A pre-purchase inspection (PPI) is a check of a used car done before you buy it. The goal is simple: find out what’s actually wrong with the car, whether its history is clean, and what a fair price is - so you don’t inherit someone else’s expensive problem the moment you sign the title.
If you’re searching for a “PPI car” check, the “best PPI company” or the “cheapest PPI”, this guide explains exactly what you’re paying for and which option makes sense.
What a PPI actually covers
A complete pre-purchase inspection has three parts. Most services only do one or two - which is why people end up paying twice.
- History and title check (by VIN). Was the title branded as salvage, rebuilt, flood or lemon? Was the car reported stolen or totaled at a Copart/IAAI auction? Any open recalls or liens? Was the odometer rolled back? This is the part that catches the most expensive mistakes - a “clean” listing that’s really a rebuilt wreck.
- Physical / mechanical inspection. Paint thickness and bodywork (signs of accident repair), engine and suspension condition, electronics, tyres, leaks. Traditionally done by a mechanic on a lift.
- Valuation and negotiation. What the defects cost to fix, and how much you should knock off the asking price.
A good PPI gives you all three. Many cheap options give you only one.
How much does a PPI cost?
| Option | Typical cost | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanic PPI | $100-200 | Thorough physical inspection, but no history report, and you wait days for an appointment |
| Standalone history report | ~$40 | A document by VIN - no physical inspection, no advice on what to do |
| MotoPPI app | from $9.99 (first check free) | VIN history across 20+ databases + a model-specific inspection checklist + repair estimates + a negotiation script |
The mechanic is the most thorough and the most expensive. The history report is cheap but it’s just data. The gap in the middle - full history plus guided inspection plus pricing, without paying a mechanic - is what MotoPPI was built to fill.
How to choose the best PPI company
Whatever you pick, judge it on these:
- Does it actually pull title and salvage history by VIN? A “PPI” that skips this isn’t protecting you from the most expensive trap.
- Does it tell you what to do, not just what it found? Raw data is useless if you don’t know whether a finding is a dealbreaker or a $50 fix.
- Is the cost proportional to the car? Paying $200 to inspect a $4,000 car rarely makes sense. Paying $10 to avoid a $5,000 mistake always does.
- How fast is it? A seller pushing for a quick deal won’t wait three days for your mechanic’s appointment.
The cheapest PPI for most buyers
For a one-off purchase, a $9.99 app-based check that combines VIN history, a model-specific inspection checklist and repair estimates gives you ~90% of what a mechanic PPI catches, at a fraction of the price and in minutes instead of days. For full diagnostics on a lift, you can still see a mechanic afterwards - but by then you already know the car is worth that visit (and not a rebuilt salvage car listed as clean).
That’s the whole idea behind MotoPPI: a complete pre-purchase inspection from your phone. The first check is free - download it on the App Store and run your first car before you decide.
FAQ
Is a PPI worth it on a cheap car? Yes - the cheaper the car, the more likely something was hidden to make the price work. A $10 check against a $5,000 surprise is the best ratio in the whole purchase.
Can I do a PPI myself? The history check and most of the physical inspection, yes - with the right tool and a checklist. A mechanic still helps for deep mechanical diagnostics, but most red flags are spottable by a careful buyer following a step-by-step list.
Do I need the VIN? For the history part, yes - without a VIN you can’t pull title brands, salvage records, theft status or recalls. Most listings show the VIN in the description or on the window sticker.