This blog will discuss the importance of a car inspection, different scenarios in which car inspections are necessary, and what can be done. We will also briefly tap into how to conduct a car inspection yourself.
Let’s dive in.
The need for a car inspection can arise due to many reasons.
While many car owners may have a fundamental understanding of assessing the car’s condition, they may be unaware of how to conduct a thorough inspection.
Let’s understand why car inspections are needed, how you can inspect a car, and what factors experts look for while conducting car inspections.
Why are car inspections needed?
Car inspections are an essential process to ensure the road safety of a vehicle. They provide a clear picture of your vehicle’s condition and help assess any repair/replacement work needed for its better functioning.
While most car inspections are done by an expert at a body shop or by an insurance company, the need for one can extend to various scenarios like
- When renting a car, maintain an accurate record of the vehicle’s condition to prove or disprove any claims of damage that might arise later. There have been scenarios where car renters have complained about being falsely charged for damages they didn’t cause and ended up having to pay the price because they didn’t have a record of the before vs. after conditions of the vehicle.
- After an accident, evaluate the extent of damage and decide whether to take it to the garage based on the assessment. Vehicle damage may often appear external (or merely cosmetic) but has internal issues you cannot spot with a visual check. In this case, vehicle inspections are highly recommended.
- While buying a used car, do due diligence and ensure that the car is functioning correctly so that you don’t face any trouble with the vehicle in the future. Inspecting a car beforehand also helps you get a better deal if existing damages/other issues are identified during the inspection process.
How can you inspect a car?
Inspecting a car involves checking various factors, such as the engine, windshield, panels, brakes, and other elements that ensure the car is in good condition. There are two approaches to conducting these vehicle inspections – manual and digital vehicle inspections.
- Manual inspections require you to physically inspect the vehicle and take notes based on the issues you identified. While this is the traditional method of inspections, it is pretty complex, tiring, and takes a lot of time, causing a lot of hassle to the inspector and the car owner.
- Manual inspections are often unreliable and prone to fraud and human error (even with an expert involved).
- You require more resources (like specialized expertise, equipment, etc) to conduct a thorough inspection.
- Digital Vehicle Inspections are a better option for a lot of reasons. This method uses a fully digitized process, which makes it more efficient and reliable. This is slowly becoming a norm for various industries because
- They are pretty straightforward and make inspections easier
- They require less time, effort, and resources for a detailed inspection
- AI makes these inspections more accurate and less prone to errors during reporting.
How to conduct a digital vehicle inspection?
Many companies are already building AI-powered digital tools to ease vehicle inspections.
For example, Inspektlabs allows you to either use a fixed camera setup or your smartphone camera to run 360° scans on your vehicle, which is then analyzed using their proprietary AI, and you get a detailed report of your vehicle’s condition within a few seconds with recommendations on whether you should repair or replace the damaged parts.
They also have built fraud detection measures to ensure a more thorough vehicle condition report.
Digital inspections enable anyone to inspect vehicles and remove the liability of human errors while significantly improving accuracy and cutting down on time.
Conclusion
Car inspections are an essential part of owning or driving a vehicle, and the need for an inspection can arise in various situations.
While Manual inspections are traditionally the norm, the industry is slowly moving towards digital vehicle inspections that are more reliable and easier to conduct.
Additionally, digital inspections allow anyone to become an expert in vehicle inspections, ensuring fewer chances of errors and fraud.