The Vehicle Inspection Checklist Every Shop Can Copy (22 Points)

This is a complete vehicle inspection checklist you can hand a technician today, organized the way most shops actually walk a car: brakes, tires, fluids, under the hood, under the car, lights, then the cabin. It's the same 22-point structure built into Lugbird's default inspection template, so if you use the app you're already running this list.

Rate every item green (pass, no action needed), yellow (watch, wearing but not urgent) or red (fail, needs attention now). Attach a photo to every yellow or red finding. "N/A" is fine for anything that doesn't apply to the vehicle, skipping it silently is not.

Brakes

Brakes are the section customers care most about and dispute least, a measured pad thickness with a photo next to a ruler is hard to argue with. Measure, don't estimate by eye, and note both axles separately since front and rear wear rates rarely match.

• Front pad thickness (measure and record, don't eyeball it)
• Rear pad thickness
• Rotor condition: scoring, grooving, or visible lip on the edge

Tires

Tires are where a quick glance most often misses something real. Check pressure cold against the door placard, not the number on the sidewall, and photograph any wear pattern that isn't even across the tread, it usually points to an alignment or suspension issue worth flagging separately.

• Tread depth on all four tires, plus the spare if equipped
• Tire pressure on all four, compared against the door placard, not a guess
• Wear pattern: even wear versus cupping, feathering, or one-side wear
• Sidewall condition: cracking, bulges, or visible damage

Fluids

Fluid checks catch problems weeks before they become breakdowns. Color and smell matter as much as level, burnt-smelling transmission fluid or milky coolant tells a story a level check alone won't.

• Engine oil level and condition (color, smell, contamination)
• Coolant level and condition, checked cold
• Brake fluid level and color
• Transmission fluid level and condition, where a safe check point exists

Under the hood

This is the section most likely to turn up a future breakdown rather than a current complaint, which is exactly why it's easy to skip on a busy day and exactly why it shouldn't be.

• Belts and hoses: cracking, glazing, or soft spots
• Battery terminals and state of charge
• Engine air filter condition

Under the car

Get it on the lift for this section, a walk-around from the side rarely catches what's underneath. Grease flung on the inside of a wheel is one of the clearest tells of a failing CV boot.

• CV boots and axles: tears, grease throw-off, or play
• Exhaust system and mounts: leaks, rattles, or corrosion
• Suspension and steering components: visible leaks, wear, or looseness

Lights

Lights take under a minute to check and are one of the few DVI items with a direct, unambiguous legal angle, a burnt-out brake light is a citation waiting to happen, and it's an easy same-visit fix that builds trust.

• Headlights and high beams, both sides
• Brake lights and turn signals, all four corners
• Dashboard warning lights currently illuminated

Cabin

Small comfort items that customers notice immediately and rarely think to ask about themselves. Flagging a worn wiper blade before the next rainstorm is an easy, low-cost recommendation that builds goodwill.

• Wiper blade condition
• Horn function

Using this list well

The checklist only works if it's run the same way every time. Pick this list or your own, but don't let it drift week to week, a DVI that changes every time a tech feels like it produces findings customers can't compare visit to visit. For the reasoning behind the color convention and how to roll a DVI out shop-wide, see the companion guide linked below.

What each rating should actually trigger

A rating without a next step is just a note nobody acts on. Green needs nothing beyond the record itself, it's proof the item was checked, not just skipped. Yellow should generate a mention at pickup and a note in the vehicle's history so the next visit isn't starting from zero, even if no work happens today. Red should generate a line on the estimate before the car leaves the lift, a red-rated brake or steering finding that never makes it onto a customer-facing estimate defeats the purpose of running the inspection at all.

Specialty shops: what to add

This 22-point list covers a general repair shop well. Diesel and fleet shops often add a DPF and emissions section. Motorcycle shops swap the tire section's four-wheel language for two and add chain and sprocket wear. European specialty shops sometimes add a coding or software-update check, since electronic service reminders are part of the ownership experience for those brands. Add sections, don't remove core ones, the base list catches the safety-critical items every vehicle shares.

Common questions

Can I customize this checklist for my shop?

Yes, this is a solid starting point, not a rulebook. Diesel, motorcycle, and European specialty shops often add sections. What matters more than the exact items is running the same list consistently so findings are comparable across visits.

Do I need photos for every green item too?

Not usually. Photos matter most on yellow and red findings, where the customer needs to see evidence before approving work. Photographing every green item adds time without adding much value.

How many points should a DVI checklist have?

Somewhere around 20 to 25 points is the common sweet spot: thorough enough to catch what matters, short enough that a tech will actually finish it on every car instead of rushing through it.