Establish the subject and the conditions
Require a vehicle reference, date, location and assessor information. The report should correspond to the candidate in the quotation and show enough identification evidence to avoid confusion. An earlier report may need updating if the car has since been used, moved or repaired. A report on another similar unit is not evidence for this one.
Ask what access and test conditions were available. If the car could not be started, lifted or road-tested, the limitation should be stated plainly. The version guide helps connect model descriptions with the actual vehicle. The report should not infer a mechanical configuration simply because the advertised year resembles a familiar specification.
Review body condition without universal guarantees
Agree an appropriate assessment of visible panels, finishes, alignment and accessible areas relevant to prior damage. Ask the assessor to identify the location and context of any measurements. A single photograph or paint reading cannot establish the complete repair history or prove that every area of the vehicle is unaffected.
Keep cosmetic findings separate from concerns requiring deeper assessment. Observations that might suggest water exposure or significant repair should lead to suitable investigation rather than a definitive diagnosis from an image alone. A limited inspection must not be described as a universal accident-free or flood-free certification. The buyer should understand what the scope can and cannot establish.
Match mechanical checks to the identified build
Request observations appropriate to the actual engine and transmission, including relevant starting, operation, warning and leak checks where feasible. Record whether conditions limited those observations. A dramatic driving video is not a substitute for a suitable assessment, and a diagnostic result needs interpretation by someone qualified to explain its significance.
The powertrain guide separates original specification from present health. If an issue is found, distinguish the observed symptom, the assessor's conclusion and the proposed next step. Clearing a warning or replacing a suspected component does not automatically demonstrate that the underlying concern has been resolved. Agree any completion evidence before accepting repair work as part of the offer.
Include cabin, consumables and supplied items
Ask for relevant observations about tyres, brakes, interior condition and essential functions. Appropriate measurements can support the review, but acceptance criteria should relate to the actual vehicle and intended use. Do not invent one universal threshold that every Seltos in every destination must meet without reference to applicable requirements and competent advice.
Check the functions listed in the buyer's equipment brief, noting which were actually demonstrated. Keys and agreed accessories also need a record. A complete set of exterior photographs does not establish that all supplied items are present, and a clean seat surface cannot authenticate the displayed mileage or the entire service history.
Decide how each finding affects acceptance
Organise findings into questions that need resolution before selection, work to be agreed and disclosed observations the buyer may accept. Keep inaccessible or untested areas distinct from satisfactory findings. This gives the dealer a practical next step and reduces the chance that a broad condition description hides something important to the eventual customer.
Use the quotation guide to separate preparation from vehicle price. If the supplier proposes work, name the task, responsible provider and recheck. If the buyer instead accepts the condition with a price adjustment, record that choice. Those arrangements should not be blurred into an undefined promise that everything will be sorted before delivery.
Retain the evidence through handover
Keep the report, relevant photographs, agreed work and buyer decisions under the vehicle reference. Add later completion records rather than overwriting the original findings. If preparation reveals a new issue, make it visible and update the accepted scope. The receiving dealer should be able to follow the decision without relying on a message remembered by only one person.
For example, a candidate may have satisfactory visible cabin checks while its road test remains unavailable. That is a limited assessment, not a complete mechanical pass. The buyer can request the missing check, accept a stated limitation or choose another vehicle. An honest report makes those options clear and supports a more defensible purchase decision.
