What this checklist is for
A PPI form for a used car or light truck is a pre-purchase inspection that happen with a technician or in a US light duty shop. Perform the inspection with the wheels off or on a lift. Complete the inspection before money changes hands. Record Seller & Vehicle ID, Lift Stations, History Notes, Recommendation, OK/Defect/N/A Marks, and Inspector Sign-off. Fill out online then save to PDF or CSV file.
Check for under-car leaks, steering linkage play, and rotor, drum, or brake lining limits.
Reason: To do so requires a lift and removal of at least one wheel up front and back. (49 CFR 570.5)
This information come from NHTSA TireWise; the ASE G1 task list; FTC advice on independent inspection; AAA shop-PPI practice; and 49 CFR Part 570 Subpart A numbers for vehicles with a GVWR of 10,000 lbs or less.
What it is not
- It is not a driveway used-car buyer walkthrough. That listing walk cannot measure 570.5 lining thickness. Name that form in plain text if you need a lot walk first. Do not treat a no-lift walk as this PPI.
- It is not a CMV pre-trip. Do not copy tractor, trailer, or DVIR rows from the CMV pre-trip inspection checklist. 49 CFR 393 lining and 4/32 inch steer-axle tread are not this passenger sheet.
- It is not a state inspection sticker, a bill of sale, a title, or the federal odometer disclosure. History rows are notes only.
- It is not a 570.5(d)(2) certification stop. A parking-lot brake check is not a 20 mph stop in 25 feet on a prepared surface.
How to fill each block
Note that the FTC Buyers Guide is not the layout for this sheet. The FTC Buyers Guide is a dealer window sticker, not this sheet's layout.
The document include vehicle info, seller info, and inspector info. Copy the VIN from the dash plate and from the title, not from the listing text. (Not from the text of the listing.) AAA references the label located on the driver's door. Make/Model/Year should of been gotten from the car itself. Ask about the price, miles, seller type, and lift availability. Ensure this was an independent shop look approved by the buyer or seller. A non-consenting seller is a red flag for AAA. The engine should preferably be cold.
Check frame, glass, body and flood damage. Inspect in daylight: sight glass, paint match, gaps in sight panels. Run fingers over sills and rockers looking for soft metal. Look for flood silt, waterlines, and a musty or deodorizer smell in the cabin, glove box, under the dash, and in the spare well.
Scammers clean up flood cars, says NHTSA flood guidance. Cars appear fine at first glance. Rust on the underside is an odd sign for NHTSA (considering age and climate).
Look in the engine compartment. If possible, keep the engine off and let it cool. For ASE G1 it's all about leaks, belts & hoses, mounts and warning indicators. For AAA any milky, gray colored oil with water droplets is a deal breaker. Do not open a hot radiator cap. Electric power steering is not applicable if there is no reservoir.
Check your brakes (with wheels off and on the lift). Step 5 says to remove at least one rear wheel and one front wheel. Remove the lining, pad, disc, drum, and hardware, and judge if the lining is at least 1/32 inch thick over the rivet heads on the pad. The thickness must be at least 1/32 inch over the shoe for bonding linings. Don't make up any other Pass/Fail line of thickness. Drums and rotors is within manufacturer spec or within embossed safe dimension.
Do not have hoses touching the body. Do not use cracked, flattened, or chafed hoses. Fronts go lock to lock while swinging. Pedal holds 125 lbs for 10 seconds without dropping. Pedal travel should be no more than 80 percent from free to floor.
This does not apply to full power systems.
6. Residual vacuum exhausted. Push the pedal down (25 lb). Crank up. Pedal falls slightly. Axles must have no greater than 20% difference in force from left to right. If a drive-on or roller brake tester is available at the shop, then use it. This is section 5(d)(1). Residual exhaust vacuum. Pedal down (25 lb). Crank up. Pedal falls slightly. Axles must have no greater than 20% difference in force from left to right. If a drive-on or roller brake tester is available at the shop, then use it. 5(d)(1).
Mark that row N/A if you do not have the machine.
Check out the suspension, steering and undercarriage. Look for floor pan, crossmember and frame rail rust-through, new welds and kinks. Use 570.7 Table 1 to find the maximum steering wheel diameters for each amount of lash. One made up inch isn’t right. With front raised and ball joints loaded, linkage play shouldn't be more than 1/4 inch. Section 570.8 covers shock and suspension conditions, including two-cycle bounce. Oil-free shocks should have no oil wetness. Axles, boots, control arms, ball joints, stabilizer links and CV axles is covered in ASE G1. Get those wheels off and you’ll see them.
Check your tires. Light trucks, vehicles with a GVWR of 10,000 pounds or less must have no more than 2/32 inch remaining tread. See NHTSA TireWise and 570.9. Find the wear bars. They is located in two adjacent major grooves at three locations. Use the penny trick. If the top of Lincoln’s noggin shows…you’re outta there.
Find the number on the Driver Door. That’s where cold inflation can be found (see Tire and Loading Information label). Max psi on the sidewall is not what you want. Match size, construction, and profile on each axle. Check for wheel cracks. Is there a weld repair? Check for missing lug nuts. Are the bolt holes elongated? It’s all covered under 570.10
Interior, restraints, and electronics. Check
Check the seat belt latch.
Do NOT pry an airbag cover!
Interior, restraints, and electronics? Check brake lamps at key-on. Check that the MIL, ABS, and airbag brake lamps works. If no faults, confirm they go out upon starting. This applies to AAA and ASE G1. Check brake lamps at key-on. MIL, ABS, airbag brake lamp prove-out. If no faults, confirm they go out upon starting. This applies to AAA and ASE G1.
ASE G1 A.18: Retrieve and record diagnostic trouble codes.
Inspect transmission fluid if accessible.
Check the cooler lines and case leaks.
Note that sealed units are marked as N/A.
Mark sealed units N/A and rely on leaks plus the road test. Damage to the orange cable indicates hybrid issues that should be noted for further teardown. This is not a G1 HV procedure on this sheet.
What varies
Road Test: No radio on. Perform a launch, a bump, and a higher-speed run. Perform a legal run. The seller permits it. Don’t use a parking-lot stop as your 20 mph / 25 ft prepared-surface test (570.5(d)(2)). Mark N/A if you can’t drive the boat. Mention any defects.
These are paperwork notes. Not a bill of sale or title. This is not a 49 CFR 580 Odometer Instrument. These are just notes. Write down what you observed on the title. Note if it has a title brand. Add a note that includes the most recent odometer info. Also, check with NMVTIS for salvage, junk, or flood status. List any open vehicle recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls .
The FTC says the mechanical inspection should never be replaced by a history report. According to NMVTIS: The system advises consumers to have an inspection performed before making a purchase
Sign off, list defects. Location: list defects. If possible give an estimate of what it will cost to repair. Include repair-cost estimates as part of your report. When making this report, include a description (make, model, VIN) of the vehicle and how much it costs to fix. Select negotiate, walk away, continue, or needs further teardown. Date and sign form.
The default template is 49 CFR 570 Subpart A.
The GVWR is 10,000 lb or less.
After you finish
If GVWR > 10,000 lb then front tread must be at least 4/32 inch.
(For vehicles over 10,000 lb GVWR, front tread must be at least 4/32 inch per 570.62)
The language transitions into Subpart B.
Don't carry over the thickness requirements from CMV 393.47 onto your passenger PPI.
Title-brand names, implied warranties, as-is sales, and State inspection stickers is all state laws.
Section 570 imposes no duty on a private inspector.
States may adopt this for a sticker program.
Passing this sheet does not print a sticker. Sheet does not automatically print a sticker.
Brands are kept in NMVTIS which makes them more difficult to wash across state lines.
Clean NMVTIS report is not a mechanical pass.
Gaps exist until all required reporters participate.
Full-power brakes, carbon-ceramic rotors, sealed transmissions, and OEM electric power steering are different marks on the N/A side of things. Use scan-tool steps, rotor minimums, and torque specs from the OEM service information. An ASE G1 is a list of tasks considered a light repair/maintenance task. It is not a license to bypass the OEM procedure. Want a copy of this blank pdf with the tab left open? Download it filled out. Answers remain in this browser. Next visitor gets a blank form.
Not a substitute for the OEM or a licensed inspection
Don’t hand over any money until the buyer has the written report in his or her hands. “You can estimate your repairs, and then try to negotiate,” according to the FTC. On this page is the inspector’s call: Continue? This does not guarantee the car will get a state sticker. This does not promise a court would consider the sale to be warranted. The form sits above this article. The printable PDF and preview image sit below the form.
The recordkeeping form is a template, not legal advice. It is not an OEM procedure for that vehicle, nor is it a licensed state inspection alternative. It is not a replacement for 49 CFR 570 and/or other relevant NHTSA tire pages cited here where a bounce, lash, or tread or lining number may be found. Do not make up your own Pass/Fail limit if one isn't in there.