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Shops use digital vehicle inspections because they solve a trust problem. A customer who cannot see a worn brake pad has to take the service advisor's word for it, and many will not. A DVI replaces a conversation with concrete proof of an issue. That changes the conversation at the counter, and it is why DVIs tie directly to improving your average repair order (ARO), approval rates, and customer satisfaction. Shops also call this a digital multi-point inspection, or simply a digital inspection. The format varies, but the idea is the same: build customer trust by documenting the vehicle's condition in a way the customer can see.
What is a digital vehicle inspection?
A digital vehicle inspection (DVI) is a vehicle inspection performed on a phone or tablet instead of a paper form. The technician walks the car, checks each item on a standardized list, and documents what they find with photos, videos, and notes. Each finding gets a condition rating, usually green for good, yellow for needing attention soon, and red for needing immediate attention. The finished report is sent to the customer by text or email, where they can see exactly what the technician saw and approve or decline the recommended work.
How do you perform a digital vehicle inspection?
Top-performing auto repair shops use a standard workflow for every vehicle, and DVIs are a big part of that.
Here is the process from check-in to approval.
1. The inspection is assigned at check-in
When the service advisor builds the repair order, an inspection template is attached to it. Many shops set a default inspection that is added to every repair order automatically, so nothing depends on someone remembering to add it. The template lists inspection groups, such as brakes, tires, fluids, and exterior, and the individual tasks under each one.
2. The technician performs the inspection on a mobile device
The technician opens the inspection on a phone or tablet in the bay. If they are using Tekmetric digital vehicle inspections, they rate the condition, take photos or a short video, and add a note explaining what they found. Photo markups, such as circling a crack or pointing to a leak, help the customer understand what they are looking at. Because the device is already in the technician's hand, there is no walk back to a shared computer and no paper form to transcribe later.
3. Findings become recommendations
When the inspection is complete, the service advisor reviews the findings and builds the estimate. Inside Tekmetric, inspection tasks are linked to canned jobs, so marking a task yellow or red can automatically add the matching job, with parts and labor, to the repair order. The service advisor adjusts as needed and attaches the inspection report to the estimate.
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4. The customer receives the report and estimate
The customer gets a text or email with a link to the inspection report. They see the color-coded list, open the photos and videos, and read the technician's notes. Some systems also attach short educational animations that explain what a component does and why it fails.
5. The customer approves or declines each job
From the same link, the customer approves or declines each recommended job and signs digitally. The service advisor is notified, and approved work moves to the technician. Declined jobs are saved on the vehicle record so the shop can follow up later, rather than losing the recommendation in a filing cabinet.
Which parts of the car should be inspected with a DVI?
A DVI should cover the systems that affect safety, reliability, and performance. Most shops run a core inspection of 20-to-50 points on every vehicle and add specialized templates for specific services such as brakes, alignments, or pre-purchase checks.
Here is a practical list of what a standard multi-point DVI covers or check out our free template.
1. Tires and brakes
Tread depth on all four tires, tire pressure, brakes, uneven wear patterns, sidewall damage, and the condition of the spare. Tread depth photos with a gauge in frame are among the most persuasive images a shop can send.
2. Fluids
Engine oil level and condition, coolant, transmission fluid, power steering fluid, brake fluid, and washer fluid.
3. Battery and electrical
Battery test results, headlights, terminal corrosion, cable condition, and alternator output.
4. Belts and hoses
Cracks, glazing, fraying, and soft or bulging hoses.
5. Suspension and steering
Shocks and struts for leaks, ball joints and tie rods for play, bushings for cracking, and any abnormal noises noted during the road test. Video is especially useful here because play in a component is hard to capture in a still photo.
6. Exhaust and underbody
Leaks, rust, hanging components, and heat shield damage.
7. Filters
Engine air filter and cabin air filter.
8. Exterior and interior
Body damage, wiper blades, warning lights on the dash, and anything unusual the customer should know about. Documenting pre-existing damage at check-in also protects the shop.
Benefits of digital vehicle inspections
The benefits of a DVI show up in four places a shop already measures: average repair order, approval rate, customer satisfaction, and the time it takes to get a vehicle from check-in to payment.
Higher ARO
When customers can see the worn part, they approve the work more often. The inspection also surfaces recommendations a verbal walkthrough would skip, so the estimate reflects what the vehicle actually needs.
Faster approvals
A photo answers the question the customer would otherwise call back to ask. Fewer "let me think about it" conversations means less time with a vehicle sitting on the lift waiting for a decision.
More trust and better reviews
The DVI shows the customer what is fine as well as what needs attention. That transparency is what customers mention when they leave a review, and it is the difference between a shop they tried once and a shop they come back to.
A record of every recommendation
Declined work does not disappear. It stays on the vehicle history, where the service advisor can bring it back up at the next visit or follow up automatically. Over a year, that is a meaningful source of returning car count.
Consistency across technicians and locations
Every technician works the same template, so the customer gets the same inspection regardless of who is in the bay. For multi-location shops, that consistency is what makes inspection completion and ARO comparable across stores.
How Tekmetric can help
Tekmetric is the all-in-one auto repair platform, and digital vehicle inspections are built into it rather than added through a separate app. When all of that lives in one system, there is no syncing, no re-entry, and nothing to get lost between tools. Tekmetric shops average $612 per repair order, $741 when using Digital Vehicle Inspections, and around $800 when adding MotoVisuals videos to those inspections.
Here is what shops get with Tekmetric DVI.
Inspections from the mobile app
Technicians perform the inspection, take and mark up photos, record videos, and add findings from their phone or tablet without leaving the bay. The same app scans VINs and license plates to speed up check-in.
Custom and default inspection templates
Build inspections with the groups, tasks, and findings your shop uses, and set a default inspection that is added to every new repair order automatically. Multi-location shops can standardize one template across every location.
Color-coded findings
Green, yellow, and red ratings tell customers at a glance what is fine, what to watch, and what needs attention now.
Canned jobs linked to inspection tasks
Map canned jobs to inspection tasks so the right job, with parts and labor, is added to the repair order when a finding is marked. Service advisors spend less time rebuilding the same estimate.
Digital authorization
Customers review the inspection, approve or decline each job, and sign from their phone. Service advisors get notified when a customer views the inspection or estimate.
Declined jobs saved for follow-up
Work that is recommended but not approved stays on the vehicle record as a future opportunity, and Tekmetric Marketing can automate the follow-up.
Inspection history
Every inspection is stored with the vehicle, so service advisors can show a customer what was found last visit and what has changed.
DVI Quick Capture
DVI Quick Capture (in early access) lets a technician capture photos, video, and audio notes during the walk-around while Tekmetric assigns the media to the right inspection tasks and writes the findings in customer-friendly language. The technician reviews and accepts or edits every finding before the inspection is complete.
Key takeaways
A digital vehicle inspection documents a vehicle's condition with photos, videos, and notes, then puts that evidence in the customer's hands so they can approve work with confidence. It works best when it is standardized, performed on every vehicle, and built into the same system that runs the repair order.
Ready to start building trust with your customers and increase your ARO?
👉 Book your free Tekmetric demo here
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