Used Car Inspection Checklist for Pakistan

Tick things off on your phone as you go, or print the page. Works for any used car, Mehran to Fortuner.

Why the paint check matters so much here

Here, buyers read a car's history mostly through its paint. A "total genuine" car sells for noticeably more than the same model with a few repainted panels. So paint is the first thing to look at, and the first thing a dodgy seller tries to hide. A cheap paint thickness gauge, or a mechanic who carries one, ends the guessing.

Get the documents right

A car that drives like a dream is still a bad buy if the papers don't match. Our registration verification guide shows you how to look it up on the official Punjab and KP portals.

About model-specific questions

People keep asking about weak spots or the best years for popular models like the Honda City. We'll publish model notes only when we can back them with manufacturer information or enough real QuickSell ads. For now, this checklist plus a mechanic will show you what's wrong with the car actually in front of you.

Inspect in the right order

Papers first. If the chassis number on the body doesn't match the registration, stop. Nothing else matters, and you've just saved an hour. Our registration guide shows how to pull up the record on MTMIS or KP Excise.

Next, the body, in daylight, before the engine's warm. A cold start tells you far more. If the seller "just took it for a spin" before you got there, ask yourself why. He might be hiding a hard start or blue smoke.

Reading a paint report

Ads here are full of "total genuine", "one piece touch-up" and "shower". None of these are official terms. Every buyer uses them anyway.

Test drive route

Pick a route with a broken patch, some speed breakers and a stretch where you can safely get up to highway speed. In Lahore, maybe a service road and then a bit of Ring Road; in Karachi, Shahrah-e-Faisal plus a side street. Listen for clunks over the breakers. On a straight bit, loosen your grip on the wheel for a second. Does it drift? Brake hard once. It should stop straight, no shudder.

Run the AC on full for part of the drive. A weak AC in a Karachi car is a nasty surprise come June.

Worked example: a 2016 hatchback with low mileage

The ad says 45,000 km. But the driver's seat bolster is worn through, the steering wheel is shiny, and the pedal rubbers are smooth. The tyres all have date codes from different years. None of that proves the meter was rolled back. It does fit a car that's done a lot more. Ask for service records, and price it on condition, not the odometer.

Questions to ask the seller

• How long have you had it, and is it in your name?
• Which panels were repainted, and why?
• When were the tyres, battery and timing belt (if it has one) last changed?
• Any bank lease on it? Do you have the clearance letter?
• Can my mechanic check it before we settle the price?

If the seller won't allow a mechanic, that tells you something. Once you're happy, read our safe payment advice. Start browsing used cars on QuickSell, or, if you're the one selling, see how to sell your car.

What to bring to the inspection

• A torch, even in daylight, for the engine bay and the underside.
• A paint thickness gauge if you own one, or a mechanic who does.
• A clean tissue to check the oil colour on the dipstick.
• Your CNIC and the registration number already checked on the portal.
• A friend to watch the exhaust while you start it.

Under the car

Get down low and look at the chassis rails and the floor. Fresh underbody coating on an older car can be covering rust or welding. Check for oil drips at the gearbox and sump. Look at the exhaust too, for heavy rust or patched joints. In cities that flood every monsoon, like Karachi or Lahore, check for silt or rust wherever water would sit.

Automatic gearboxes

A lot of imported used cars here are automatics. On the drive, shifts should be smooth, with no jerk going from P to D. If there's a delay before it moves, or the revs flare between gears, get a mechanic's opinion before you talk price.