The setup

Dealer in Western Sydney. Asking $58,990. Listing said 'one Australian owner, full service history, no accidents'. The buyer wanted a tradie ute for a small landscaping business, so condition mattered for resale.

What the inspector found

• Paint depth on the tailgate: 380μm. Factory thickness for that panel is 130–150μm.
• Paint depth on the right rear quarter: 320μm. Same panel on the left: 145μm.
• Seam sealer pattern on the rear chassis rail was hand-applied — not the OEM bead pattern.
• PPSR check: clean. No financial encumbrance, but PPSR doesn't show insurance write-offs in NSW.
• Underbody otherwise tidy. Diesel particulate filter at 67% capacity. Service history genuine.

How the dealer responded

We sent the photo evidence with the report. The buyer presented it to the dealer the same day. Within 24 hours the dealer disclosed the vehicle had been a repairable write-off (rear-end collision, repaired interstate before being moved into NSW for sale).

The buyer used the report to negotiate $7,800 off the asking price, plus a 12-month dealer-backed structural warranty in writing. They purchased at $51,190.

"Without your paint gauge they would have got me. I'm a tradie, not a mechanic — I had no way to spot this."