Buying a used car: the check before you pay
A private seller owes you nothing after the money has changed hands. An hour in a workshop beforehand is the cheapest part of the whole purchase.
Quick answer
- An independent pre-purchase inspection at AutoJet is from €100 and takes about an hour.
- You get a written list: what is worn, what is broken, and what it would cost to put right.
- That list is also your negotiating position — a known fault is a number you can subtract from the asking price.
- Check the free public records first: the APK expiry date and the mileage judgement are in the RDW register under the licence plate.
- Bring the car to Televisieweg 63, or agree with the seller that they bring it. Message us the plate in advance and we will tell you what we already see.
What you can check yourself, for free
Before you spend anything, look up the licence plate in the public RDW register. It tells you when the APK expires, whether the mileage reading is judged plausible, the date of first registration and the fuel type. A mileage judgement of anything other than "logical" is a reason to walk away, or at least to ask hard questions.
Then ask the seller for the invoices. Not a service booklet with stamps — actual invoices, with the parts and the oil specification on them. A car with a timing belt replaced two years ago and an invoice to prove it is worth meaningfully more than the same car with a story about it.
What an inspection adds that a test drive cannot
On a lift, with the wheels off the ground, a mechanic sees what you cannot see from the driver’s seat: play in the suspension, brake discs measured rather than guessed at, leaks from the engine, gearbox or shock absorbers, rust on load-bearing parts, and tyres that wear unevenly because something underneath is out of line.
We also read the car’s fault memory. Codes that have been cleared very recently are their own kind of answer, and so is a warning light that only comes back after ten minutes of driving.
What it costs and what you get
A pre-purchase inspection is from €100. You get a written list of findings with, next to each item, what the repair would cost at our rates. If you buy the car and have the work done with us, the inspection is part of the job rather than an extra line on the bill.
If the car has no valid APK, an APK at €70 is often the better buy: it is a formal, registered inspection against a fixed list. The pre-purchase check is broader and looks at wear and what it will cost, rather than only at pass or fail. Which of the two makes sense depends on the car — ask us and we will say which one we would do in your place.
After you buy
Two things are worth doing in the first month. Have the oil and filter changed unless you have an invoice showing it was done recently — it is the cheapest insurance on an engine whose history you do not know. And have the timing belt interval checked against the maker’s schedule: a belt that is past its date is the one failure that turns a good car into scrap.
Both are things we can look up from the licence plate, so you are not guessing.
Have a car checked in Almere
From €100, about an hour, written result. Send us the licence plate of the car you are looking at.
Pre-purchase inspection — prices and booking › Ask us on WhatsApp ›
Frequently asked questions
What does a pre-purchase inspection cost in Almere?
From €100 at AutoJet. It takes about an hour and you get a written list of findings with repair costs next to each item.
Is an APK the same as a pre-purchase inspection?
No. An APK is a formal roadworthiness test against a fixed list and costs a fixed €70. A pre-purchase inspection is broader: it looks at wear, leaks and what the repairs would cost, which is what you negotiate with.
Can I check a car myself before buying?
Partly. The RDW register tells you the APK expiry date and whether the mileage reading is judged plausible, both free and under the licence plate. What you cannot see without a lift is play in the suspension, measured brake discs, leaks and rust on load-bearing parts.
Do you inspect a car at the seller’s address?
No, the inspection needs a lift, so the car comes to Televisieweg 63 in Almere. Sellers who are confident about the car are usually fine with that; a refusal tells you something too.