Used Car Inspection Checklist Before Export from China
A pre-export inspection checklist organised by order of proof: identity first, then odometer, paint, mechanical state and the uncosted items — plus what evidence cannot do.
An inspection before export is not a ceremony and it is not a warranty. It is the point where what a supplier told you about a car either becomes a dated record or stays a sentence in a chat window.
Condition wording — accident history, original paint, inspection, VIN, or simply how the car is — came up in 454 buyer conversations in our Algeria inquiry record up to 17 September 2026. Those conversations all come down to the same five questions. This page is the checklist we work from to answer them in evidence rather than in adjectives.
The five questions, and what answers each one
| The buyer's question | The evidence that answers it |
|---|---|
| Has this car been in an accident? | Body and paint evidence on the specific VIN, plus any repair history that exists — disclosed rather than summarised. |
| Has it been repainted? | Paint thickness readings across the panels, with the reading for each panel recorded. |
| Is the mileage real? | Odometer shown on camera together with the VIN plate, plus whatever service or usage records exist for that car. |
| Does the VIN on the car match my documents? | A readable photograph of the VIN plate and the registration document from the same unit. |
| What am I not being told? | A written list of known defects and missing items, issued before the balance payment. |
Sequence matters: evidence is collected in this order
Most disputes come from collecting evidence in the wrong order — photographing the body first and finding the VIN last, so nothing can be tied to a specific car. We work outward from identity.
First, identity
VIN plate, registration document and the stock reference in the listing, all in one frame. Until these agree, nothing else on this page means anything, because you cannot later prove which vehicle the photographs belong to.
Second, the odometer in context
A cold start with the dashboard visible, showing the reading and the warning lights. A dashboard photograph taken with the engine off and no VIN in frame is the most common useless piece of evidence in this trade.
Third, structure and paint
Panel-by-panel paint readings and photographs before the car is cleaned, not after. Cosmetic preparation hides exactly the evidence the buyer is paying for.
Fourth, mechanical state
Engine start, idle, and the road test observations where a test is possible. Transmission behaviour — particularly on dual-clutch cars — is recorded as an observation rather than as a pass or fail.
Fifth, the uncosted items
Tyres with tread depth, brake discs, battery age, keys, spare wheel and charging equipment where applicable. These are the items that generate an argument after landing, because both sides assumed the other meant them.
The shape the evidence should reach you in
- Dated and referenced. Every file carries the stock reference, so a buyer reviewing twenty units can tell which car they are looking at.
- Continuous where continuity matters. Start-up video runs unedited from before the ignition to the dashboard reading.
- Defect list, not a condition summary. A short list of real defects is more useful than an adjective like "good condition", which cannot be tested later.
- Issued before the balance payment. Evidence that arrives after payment is a complaint file, not a decision tool.
Three things an inspection cannot do
It cannot certify that the vehicle meets your country's import, customs or registration rules — that decision belongs to your authority and your licensed importer, and the applicable framework is published by the destination government rather than by a supplier. For Algeria the working reference is the Algerian Customs import portal. It also cannot replace the buyer's own inspector if you want an independent opinion; appoint one before loading and we will make the car available. And it cannot convert a used car into a new one: a used vehicle has a history, and the purpose of the record is to disclose that history, not to remove it.
Worked example from our current stock
Here is a live unit and how the fields above would be reported on it. The listed mileage is a policy figure for the listing; the verified figure is what appears on camera for this specific car.
| What the listing states | Value for this Golf 8.5 |
|---|---|
| Model | GOLF 8.5 |
| Year | 2025 |
| Odometer as recorded | WITHIN 30000 |
| Powertrain | Gasoline |
| Gearbox | DCT |
| FOB indication | $16,300–$17,300 |
| CIF indication | $19,300 |
Note what the table does not claim. It gives the recorded mileage bracket and the published price indications. It does not tell you the car is accident-free or that the paint is original, because those statements require the panel evidence in the section above and belong in the unit's condition record, not in a model description.
Its place in the rest of an order
Condition evidence sits alongside the commercial document set rather than replacing it: the invoice and packing list describe the transaction, the export documents carry it through customs, and the condition record describes the car. Our inspection evidence page sets out what a full report contains and how to request one for a specific VIN.
Inspection questions we answer before loading
Who carries out the inspection?
The condition evidence is prepared by the selling side of the transaction against the specific unit. Buyers who want an independent assessment appoint their own inspector, and we make the vehicle available before loading when told in advance.
Is the same checklist used on every car?
The sequence is the same because the questions are the same. What can actually be verified differs by unit and by location, and anything that cannot be verified is reported as unavailable rather than assumed.
Can I ask for extra photographs?
Yes. Ask for the specific panel, component or angle you want, and name the stock reference so the request is answered against the right car.
What if the evidence shows a defect?
Known defects are listed and reviewed with you before the order is confirmed, so the car is priced and accepted with that information in hand rather than after the container is opened.
If you want the condition record for a particular car, send us the stock reference or the model and model year. The records are produced per unit, so naming the car is what makes the answer specific.
See what the condition package contains · Pick a unit to request evidence for