Compare & Buy Car, Bike and Health Insurance Online - InsuranceDekho
Track & Policy DownloadLogin

What Is The Process Of Car Inspection?

Wish

Written by Udit Varshney

Updated Oct 15, 2023

You may find a car appealing and worthwhile, but after a thorough inspection, you may want to reconsider your decision. Know the process of car inspection in this post.

The car inspection is an essential part of the car insurance process. If you fail to renew your policy on time, it will expire. This means you'll have to go through the whole procedure, starting with applying for a policy. Failure to renew a policy can cause the insurer refusing your application or charging you a higher premium. 

What Is The Process Of Car Inspection?

When is a Car Inspection Necessary?

 A car inspection is required if you are renewing your auto insurance policy. There are, however, a number of other situations in which a car test can be carried out.

If there is a delay between when the policy expires and when you were expected to renew it, the policy would lapse, necessitating an examination. The insurance agent will ask to inspect your car if you are going from a third-party car insurance only policy to comprehensive car insurance policy.

When Is A Car Inspection Not Necessary?

 If a car is only insured for third-party liability, no inspection is required. In addition, if there is no difference between the policy's expiration date and the due date for renewal, no inspection of the car is needed. The policy would not expire if it is extended on time.

Steps Involved In Car Inspection Process

The aim of a car inspection is to determine whether the car is safe to drive. Is the driver in any danger? Is it in need of maintenance and upkeep? In certain cases, automotive inspectors will assess the car's environmental friendliness, and whether it will emit a lot of pollutants because of internal harm or negligence.

  • Verifying Identification Details

Before tackling actually inspecting a car, the inspector must first double-check some information about the car and its owner. When a client visits them for an inspection, the insurance carrier or broker documents this information. The make and model of the car, and the year of manufacture and the VIN number assigned to each car, must all be considered (stamped under the windshield).

  • Preliminary Tasks

An inspector must first complete a few preliminary steps before examining the car piece by piece. They include testing to see if the car starts and works, and writing the odometer reading. This is meticulously recorded for future reference and as evidence to the car owner. The inspector will now proceed to evaluating the condition of the car's components.

  • Physical Inspection Of The car

Harm to a car's instantly recognisable parts is noticeable to the naked eye. Inspectors will deal with this first to get it out of the way before moving on to the "invisible" damage. There is no fixed procedure for this, but checklists are available to ensure a comprehensive job is completed. Mirrors, windshields, taillights, fenders, doors, tyres (for tread depth or grip), and the interior, including the steering wheel, gear stick, windows, and also under the hood for leaks or out of place tiny parts, are all included in these checklists.

  • Hidden Damages

Up until this stage, a person can do a thorough car inspection the manual way. But sometimes, the impact of an accident or say a flood can cause damage that’s not visible to the human eye. This includes rusting, loose wires, moisture damage, and car part aging. To expose this damage, the car would need to be stripped apart! Barring a few extreme cases, an inspector would obviously like to avoid doing this.

Also Read

Things To Know About Theft Cover In Car Insurance

How to Check Car Insurance Policy Status?

Conclusion

The method of car inspection is an inextricable part of car insurance. A car must be tested for a variety of purposes. It could have been in an accident, and the insurer must determine the loss, or it could have been nearly totaled, and the insurer must decide if it can be salvaged. Whatever the cause, if all parties involved in the process do not have a good understanding of what it means, the car inspection process may become a lengthy affair.

Disclaimer: This article is issued in the general public interest and meant for general information purposes only. Readers are advised not to rely on the contents of the article as conclusive in nature and should research further or consult an expert in this regard.

Wish

Written by Udit Varshney

Udit has built B2C segments across various industries and has had significant contributions to the insurance sector. Read More

Disclaimer

This article is issued in the general public interest and meant for general information purposes only. Readers are advised not to rely on the contents of the article as conclusive in nature and should research further or consult an expert in this regard.
must dotmust graphics

Why to buy from InsuranceDekho?

  • Instant policy # within 5 mins
  • More than 45 Lac happy customers
  • Claim Support available all 7 days of the week

People Also Read

FIND RTO OFFICES BY STATE IN INDIA

FIND RTO OFFICES BY CITY IN INDIA