Porsche pre-purchase inspection
Found the right 911 in the wrong state? Put a paint gauge on it before you wire a deposit.
A vetted mobile inspector goes to the car — dealer lot or private garage, anywhere in the US — and you get paint depth on every panel, a full code scan, undercarriage photos and a road test in a report within 24–48 hours. The fast first layer before you pay a specialist for the deep dive.
Not Porsche specialists — and we say so. Read when to add one.
What the listing photos won’t show you
Enthusiast cars get sold on photos, a CARFAX and a phone call. The things that actually decide whether a used Porsche is a good buy need someone standing next to it with instruments.
Repaint and accident history
A paint-depth gauge on every panel is the single most useful number on a used Porsche. Factory paint reads consistently; a bumper cover or fender that reads 2–3× thicker has been resprayed, whatever the CARFAX says.
Stored and pending codes
A code the seller cleared last week is still visible as a pending or history code on a full OBD-II scan. Misfire counters, cam-deviation and cooling-system faults are the ones that turn a "clean" listing into a five-figure repair.
What’s under it
Photographed undercarriage: oil at the RMS/IMS area, coolant crust at the water pump and expansion tank, cracked coolant pipes, torn CV boots, suspension bushings, and the crash-structure check that only happens with someone on their back under the car.
How it actually drives
Cold start on video, warm-up, an extended road test with live data. A pull, a clunk over bumps, a hesitant PDK shift, a whine under load — the things a walk-around at the dealer never surfaces.
We are the first layer, not the only one.
Our inspectors are experienced generalists with a paint gauge, a scan tool and a camera — not Porsche technicians with PIWIS. On most cars that is exactly the inspection you need. On some it is the inspection you run first, so you only pay a specialist for a car that has already cleared the basics.
Add a Porsche specialist when you want:
- • An over-rev / ignition-range report (PIWIS or Durametric only)
- • A bore-scope on a 996 / 997.1 / early 991 for scoring
- • An IMS bearing assessment on an M96 / M97 engine
- • An air-cooled engine (964 / 993 and earlier) leak-down and assessment
Forward our report to the shop — the paint, code and undercarriage findings save them time and you money.
What we look for, by model
911 (996 · 997 · 991 · 992)
Coolant pipes, IMS-era cars (996/997.1), bore scoring symptoms, PDK behaviour, over-rev question for the specialist.
Boxster / Cayman (986 · 987 · 981 · 718)
Same water-cooled flat-six checks as the 911 at half the price of admission — and the same repaint rate.
Macan · Cayenne · Panamera
Air-suspension and PASM faults, transfer-case behaviour on Cayenne, brake wear on heavy cars, electronics audit on the Gold tier.
Taycan
HV battery state of health, charging test, 12 V and thermal faults — book the EV tier for the battery report.
How a sight-unseen Porsche inspection works
Send the listing
Paste the listing URL or the seller’s address at booking. We dispatch to the car’s location — dealer lot, private garage, or a storage unit.
An inspector goes to the car
Vetted, background-checked, with a paint gauge and a scan tool in hand. The seller doesn’t need to do anything but open the garage.
Photo report in 24–48 hours
Every reading and every finding with photos, plus a plain go / caution / stop summary you can forward to your specialist or use to negotiate.
Then decide on the specialist
If the car passes the first layer, that is when a PIWIS over-rev report or a bore-scope from a Porsche shop is worth the money. If it doesn’t, you just saved that bill.
What the Gold inspection covers
Every tier runs the same core inspection; Gold adds the measured tests that matter on a Porsche. Bronze starts at $249 if you only need the walk-around and photos.
Core inspection — every tier
- Condition of the body and paint, including evidence of prior repair or respray
- Scratches, cracks, dents, and rust
- Underbody check for rust, frame damage, or structural repair
- Condition of tires and wheels, including tread depth
- Glass examined for cracks, chips, and other flaws
- Evidence of previous accident damage or flood damage
- Lights, A/C, gauges, and operation of all other electrical items
- Interior throughout — upholstery, mats, headliner, and seat belts
- Motor and transmission
- All driveline components, including 4-wheel and all-wheel-drive systems
- Steering, suspension, braking components, and exhaust system
- Visual inspection of the engine and everything else under the hood
- Fluid levels, oil leaks, and any missing parts
- OBD-II scan with any stored trouble codes (1996 and newer)
- Any additional areas of concern you identify when you book
- Road test evaluating the drivetrain — where the vehicle is street legal, insured, and weather conditions are safe
- Photo-documented PDF report with a plain-English go / caution / stop summary
Gold adds — $449
- Battery load test (not just a visual check)
- Brake pad and rotor measurement
- A/C and heater temperature readings
- Extended road test with live OBD-II data capture
- Full electronics and infotainment audit
- Paint-depth readings panel by panel
Common questions from Porsche buyers
- Are your inspectors Porsche specialists?
- No, and we won’t pretend otherwise. Our inspectors are vetted, experienced mobile technicians who inspect every make. On a Porsche that means a thorough, instrumented first layer — paint depth on every panel, a full OBD-II scan including pending and history codes, undercarriage photos, and a road test with live data — delivered in 24–48 hours wherever the car sits. For a bore-scope, an over-rev report from PIWIS or Durametric, or an air-cooled engine assessment, we recommend adding a Porsche specialist shop on top of our report. Many buyers run our inspection first to decide whether the car is worth the specialist’s time and money.
- Which tier should I book for a Porsche?
- Gold ($449). It is the only tier that includes paint-depth readings on every panel and the extended road test with live OBD-II data capture — the two measurements that matter most on a used Porsche. Silver adds instrumented battery, brake and A/C tests over Bronze but not paint depth.
- Can you get an over-rev report?
- Only a Porsche-specific tool (PIWIS or Durametric) reads the over-rev ranges, and our inspectors carry generic professional scan tools. If the ignition-range history matters to you — and on a GT car or a manual it should — ask a Porsche dealer or independent to pull it, or ask the seller for a recent printout, and use our report for everything else.
- The car is at a dealer three states away. Do I need to be there?
- No. You book online with the listing URL, we coordinate the visit with the seller, the inspector goes to the car, and the report lands in your inbox. Most of our customers never see the car in person until it is delivered.
- What if the seller refuses an inspection?
- Treat that as a finding. Dealers and private sellers of enthusiast cars agree to buyer-paid, independent inspections routinely — it is how these deals close. A refusal is worth more than any photo set.
- How fast can you get someone to the car?
- Typically within 24–72 hours of booking depending on the area, and the report follows within 24–48 hours of the visit. If you are up against an auction close or a deposit deadline, say so in the booking notes.
Buying from out of state? Read how a sight-unseen purchase works end to end, then get enclosed-transport bids once the car checks out.
Know the car before you know the seller.
Nationwide mobile inspectors, paint depth on every panel, photo report in 24–48 hours. Card saved at booking — never charged until your inspection is completed.
Book a Porsche inspection — $449