Before you go
- Confirm the preview window on the yard page. Hours vary, and it is usually the day before the sale.
- Bring photo ID and your buyer number. You may need to register on arrival.
- Save your shortlist with lot numbers, locations in the yard and the question you want answered on each.
- Take the questions the photos could not answer. The “what you cannot see from photos” list on a CarMargin analysis is a good start.
What to bring
- A torch. Phone torches struggle in a dirty engine bay.
- A magnet. Old school and effective: it tells you where filler sits under paint.
- Gloves.
- An OBD scanner, if you own one and the dash has power.
- A phone or camera. Photograph everything you find, even what is in the listing.
- A notebook, or the lot note in CarMargin, because the next car will not wait.
- Layers and waterproofs. Yards are exposed.
The walk-around
- Stand at each corner and check panel gaps. Uneven gaps point to earlier repairs and frame work.
- Run a flat hand over each panel. Filler and waves that vanish in photos show up to touch.
- Check wheel arch lips for a paint shade change inside and out, which means a panel was painted off the car.
- Look at the bonnet shut lines, slam panel and crash bar for kinks, weld evidence or replacement.
- Check door hinge areas for paint over filler, common after a side impact repair.
- Look at the disc edges. Lipped, scored or orange discs on a low mileage car are a flag.
Underneath
Most yards will not let you use a lift, but you can shine a torch under most lots and look for:
- Chassis rails and subframes that are bowed or kinked.
- Fresh underseal that does not match the rest of the underside.
- A missing catalytic converter. Theft is common at salvage and replacement runs to hundreds of pounds.
- A damaged, holed or hanging exhaust.
- Suspension bolts with shiny edges against rusty surroundings, which means recent work.
Engine bay
- Look for cracks, damage and missing components on the engine and gearbox.
- Look for fresh oil under the engine: sump, head gasket and rear main seal are the usual suspects.
- Check the coolant tank. A topped-up tank with brown residue suggests a head gasket problem.
- Check the slam panel and inner wings. Replacement panels and welds where there should be bolts mean major front end work.
- Check airbag state. Yellow connectors at the wheel and pillar bases show whether the SRS deployed.
- Note anything missing: ECU, airflow sensor, alternator, headlights. Each adds cost.
Interior
- Look under the carpets and at the seat rail mounts for water lines or rust. Flood damage hides there.
- Smell it. A damp, musty interior never fully clears.
- Look at the steering wheel airbag cover. Discolouring or a visible module means the bag has gone off or been removed.
- Check the dash for missing infotainment, blown speaker grilles and ripped trim.
- Check the seat belts. A fired pretensioner means the belt needs replacing.
- Check the headliner for staining and the sunroof drains for water marks.
- If keys are present, try them. A “no keys” listing sometimes turns out to have them.
If the car can be started
Some yards allow it at your own risk. If yours does:
- Listen to the cold start. Top-end rattle, a low oil pressure light that stays on or hesitation are signals you cannot get from photos.
- Watch the exhaust. Blue is oil burn, white that does not clear is a head gasket, black is fuelling.
- Watch the dash. Lights that stay on after the bulb check show ABS, airbag, ESP and engine faults.
- If gears can be engaged, feel for clutch judder, gearbox knock or rear whine.
After the visit
Put what you found in your lot note. Notes survive the auction, so even if you do not bid, you have a record for next time a similar car turns up. Then update your max bid. A freshly undersealed chassis or a missing catalytic converter is a hundreds-of-pounds adjustment. In CarMargin, ask the chat for an inspection plan and it builds a version of this list for that lot from the damage and risks the analysis already found.