Independent pre-purchase inspections and Ontario safety certificates. A 120-point look at the car you’re about to buy, explained in plain words — with photos, the same day.
A report on a car one of our customers nearly bought. Pick a number on the drawing, or a line of the list, to read it the way a buyer does — what passed, what to watch, and what needs money now.
Vehicle
2015 Toyota Corolla LE
Odometer
148,213 km
Asking
$11,900, private sale
Inspected
Tuesday, 9:10 am — report sent 12:25 pm
Inspector
Maya Okafor
109Passed
8Watch
3Repair
Every one of the 120 points, as the report scores them. Twelve are explained below.
AllPassedWatchRepair
Side elevation · dashed: seen from under the liftmm
010203040506070809101112
10
Repair
Rear brake line
Corroded through the coating above the fuel tank — fails the safety standard.
Estimate$340
01Lights & electricalEvery lamp, the horn, wipers, washers and all five seat belts working.Passed
02Valve cover gasketOil seeping down onto the exhaust manifold — you will smell it before long.$280
03Engine scan & compressionNo stored or pending codes; compression even across all four cylinders.Passed
04Front strutsA light film of oil on both; still damping well. Budget for them next year.$520 later
05Front brakesPads at 8 mm, rotors smooth and inside the minimum thickness.Passed
06TransmissionShifts cleanly hot and cold; the fluid is clean and at the right level.Passed
07WindshieldA stone chip outside the driver’s view. A $60 fill now stops it spreading.$60
08Exhaust flex pipeLeaking at the joint ahead of the converter — the rasp you hear at idle.$420
09Rocker seamsSurface rust starting on both sides. Treat it this year and it stays cosmetic.$180
10Rear brake lineCorroded through the coating above the fuel tank — fails the safety standard.$340
11Rear suspensionSprings, shocks and bushings sound; no leaks, no knocks on the road test.Passed
12TiresSeven millimetres of tread, wearing evenly; all four made in 2023.Passed
$1,040
in repairs needed now
The number to negotiate with. This buyer showed the seller the report and paid $10,900.
02Services
Eight ways to look closer.
Every inspection is done on our own lift by a licensed technician who has nothing to sell you but the report. Prices in Canadian dollars, before HST.
S—01
Pre-purchase inspection
120 points on the lift, the scan tool and the road, with a photo of every finding and a call to walk you through it. The report reaches you the same day.
From $189 · About 90 min
S—02
Safety Standards Certificate
The provincial safety inspection a used car needs before it can be plated. If it doesn’t pass, you get the list and a price — the repairs are your call.
$129 · About 60 min
S—03
EV & hybrid inspection
Everything in a pre-purchase inspection, plus a reading of the high-voltage battery’s state of health, the charge port, the cooling and the 12-volt system.
$229 · About 2 hours
S—04
Mobile inspection
We go to the seller’s driveway or the dealer’s lot with a portable scanner and a creeper, and send the report from the curb.
$249 · Within 50 km
S—05
Second opinion
Another shop quoted a big repair? Bring the car and the estimate. We check it independently and tell you what really needs doing.
$89 · About 45 min
S—06
Rust & frame inspection
Rockers, subframes, floor pans and brake lines photographed on the lift — the check that matters most on a car that has seen Ontario salt.
$99 · About 45 min
S—07
Pre-trip check
Brakes, tires, fluids, belts, battery and lights before a long drive or a move across the country, with a written list of anything due.
$119 · About 60 min
S—08
Diagnostic scan & road test
A warning light on the car you are about to buy? We read the stored and pending codes, road-test it and tell you what they mean in dollars.
$109 · About 45 min
03Why Clearview
We don’t sell cars, and we don’t need the repair. Our only job is to tell you exactly what you’re buying.
Maya Okafor — owner & lead inspector
01
Independent, always
We don’t sell cars, take referral fees or earn anything from the repair. The only thing we sell is the report.
02
A photo of every finding
A typical report carries thirty to forty photographs, so you see the rust, the leak and the tread for yourself.
03
The report the same day
Inspected in the morning, reported by mid-afternoon — usually while the seller is still holding the car for you.
04
Repairs only if you ask
We never repair a car we’ve inspected unless you ask. If you do, it is quoted separately and warranted 24 months / 40,000 km.
04How it works
From the listing to the keys.
Step 1 · Today
Send us the listing
Book online and paste the ad or the VIN. We read its history and call to set a time — with you, or with the seller directly.
Step 2 · 9:00
Up on the lift
Ninety minutes underneath, under the hood and on the scan tool, then a road test. Nothing is adjusted and nothing is repaired.
Step 3 · 12:30
The report lands
A written report with photographs reaches your inbox: what passed, what to watch and what each repair would cost.
Step 4 · 1:00
Talk it through
Your inspector calls to walk you through it — what to ask the seller, what to offer, and whether we’d buy it ourselves.
Safety Standards CertificateProvincial inspection, most cars$129
Pre-purchase + safetyBooked together as one visit$268
EV & hybrid inspectionAdds the battery’s state of health$229
Mobile inspectionAt the seller, within 50 km$249
Second opinion on a quoteBring the other shop’s estimate$89
Rust & frame inspectionUnderbody photographed on the lift$99
Re-inspectionWithin 30 days of a failed safety$49
Prices in Canadian dollars, before HST. Nothing to pay until the report is in your hands, and no charge if the seller doesn’t show.
06Reviews
Buyers who looked first.
4.9
from 640 Google reviews
594%
44%
31%
20%
11%
The report found a rear subframe so rusted it would never pass a safety. The seller had told me it was certified last year. $189 saved me about four thousand dollars.
Ama K.2016 Honda CR-V · walked away
Maya called from under the car and said this one’s clean, buy it. Forty photos were in my inbox an hour later and I bought it that afternoon.
Liam P.2019 Mazda3 · bought it
They flagged about $1,100 of brake and exhaust work. I showed the seller the report and he took a thousand off on the spot.
Sofia R.2014 Toyota Sienna · negotiated
I had no idea how to check an electric car’s battery. Dev printed its state of health, explained it, and told me what the range would really be in January.
Darnell W.2021 Hyundai Kona Electric · bought it
07The inspectors
Three people. No sales desk.
Licensed technicians who left repair counters to do one thing well: tell buyers the truth about a car before they pay for it.
01
Maya Okafor
Owner & lead inspector
Twelve years at a dealership service desk taught her what sellers leave out. She opened Clearview in 2014 to tell buyers instead, and has signed more than 4,000 reports.
02
Dev Raman
Inspector · EV & hybrid
Spends his mornings under cars and his afternoons in battery data. If you are looking at an electric car, Dev is the one who reads its battery.
03
Hal Brenner
Inspector · Rust & frame
Thirty Ontario winters have taught Hal where salt hides. He photographs every rocker, subframe and brake line he finds it on.
ParkingSix visitor spots out front, and a lounge with coffee and Wi-Fi if the seller wants to wait.
Seller bringing the car?Give us their number. We arrange the time with them and send the report to you, not to them.
Early drop-offThe key slot by bay door 1 takes keys from 6:30 am — leave a note with the mileage and your number.
09Questions
Before you book.
01Will the seller let you inspect the car?
Most will — and a seller who won’t is telling you something. We’re happy to arrange the time with them directly, or to go to them with a mobile inspection.
02How long does an inspection take?
About ninety minutes for a pre-purchase inspection and an hour for a safety. The report reaches your inbox the same day, usually within two hours.
03What’s the difference between a pre-purchase inspection and a safety certificate?
A safety certificate checks the minimum the province requires to plate a car on the day. A pre-purchase inspection covers 120 points — engine, transmission, rust and what is coming due — so you know what you are buying, not just whether it passes.
04Can you fix what you find?
If you want us to. The report always comes first, any repair is quoted separately with a 24-month / 40,000 km warranty, and plenty of buyers simply use the report to negotiate.
05Do you inspect electric cars and hybrids?
Yes. We read the high-voltage battery’s state of health and check charging, cooling and the 12-volt system — the things that decide what an electric car is really worth.
06What happens if the car fails its safety?
You get the list of what failed, with photos and a price for each repair. Fix it here, fix it elsewhere or walk away — a re-inspection within 30 days is $49.
07Do I need to be there?
No. Most of our customers aren’t: the photographs and the call are designed so you can decide from your desk.
10Book
Book your inspection.
Tell us about the car and where it is. We’ll call back within the hour to confirm a time — and arrange it with the seller, if you’d like us to.
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