Who is qualified to properly inspect a used vehicle?

A pre-purchase inspection on a used vehicle is only as good as the experience level of the automotive technician and his knowledge on each and every system. Today's cars are so technologically advanced that most professional automotive technicians specialize only on a few of the 8 general automotive areas. To properly inspect a vehicle, the Technician should be certified in all 8 areas. A technician with all 8 certifications is called an ASE Certified Master Technician (see ASE Certifications).  

However, ASE Master Technicians are not certified on body and frame systems. You should have a technician which has certifications or a specialist in Structural and Non-Structural Analysis (body & frame) to determine and any accident damage and the quality of previous body/frame repairs.

To properly inspect today's used vehicles, you need an ASE Certified Master Technician to examine all mechanical & electrical components and systems, and a Body & Frame Technician to determine existing and previous damage.