How it works
Written for the model.
Used at the car.
A CrankSight guide covers one model and generation. You tell it which version you're looking at, then work through it on your phone during the viewing.
Getting your guide
- Tell us the model. Make, model, generation and the country you're buying in.
- Pay once. £29, no subscription. Use it to inspect as many cars of that model as you like.
- Receive it within 72 hours. Or a full refund, and you still get the guide.
Before you go
- Open it on your phone. It works in the browser. Open your guide once while you have signal and it's saved on your phone, so it still works when you don't have an internet connection. There's no need to install it as an app. If you'd prefer to, it puts CrankSight on your home screen and keeps your saved guides more reliably, especially on iPhones.
- Ask the seller. The guide lists what to ask, what to check online and what to take with you.
- Read through the checks. If you have time. Knowing what each one asks makes the inspection quicker and easier at the car.
At the viewing
The guide follows the order a viewing actually happens in, so you're never scrolling back and forth.
- The walkaround. Engine off, car stationary. Bodywork, structure, underneath, interior.
- The cold start. Engine running, car stationary. What you only hear once.
- The drive. Moving. Gearbox, brakes, steering, noises under load.
- The file. Paperwork. Which invoices matter on this car, and which are missing.
What each answer does
- Shows only the checks for the engine, gearbox and body you selected
- Reveals follow-up questions when you report a symptom
- Gives each fault found a likely repair cost range at a competent independent garage
- Adjusts a guide valuation for the car in front of you
- Lets you save several cars and compare them
It won't make the decision for you. An enthusiast might knowingly take on £3,000 of work for the right colour and history. That's a good decision, as long as it's made knowing the number.
How to use it
- Buy the guide for the make, model and generation you are considering.
- Read the model summary. It sets out what is good about the model and its main risks.
- Choosing a variant. If you have not yet decided which version you want, this compares the engines, body styles and drive options, with the benefits, drawbacks and running costs of each. If you already know what you want, skip it.
- Start a new inspection when you have a particular car in mind. Enter its details, including which version it is.
- Before you go. If you are travelling to see the car, this lists questions to ask the seller and things to arrange in advance. You can answer some checks from home to judge whether the trip is worth making. If you have time, read through the checks too. It isn't essential, but knowing what each one asks makes the inspection quicker and easier at the car.
- Specification. Enter the equipment listed in the advert, then confirm it at the car. It starts from a typical specification, so you can skip it if you are short of time.
- Work through the checks in the order shown.
- Short of time? Choose Big-ticket checks to go through the ten or so largest risks on this model first. You can do the rest afterwards.
- Read the assessment and decide whether the car is right for you. The guide price shows what the market is likely to pay for this car, not what it is worth to you, so use it to inform your decision.
How a guide is written
Facts first
Before a single check is written, the guide records how that car is actually built: timing drive, water pump drive, compressor, gearbox, emissions equipment. Each fact is sourced and dated.
Never generalised
Cars that share an engine can still differ in how it's fitted, driven and serviced. Every check is tested against the facts for this model, not the engine family.
Costs and values checked
Repair costs are uplifted to current labour rates. Valuations are anchored on real listings and say plainly where the evidence is thin.
What it isn't. A CrankSight guide helps you inspect a car systematically and understand what you might be taking on. It isn't a history check, and we recommend getting one for any car you're serious about. It isn't a mechanical inspection by a technician. CrankSight gives you the knowledge and insights to complete a thorough and informed inspection yourself. This will reduce the risk if you never intended to pay for an independent inspection. If the car is sufficiently expensive or risky such that you would like an independent professional inspection, we suggest you use CrankSight to narrow down a shortlist or pre-inspect a car. This will help avoid paying for an independent inspection of a car you could tell yourself you wouldn't want to buy. A single purchase of CrankSight allows you to inspect multiple vehicles of the same model. Independent mechanical inspections are expensive, so use CrankSight to make sure you invest that money only on a car that you might actually buy.