How to Perform a Thorough Vehicle Inspection

3 Steps To Undergoing a Professional Car Inspection with ARI

Vehicle inspection tasks are the building block to any reputable auto repair business. Before you start working on a car, it just makes sense to first do an inspection first. Depending on the car issue reported by the owner, the inspection can differ from a simple oil check to a full-blown 50-point inspection process.

In this blog post, we’ll show you how to create a car inspection in just 3 steps using the ARI software!

 

Step 1: Select/Add a Client

Although inspections can be done by choosing just a vehicle, we strongly recommend that you also keep track of your client info. This could turn out to be very useful later on when you want to check all inspections you’ve done for a specific customer or how much money a customer has spent on your shop for the past years for eg.

Log into ARI and click on the Inspections button. On the next page, you will see all the car inspections you have created so far (or a blank page if you’ve never created an inspection yet). Click on the PLUS button to start a new inspection. After that, tap on the Client name and choose an existing customer or add a new one right away

 

Step 2: Select/Add a Vehicle

Unlike clients, selecting a vehicle is mandatory in order to create an inspection in ARI. So go ahead and click on the Vehicle button and then select an existing record or create a new one. Once the vehicle record is added or selected, you can start working on the inspection itself.

 

Step 3: Fill In the Checklist

This is the part when the real work of a mechanic actually begins. In order to fill in the checklist, the technician needs to assess the vehicle’s condition such as driving experience, exterior inspection, electrical system, under the hood, bumper to bumper, interior inspection, and many other items.

car Inspection

 

Rearrange Your Check Items

If you wish to change the order of the items in the checklist, just drag and drop the entire row from the arrow icons. You can also add comments and notes to each item in the Details section of the table. Finally, you can delete the items you don’t need.

 

Customize your checklist template

You can also add more items to the checklist if needed or change the template or create your own template altogether. ARI comes with several built-in vehicle inspection templates:

  • 50-Point Inspection
  • Level 1 inspection
  • Pre-Sale Inspection
  • Heavy-Duty Inspection
  • Motorcycle Inspection

 

Create a Damage Report (Optional)

If you are doing an inspection for a vehicle that has been involved in an accident, then it’s important to mark the areas of the car that have suffered damages. This can be very useful for damage claims or other insurance purposes, later on, so make sure you do it if possible!

truck damage report

 

Add a Picture (Optional)

ARI allows you to add pictures to your vehicle inspection report. This can be very useful in cases where damage is noticed and so a picture will allow the owner to see the damage themselves before deciding how to proceed with the repairs.

 

Save and Share/Print

Finally, now that your inspection is complete, go ahead and Save it. After that, you will have the possibility to send it to the client via email or print it. You can also edit any additional info that goes on the report, including your own comments.

In conclusion, we strongly recommend that you use the Inspection feature of ARI as often as possible as it gives your business that credibility and professional appeal that any business should possess in order to succeed!

The new Inventory Update Flow in ARI

How Inventory Updates Work in ARI ARI automatically keeps your parts and tires inventory in sync with your invoices. When you add parts to an invoice, save it, convert between estimates and invoices, void, or delete, your stock numbers update accordingly. No manual adjustments needed. Here is exactly how it

Auto adding tire fees in ARI (Auto Repair Software)
Tire Fees Update in ARI

Stop Leaving “Tire Money” on the Table If your shop does tire work, you know the drill. Every swap means manually clicking through to add levy and disposal fees. It’s tedious, it’s easy to forget, and—let’s be honest—when the shop is busy, those fees are the first things to slip

Custom disclosure form in ARI
Custom Disclosures in ARI

“They Laughed When I Handed Them the Invoice… But They Signed It Anyway.” You know the feeling. You’ve spent three days under a hood, your knuckles are raw, and the job is finally done. Then comes the “I didn’t authorize that” conversation. In some states, that conversation isn’t just a

Edit Invoice Template with AI
Building Custom Invoice Templates with AI

Stop Rebuilding Your Invoice From Scratch. Just Take a Photo. You’ve spent years getting your invoice “just right.” Maybe it’s a layout you perfected on paper, or a format your customers have recognized since the 90s. Then you switch to a new software and—boom—you’re staring at a blank template editor,

Inspection template settings in ARI
Updated Inspection Customization in ARI

Brand Your Inspection Reports to Match Your Shop Every shop has its own identity—your logo, your colors, your brand. But until now, inspection reports generated in ARI (Auto Repair Software) all came out looking the same. If you’ve ever wished your inspection PDFs matched the rest of your shop’s professional

Client portal dashboard preview
Client Portal Dashboard Update in ARI

Introducing the New Client Portal Dashboard: The Ultimate Self-Service Hub Your customers just got a major upgrade. We’ve completely rebuilt the Client Portal Dashboard from the ground up. It is no longer just a list of invoices—it is now a command center where your clients can manage their entire vehicle

Client Management

Add clients, vehicles & all the details that are relevant to them

Vehicle Management

Create detailed inspections with checklists, damage reports

Inventory Management

Manage your parts, tires, business assets, and all other important items.

Job Cards

Track labor progress, start & stop work clocks, approve & deny services.

Estimates

Create professional quotes for your auto repair clients

Invoices

Generate professional invoices for your auto shop’s clients

Inspections

Generate damage reports & attach pictures to your auto inspections

Appointments

Let your clients book your services online from the comfort of their home

Service Reminders

Earn return customers by reminding them when service is due

Accounting

Create purchase orders, track your expenses, and monitor your profits

OBD Scanner

Read Engine Error Codes with ARI monitor car’s parameters live

Reports & Stats

Reports for your business performance & export the data

Payments

Never miss a payment keep an eye on your invoice billing process

Marketing

Reach your core customers & market business across different channels

Vendors

Manage vendors, partners & orders for a streamlined repair experience

Time Tracking

Monitor and label the activity of multiple employees

Payment Processing

Receive payments on your Online Invoices with the world’s most renowned payment networks

Parts Ordering with
PartsTech

Order parts easily with PartsTech and ARI! Smooth and reliable parts procurement process.

M1 Labor Guides and
Estimates

Every mechanic benefits from quality Repair Guides and Car Repair Estimates.

Vehicle History with
CarFax

Get Service History Instantly. Decode VINs and Plates with Accurate Data from a Leading Supplier.

Car Diagnose with
CarMD

Get Diagnostic & Maintenance Info. Access Diagnosis, Solutions, and Problem Predictions.

Accounting with
QuickBooks

Sync ARI invoices to QuickBooks Online. Manage customers and inventory.

AI Labor
Guides

Get detailed labor guides, labor times, and estimates from the world's first AI labor guides system.

POS Terminal from 360Payments

Process In-Person Payments On The Spot. Geared towards auto repair businesses.

Customer Financing With Wisetack

ARI has partnered with Wisetack to offer your clients extra payment options for auto repair services.

Get Started

A complete guide to setting up and running your auto repair business

Client Portal

ARI’s client portal lets clients easily stay informed when they visit you

Multiple Users

How to add multiple users to your ARI Profile

Update ARI

You must ensure you keep your app updated all the time

Profile Setup

ARI offers features and settings tailored for auto repair services

Blog

Welcome to ARI's blog for updates, articles, and guides

ARI Awards

Here are our most notable achievements over the years.

Online Documents

Get the most out of your client management with our online documents

ARI Demo

Test the features and see if it’s the right fit for you

ARI Videos

Welcome To ARI's Official Video Library

ARI Affiliate Program

Earn rewards and ARI credits by referring our app to friends