Pre-Purchase Car Inspection Checklist for Used Cars in Egypt

Our complete inspection checks more than 210 points. This is a grouped version, so it stays readable.

What you can check yourself first

Before you book an engineer, ten minutes of your own checking can remove obvious bad cars.

• Walk around the car in daylight and look for uneven gaps between panels.
• Look at the paint from an angle for different shades or a rough, wavy surface.
• Check that all four tyres wear evenly and that the brand and age match.
• Open the bonnet and look for oil or coolant leaks and a very dirty or very clean engine bay.
• Test every window, light, the air conditioning and the central locking.
• Start the engine from cold and listen for knocking or rough running.
• Make sure the chassis and engine numbers match the documents.

Anything that looks wrong here is a reason to ask more questions or walk away. If the car passes, the next step is a professional inspection, because the serious faults are rarely visible to the eye.

Chassis and body structure

• Signs of welding, cutting or straightening on the chassis rails.
• Fresh underseal or paint in places where there should be none.
• Differences in panel gaps, bolts that have been turned, and mismatched seams.
• Rust on the floor, sills and underbody.
• Signs of a front or rear impact, even when the outside looks clean.

Paint and body panels

• Paint thickness readings on every panel, compared with factory values.
• Panels that have been repainted or filled.
• Overspray on rubber seals, trim and door edges.
• Colour or texture differences between panels.

A paint gauge matters because a good repaint can look perfect. The reading shows what the eye cannot.

Engine

• Noise at idle and when revving.
• Oil level and condition, and signs of oil leaks.
• Coolant condition and cooling system leaks.
• Belts, hoses and visible wear.
• Smoke from the exhaust.
• Signs of previous major work or a replaced engine.

Gearbox and drivetrain

• Smooth engagement into drive and reverse.
• Gear changes without jerks, slipping or delay.
• Clutch behaviour in manual cars.
• Leaks and noise from the gearbox and driveshafts.

Gearbox faults are some of the most expensive to repair, so they deserve particular attention.

Suspension, steering and brakes

• Shock absorbers, arms, bushings and ball joints.
• Steering play and pull to one side.
• Brake disc and pad condition and braking distance.
• Uneven tyre wear, which can point to alignment or suspension problems.

Computer diagnostics

• Stored and pending fault codes in the engine, gearbox, airbag and brake systems.
• Signs that codes were recently cleared.
• Sensor readings that do not look normal.

You can see how this part works in our page on computer diagnostics for used cars.

Electrics and comfort

• Air conditioning cooling and the compressor.
• Airbag warning lights and seat belt condition.
• Windows, mirrors, central locking, lights and wipers.
• Infotainment, cameras and sensors if fitted.

Odometer and documents

• Whether the mileage fits the wear on the pedals, seats and steering wheel.
• Signs of odometer tampering.
• Chassis and engine numbers against the registration papers.

Road test

The road test shows how the car behaves in motion: acceleration, braking, steering, gear changes, noises and vibrations at different speeds. A car that feels fine in a car park can behave very differently on the road.

A ten-minute walk-around anyone can do

Before you spend money on anything, spend ten minutes with the car. Walk around it slowly in daylight and look along each side from the front and the back. Panels should line up, gaps should be even, and the colour should look the same everywhere. Open and close every door, the bonnet and the boot. Sit inside and check that the seat wear matches the distance on the odometer. Switch on every light and press every button.

None of this replaces an inspection. It helps you decide whether the car is worth inspecting at all, and it tells you how the seller behaves when you look closely.

Signs that should make you stop

• Mismatched paint or overspray on rubber seals and trim.
• A smell of damp inside the car, or water marks under the carpets.
• Warning lights on the dashboard that the seller says to ignore.
• A seller who does not want the engine started cold, or who has already warmed it up for you.
• Missing or unclear papers.

Any one of these is a reason to ask more questions. Several together is a reason to leave.

Why your own check is not enough

You can see the surface. You cannot see inside the gearbox, behind the dashboard, under the paint or in the car’s computer. Those are the places where expensive problems hide, and they are where an engineer with the right equipment earns their fee. Use your own check to screen cars, and the inspection to confirm the one you want. Our guide to what a full inspection includes shows what the engineer adds.

For a shorter overview of what to look at first, read our guide on what to inspect on a used car.

Get the inspection done by an independent engineer

If you would like us to run this checklist on the car you are considering, call or message us on WhatsApp at +20 122 237 3204 (01222373204). We inspect at our Nasr City centre or at the car’s location, and you receive a written report with photos. Learn more in our guide to the pre-purchase car inspection in Egypt.