Improve Accuracy and Speed With the Right Vehicle Inspection Checklists

Vehicle inspection checklists guide your technician’s through each aspect of a given inspection so that no problem areas go unaddressed.

Having a set list of points to check for each inspection will ensure they remember to look into each item listed. But before your shop gets started on inspections, you have to get down to the nitty-gritty of inspection checklists.

Find The Right Digital Vehicle Inspection Checklist For Your shop

There's no one-size-fits-all vehicle inspection checklist. It's essential to have different inspection checklists depending on the customer's concerns and what prompted them to bring their car to your shop.

One generic inspection checklist is not enough as it may be too broad or too narrow to cover all the necessary areas. 

Your shop may have its own variations of inspections depending on the services you provide. For instance, an auto body repair shop may focus on checking for scratches, dents, and cracks, while a general repair shop will mostly inspect the belts, filters, fluids, and everything else under the hood. 

So, how many vehicle inspection checklists do you need? As many checklists as there are common reasons for vehicle owners to bring their cars to your shop. 

Common digital vehicle inspection checklists 

Vehicle inspection checklists can be divided into four categories: interior, under vehicle, under hood, and exterior. But keep in mind that if your shop does a multi-point inspection, it’s likely that your tech will tackle each of those categories. 

The main different types of vehicle inspection checklists are:

1. Fluid Inspection: A check-up on a vehicle’s essential fluids, including engine oil, transmission fluid, power steering fluid, brake fluid, and differential fluid. This inspection is prompted by a leak or a specific problem related to their car’s fluid levels. 
2. Maintenance Inspection: A routine inspection to ensure the vehicle is in good working order. It‘s common for the maintenance inspection to be a part of regularly scheduled tune-ups. This inspection is prompted when a customer’s vehicle has reached a specific mileage, and they want to be extra cautious before they exceed more miles. 
3. Diagnostic Inspection/Test: An on-board diagnostic check where you’ll use an OBD scanner to check for issues related to the engine, transmission, oil tank, throttle, and more. This inspection is prompted when a customer's check engine light is on.
4. Exhaust Inspection: Helps uncover any potential exhaust system leaks or clogged catalytic converters. They can include inspecting everything from the manifold or headers down to the tailpipes. This inspection is prompted when a customer is experiencing an unusual odor or sound coming from their vehicle when they drive it.
5. Courtesy Inspection: A visual inspection of common components typically done during another repair. This inspection is prompted when a customer is getting a repair done on their car, and your technician wants to double-check that their tire pressure isn't low, their windshield wiper fluid is topped off, etc.
6. Multi-Point Inspections: The most thorough types of inspections. Many auto repair shops will choose to do multi-point inspections to ensure each area is accounted for during a vehicle inspection. They are usually prompted by one—or several—of the above prompts.

Different Digital Vehicle Inspection Systems

Although these are some of the most common digital car inspections, it’s important to remember that the way one inspection is conducted at one auto repair shop may be different than the way it is conducted at your shop.

And what works when you first open your shop will look different years later when you’re expanding your shop.

Carbon Copy Vehicle Inspection Forms

This method can become unwieldy when you need to make a change to an inspection, and you don’t have the ability to easily go in and edit the template to your liking.

Printable vehicle Inspection forms

Printing out vehicle inspection checklists and jotting down your findings can lead to errors due to disorganization and the potential for illegible handwriting.  

On-premise Inspection/Shop Management Systems

With most on-premise systems, someone will have to run back and forth from the car to the computer to complete the vehicle inspection checklist. 

Cloud-based Inspection/Shop Management System

With some cloud-based inspection systems, you can create multiple vehicle inspection checklists with just a few clicks, and the system will save them for you—both the vehicle inspection checklist template and the copy of the completed inspection. 

Improve Your Process with Tekmetric's Digital Vehicle Inspections

By implementing the right vehicle inspection technology and checklists in your auto repair shop, you'll save time, reduce errors, and enhance customer satisfaction. Your technicians will have all the necessary information at their fingertips, enabling them to provide fast and accurate repairs. 

Our cloud-based shop management system has you covered at all steps, from customer concerns, to inspections to selling more repair work down the line.