opportunity to consider its condition before the purchase is settled.

Send us the registration and explain anything you have already noticed. Describe a noise in your own words and say when it happens: on starting, while turning, under braking or after the car has warmed up. If you have not driven it, say so. We would rather work with an accurate account than a diagnosis supplied by an advert or guessed during a viewing.

Keep the buying decision separate from pressure to complete quickly. Arrange the inspection while the seller can still provide access and before you commit on the assumption that every concern is minor. The report can then inform your questions and the next conversation about the car.

Before buying a used van

A replacement van often has a job waiting for it. If it is meant to carry your tools on Monday, an unresolved fault can affect more than the journey home. AtWheel's £229 van inspection gives you the same report, diagnostic scan and road test included with a car inspection, with the booking based on the van you are considering.

Tell us the make, model and body type, together with any conversion or equipment that changes how the vehicle is used. A panel van, a crew van and a converted vehicle can present different access arrangements. Confirm that the seller can make the cab and relevant areas accessible, and mention any load that will still be inside.

An inspection also needs to be kept separate from choosing the right specification for your business. Check the vehicle's documented weight limits, seating, load space and intended use yourself. Do not treat a condition report as confirmation that a particular payload, towing arrangement or specialist conversion is suitable for your work.

What a diagnostic scan can tell you

A diagnostic scan is included in both AtWheel inspection prices. It can provide useful information from compatible vehicle systems, including stored fault information that helps explain a warning or directs attention to an area requiring further investigation. Tell us about any warning lights you have seen, even if they have gone out by the time of the appointment.

A fault code is a starting point for investigation, not an instruction to replace the part named in its description. Different underlying problems can produce similar information. Equally, a scan showing no faults does not prove that a vehicle has no mechanical problems. A noise, leak or intermittent symptom may not generate a code.

The information available depends on the vehicle and the systems the equipment can communicate with. Access to the diagnostic connection also matters. We will identify relevant limitations rather than treating an unavailable reading as a successful check. A general diagnostic scan should not be confused with manufacturer-specific programming, a specialist battery-capacity assessment or a guarantee that every electronic function has been tested.

The inspection road test

The road test is part of the car and van inspection service. Driving can reveal behaviour that is not apparent while a vehicle is parked. It provides an opportunity to observe how the vehicle responds during the journey and to consider reported symptoms in the conditions available.

The seller must permit the road test, and the arrangements must allow the vehicle to be driven safely and legally. Tell us about an expired MOT, known braking or steering problems, warning messages or any reason the vehicle has been kept off the road. The keys and sufficient fuel or charge need to be available. We confirm road-test arrangements before proceeding; an appointment is not a reason to drive an unsafe vehicle.

Traffic, weather and the vehicle's condition can limit what can reasonably be assessed. A brief intermittent problem may not appear during the test. If a road test cannot take place or has to be restricted, that limitation needs to be clear in the findings. We do not describe an unperformed test as completed.

Your written inspection report

Your AtWheel inspection includes a written report so you have something to refer to after the visit. That matters when you are weighing up several vehicles or need to discuss the findings with someone who was not present. It also keeps an observed concern separate from a seller's explanation of it.

Read the findings alongside any recorded limitations. An area that could not be accessed is different from an area that was checked without a concern being identified. Where a symptom or diagnostic result needs further investigation, treat that as an open question when considering the purchase.

Use the report to prepare specific questions: what has been investigated, what repair has been proposed, and what evidence supports the seller's answer? Ask us if a finding is unclear. A report is most useful when you understand what it says about this vehicle, rather than reading it as a simple pass or fail certificate.

What an inspection cannot establish

A pre-purchase inspection describes what can be assessed at the appointment. It cannot guarantee how long a component will last or that a fault will never develop. Conditions can change after the visit, and hidden or intermittent problems may not be apparent during the checks or road test.

It is also a different service from an MOT, a repair investigation or a vehicle-history check. Do not assume the inspection confirms ownership, outstanding finance, insurance write-off history or the accuracy of the recorded mileage. If those matters concern you, arrange the appropriate checks and review the vehicle documents before paying the seller.

Discuss specialist concerns when you first call. A camper conversion, a high-voltage battery question or an issue that requires dismantling may need a different assessment. Explaining that early helps establish whether our inspection will answer the questions that matter to you, without promising a procedure that has not been agreed.

How to book with AtWheel

Call 07444 400271 with the registration, make and model, approximate mileage and the Hampshire address where the vehicle is kept. Tell us whether it is a car or van and whether you are buying from a dealer or a private seller. Mention known faults, modifications and any restrictions on access.

Before an appointment is confirmed, speak to the seller and obtain permission for the inspection, diagnostic scan and road test. Give us realistic times when the vehicle and keys can be made available. A dealer's advertised opening hours do not necessarily mean the particular vehicle is ready for inspection throughout that period.

We will discuss the vehicle, location and booking arrangements with you. If the seller moves the vehicle or changes the available time, let us know before the visit. You can also use our contact page to find AtWheel's contact details. Telephone booking is the direct route for this service.

What to arrange with the seller

Ask the seller to have the keys ready and provide enough room around the vehicle for the inspection. The working area needs to be safe and suitable; a tightly packed forecourt, blocked driveway or busy public road may prevent parts of the work. Describe the location when booking rather than assuming access will be straightforward.

The vehicle should be reasonably clean so its visible condition can be assessed. Relevant documents should be available for you to review, including service information and MOT details where applicable. If the seller has an invoice for a repair related to a concern, keep it with the other information rather than relying solely on a verbal account.

Ask the seller to explain any starting issue, damaged lock, inaccessible area or equipment left in the van. If a warning has recently been investigated or codes have been cleared, tell us what you know. Those details help put the findings in context; withholding a known problem does not make the eventual inspection more useful.

Inspections across Hampshire

AtWheel provides car and van inspections across Hampshire, including Portsmouth, Southampton, Gosport, Fareham, Havant, Waterlooville, Winchester, Eastleigh, Basingstoke and the surrounding towns. Give us the vehicle's actual location when arranging the booking, even if you live elsewhere or the advert lists only the nearest large town.

A Portsmouth buyer may be viewing a van in Andover, while someone outside the county may be considering a car held by a Southampton seller. The inspection arrangements follow the vehicle. A full address and the name of the person meeting us help avoid confusion between a sales office, storage yard and collection site.

Check availability with us before making plans that depend on a particular appointment. Our Hampshire service areas page is useful if you also need local recovery or transport information, but an inspection visit is arranged directly with AtWheel for the vehicle concerned.

Using the findings before you buy

If the inspection identifies a concern, decide what evidence you need before going ahead. You might ask the seller to arrange a repair, request a further assessment or decide that the vehicle no longer suits you. The inspection does not commit you to the purchase, and AtWheel does not make that decision for you.

A promise that an issue will be fixed is different from evidence that work has been completed. Ask for a clear description of the proposed work and keep the paperwork. If a repair needs checking afterwards, discuss that as a separate arrangement; do not assume the original report describes a vehicle after subsequent work.

Likewise, a report without a major concern does not remove the need to review the documents, agreed sale terms and vehicle history. Bring those pieces together before deciding whether the vehicle is right for your budget and intended use.

Inspection and vehicle transport

AtWheel also offers vehicle transport, so you can discuss a planned collection if you decide to buy. Keep the inspection decision and transport booking distinct: first establish what you are buying, then agree how and when it should be moved. Collection is not included in the £199 car or £229 van inspection.

If the vehicle cannot safely be driven, our recovery service can be discussed for an agreed destination. A fault found during an inspection does not automatically mean that AtWheel will move the vehicle or carry out a repair; the owner and customer need to agree the next step.

For a starting problem that needs separate attention, we also provide mobile battery replacement. That service has its own assessment and booking arrangements. Buying an inspection does not include a replacement battery, parts or workshop work.

Questions before booking