Figtree sits where the Illawarra flat runs into the escarpment, and that geography puts a specific kind of stress on every car that lives here. Cold starts followed immediately by a climb. Long descents on the brakes. Heavy, wet weather coming down off the mountain. Family SUVs and dual-cabs that tow to the south coast at weekends. A car that has spent five years here has had a harder mechanical life than the same car in a flat suburb, and a used-car inspection that ignores where a car has lived is only half an inspection. We come to the vehicle, complete a structured examination, run a professional diagnostic scan of every module, road test it on genuine escarpment gradients and hand you a written, photographed report on the spot with a plain verdict and costed repairs. We do not sell cars, and you are the only person we work for.
Same-day or next-day inspection appointments, subject to availability.
Three things dominate here. Gradient, which loads the engine and cooling system going up and the brakes coming down. Water, because rainfall on this side of Wollongong is heavy and concentrated and runoff arrives fast. And towing, because a great many vehicles here pull boats, trailers and camper loads, and towing on a gradient is the hardest work an automatic transmission ever does.
We measure front and rear pad thickness and rotor thickness against the manufacturer's stamped minimum rather than judging them by eye. We test for the pulsing that indicates heat-scored or warped rotors, check caliper slides for seizing, inspect hoses for perishing and swelling, and assess brake fluid condition, because fluid that has absorbed moisture boils on a long descent.
On conventional automatics we check fluid condition and colour, feel for flare and delay between shifts, and scan for stored temperature and slip faults. On CVTs we look for the light-throttle shudder that indicates belt and pulley wear. On dual-clutch transmissions we assess low-speed creep, clutch judder and mechatronic fault history. Transmission failure is the single most expensive surprise we prevent.
We pressure-test for leaks, inspect the coolant for oil contamination, corrosion and incorrect coolant mixing, verify that both radiator fan stages engage, watch thermostat behaviour through warm-up and look for head gasket indicators on the engines known for them. An intermittent overheat on a hill is a car you cannot use as intended.
Wollongong gets serious rain. We lift carpets, check under seats, test the spare wheel well and boot corners for damp and silt, inspect seatbelt webbing at full extension for a water line, look for corrosion on under-dash connectors and seat-rail bolts, and note mismatched or unusually new trim. Flood-affected cars are often repaired cosmetically, and their electrical faults arrive months later.
A worn tow ball, a used trailer plug or a retrofitted transmission cooler tells us to examine transmission fluid, rear suspension height, driveline joints, rear chassis mounting points and clutch or torque converter condition far more closely than we otherwise would.
Steep driveways and patched escarpment roads punish shocks, struts, bushes and sway bar links. We check for strut oil weep, play in joints and bearings, coil condition, and the uneven tyre wear that reveals an alignment fault or a component bent by a kerb or pothole strike.
Cars on the steeper blocks routinely scrape. We inspect sumps, exhausts, subframes, plastic undertrays and suspension arms for impact damage, and check whether a sump or transmission pan has been struck, resealed or welded.
You don't need to be there and you don't need to move the car. Timing depends on inspector availability in your area and on when the seller can make the vehicle available — we confirm a time with you once we've spoken to them.
Send the listing and the address of the car. Tell us if there is anything specific you want checked.
We contact the seller or the dealership directly and lock in a time that suits both sides, based on inspector availability in your area. You don't need to be there.
A qualified mobile inspector attends the vehicle where it is and works through the full checklist, including a road test.
Comprehensive and Elite reports are issued on site. Essential reports are delivered the same day. Every report ends with a plain-English recommendation and a phone call if you want to talk it through.
Every price below includes travel within our Sydney service area, so there is no surcharge for Figtree. All prices include GST.
Visual and mechanical safety check, OBD-II scan, measured brake and tyre life, battery and charging test, and a road test.
Written photo report the same day
with code SAVE10
Everything in Essential plus a full mechanical assessment, an undertray-off leak-source check where safe and permitted, every suspension bush inspected, PPSR history and repair-cost estimates.
Report issued on site, before the inspector leaves
Everything in Comprehensive plus a senior inspector, paint-thickness readings on every panel, cold-start assessment, advanced history deep-dive and on-site price negotiation.
Report issued on site, before the inspector leaves
Adds a measured state-of-health assessment of the high-voltage battery on any EV or hybrid, issued as a separate certificate.
Certificate issued with your report
If we miss a major fault that was present at the time of inspection on an Elite Buyers' Protection inspection, we contribute up to $3,000 toward the repair within 30 days. Essential and Comprehensive do not include this cover.
A pre-purchase inspection in Figtree removes most of the risk in a used-car purchase. It does not remove all of it, and you should know where the edges are before you book.
Yes. A car here needs to be assessed climbing under load and descending on the brakes, because that is where transmission and brake faults reveal themselves.
We check thoroughly for it: carpets, under-seat areas, the spare wheel well, seatbelt tide lines, connector corrosion and silt residue, all photographed.
Yes. We inspect cars, utes, vans and SUVs. We do not inspect trucks, motorcycles, caravans or boats.
Yes. Transmission, cooling capacity, driveline, rear suspension and tow bar mounting points are all specifically assessed.
No. Flat fee, no travel surcharge.
Yes, provided there is safe space to work around the vehicle.
Yes. That is a large part of what we do. You get a full photographed report and a phone debrief without leaving home.
Figtree sits inside our Wollongong & Illawarra coverage. If the car you're chasing is a few suburbs over, it's the same service and the same price.
Tell us where the car is and we'll arrange the inspection with the seller. Written repair cover on Elite (30 days / up to $3,000).
Inspection in FigtreeBook a same-day inspection in Figtree
At the seller's address · from $199
