Can vehicle inspections be done in the rain?
According to recent figures, the UK Met Office reports that there’s an average of 156 days of rain in the country every year. With this figure in mind, you might be worried that a wet day is going to cause problems for your pre-purchase car inspection.
Here, we’ll take a look at what problems rain can cause, how our partner inspection professionals work around bad weather, and what happens if your inspection needs to be rearranged.
Can rain cause a problem?
Generally, rain isn’t going to cause a problem for our vehicle inspectors. It might mean their hair gets a little wet when they’re inspecting the outside of a car, but it won’t impact their ability to check the car thoroughly and produce their report.
People often ask about rain as it can hide some issues with a vehicle. For instance, spotting imperfections on panels can be tricky if they’re wet – and it’s often even harder if it’s overcast or getting dark. It’s also difficult to spot stone-chips or other glass imperfections when there’s rain sitting on the surface.
Since our inspectors are all motor industry professionals with plenty of experience around vehicles of all kinds, they’re always aware that they need to check cars very carefully when conditions are less than ideal – so there’s no need to worry that anything will be missed.
Will bad weather mean my inspection is cancelled?
Again, living and working in the UK means that our team is very well prepared for the changing elements – but there are some very rare instances where an inspection might need to be rearranged.
Don’t panic though; you’re not going to miss out on your perfect car because of drizzle or a scattering of snow; it’s only really adverse weather that’s ever meant an inspection needs to be rearranged. If this is the case, it’s very rarely to do with our ability to inspect the car fully – and usually more to do with dangerous road conditions, such as flooding, ice, or heavy snowfall.
How can you be certain you’re not missing any crucial details when inspecting a car in the rain?
Although it’s better to inspect a vehicle on a bright sunny day, it’s not too difficult to do a good job when it’s raining – you just have to know what to look out for.
Since rain can hide chips, marks, or blemishes – it’s not unreasonable to ask the person who is selling the car if you can take it somewhere sheltered on your test drive to have a good look around. Car parks are often a good bet – as they sometimes have a covered section and are generally well-lit. Of course, if the car is with a dealer or trader, you could ask that they bring the car inside before the inspection takes place.
If there’s no option but to view the car in the rain, then drying and checking each panel and window in turn is the best way to make sure you’re not missing anything. Our inspectors will make sure each panel of the car’s been examined – and they’ll often use a torch to show up any bumps or creases as they look down each panel too.
Our inspectors always go prepared for dealing with rain – but if you’re planning on inspecting a car, make sure you take something to kneel or lay on if you want to look underneath the car. Even if it’s your dream vehicle, laying on a wet floor to inspect the exhaust, floor-pan, brakes or suspension will take the shine off the day!
