A used commercial vehicle has usually worked ten times harder than a private car of the same age — and sellers know how to make a tired vehicle look fresh. Professional fleet buyers follow a discipline: inspect mechanically, verify every document, and hunt for fraud signals. This 25-point checklist is that discipline, written down.
Mechanical Checks (10 Points)
- Cold-start the engine — knocking, blue/white smoke or long cranking are expensive signs.
- Check for oil leaks around the engine, gearbox and axle seals.
- Test the clutch bite point — a high bite or slipping clutch on a commercial car means imminent replacement.
- Drive over broken road: listen for suspension knocks and steering play.
- Brake hard once safely — pulling to one side means uneven wear or cylinder issues.
- Check tyre wear pattern — uneven wear signals alignment or suspension damage; note remaining tread on all five tyres.
- Run the AC at idle in the sun — weak commercial ACs are costly to fix and kill passenger ratings.
- For CNG: check cylinder test date, kit certification and listen for regulator hiss.
- Inspect the chassis rails and floor for rust, welds or accident repair.
- Verify battery age and alternator charging (dim lights at idle = trouble).
Document Checks (9 Points)
- RC: match chassis and engine numbers physically against the card.
- Permit: type, validity and operating area match your intended work.
- Fitness certificate: valid, and check the renewal history for gaps.
- Insurance: commercial policy, active, with claim history if available.
- Road tax: paid up — arrears transfer to you.
- Pending challans: check online against the registration number.
- Hypothecation: if a loan is on the RC, get the NOC and closure plan in writing.
- PUC certificate current.
- Seller identity matches the RC owner — or carries proper authorisation to sell.
Fraud Checks (6 Points)
- Odometer: compare reading against service records and fitness-test entries — commercial odometer rollback is rampant.
- Repaint tell-tales: mismatched panel shades, overspray on rubber beading.
- Airbag and dashboard warning lights that "conveniently" never illuminate.
- Fresh undercoating hiding chassis rust or welds.
- Engine number tampering — filed or restamped digits.
- A price clearly below market — the discount is usually hiding one of the above.
Bring a Mechanic, Buy With Documents
A ₹500–1,000 independent mechanic inspection routinely saves buyers ₹50,000+ in hidden faults. Never pay in cash without documents in hand, and prefer platforms where listings are document-verified — BST Verified listings on Buy Sell Taxi are physically inspected with documents checked, so half this checklist is done before you arrive.