Cars are becoming increasingly complicated, and even people who are happy poking about under the bonnet can easily be daunted by modern vehicles. That's why it can be worth calling in the professionals; a qualified engineer with all the right tools and test equipment will give a written report on how good a car is.

Such checks aren't cheap - they're usually over £100, but you could end up saving a lot more than that if you're considering buying what turns out to be a heap. If you're a member of a major breakdown organisation you should be able to get a discounted vehicle check, but it'll still be quite a chunk of cash.

While such inspections are comprehensive, not all vehicles are eligible. Imports, cars over seven years old or particularly expensive cars are typical exmptions, so you may need to call in a local mechanic to look over one of these instead. If you do call in the experts but then have a major problem, you can claim against the company that did the inspection and there should be some form of financial redress available.

A cheap alternative which looks at all the key areas is an MoT. You can put a car through an MoT at any time, and for relatively little money you can establish if there are any serious faults with the vehicle.
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