Vehicle Inspection Checklist: 7 Free Forms for Australian Workshops (PDF & Word)

A vehicle inspection checklist is the printed sheet a mechanic marks while going over a car: tyres, brakes, fluids, battery, lights, belts, suspension and exhaust, each scored Pass, Needs Attention or Fail. Below are seven free versions for Australian workshops, in PDF and Word on A4, from a ten-minute health check to a full multi-point inspection. None of them is a roadworthy inspection; they are the workshop’s own.

Which vehicle inspection checklist do you need?

Situation	Use this form	Why
Full inspection the customer asked for	Multi-Point Inspection Sheet	Every system, three-level scoring, measurements in the notes column.
Walk-through by area: exterior, interior, under bonnet, underbody, road test	Vehicle Inspection Form	Organised by where the mechanic is standing, with N/A.
The workshop’s standard on every vehicle	Vehicle Safety Inspection Checklist	Tyres, brakes, steering, lights, restraints. Your own safety check, not a roadworthy inspection.
A buyer wants a car checked before they pay	Used Car Inspection Checklist	Paperwork, body, driveline, road test, in the order a buyer needs.
Tyre concern, uneven wear, vibration	Tyre Inspection Checklist	Per-tyre grid: tread in mm at three points, placard pressure, age, TPMS.
Brake concern, noise, pulsation	Brake Inspection Checklist	Measurement fields in mm, hydraulics, handbrake, road test.
Every car booked in, while it is on the hoist	20-Point Vehicle Health Check	Ten minutes, one page, catches the safety items and the work worth quoting.

Multi-point inspection sheet

The full one: thirty-odd items grouped by system, from tyres and wheels through brakes, fluids, battery, lights, belts and hoses, suspension and steering, exhaust and underbody, to filters and air con. Each line is Pass, Needs Attention or Fail, with a notes column for the number that backs it up: tread in mm, pad thickness in mm, battery test result.

It is the document that protects you when a customer says nobody told them about the brakes, and the document that sells the brakes when you show them the sheet.

Vehicle inspection sheet or form: the blank version

Same scoring, different order. Instead of grouping by system, this form follows the mechanic around the car: exterior, interior, under bonnet, underbody, tyres and brakes, road test. It adds an N/A column, because a ute without a cabin filter should not show a Fail. Reach for it when a fleet car comes in and any time the customer asks for the whole vehicle rather than a service.

Vehicle safety inspection checklist: the workshop’s own

This is not the roadworthy list. It is the safety check a good workshop does on every car that comes through, whatever it came in for: tread and pressure, pads and discs through the wheel, steering play, shock absorbers, lights and indicators, windscreen in the driver’s view, seat belts, exhaust leaks, warning lights at start. Ten to fifteen minutes, and it is the source of most of the honest upsell in the trade. The form says on it that it is not a roadworthy inspection, and it should stay that way.

Used car inspection checklist: before the buyer pays

Buyers ask independent workshops to check a car before they hand over the money, and it is good work. The checklist starts with the paperwork (rego and VIN match, logbook stamps, whether a PPSR check has been done), then body and paint with an eye for previous repair, engine and driveline including a cold start and a diagnostic scan, wheels and brakes with measurements, interior and electrics, and a road test. The notes column is for estimated cost per item, which is what the buyer takes back to the seller. If you sell the inspection as a service, the pre-purchase inspection report is the customer-facing document that goes with it.

Tyre inspection checklist: a grid, not a list

A grid, not a list. Five columns for LF, RF, LR, RR and spare; tread depth at inner, centre and outer in mm; measured pressure against the placard; manufacture date, because a tyre with full tread and six years on it is still a replace; wear pattern, sidewall damage, TPMS if fitted. Below the grid, rotation, alignment, balance and replace recommendations with a yes or no, so the person at the counter can quote from the sheet.

Brake inspection checklist: a Measure column next to the score

A Measure column next to Pass, Needs Attention and Fail, so the mechanic writes pad thickness per wheel, disc thickness against the minimum on the disc, drum diameter on the rear. Hydraulics get their own section, then pedal feel, handbrake on an incline, and a road test for pull, pulsation and noise. Many manufacturers call for pads at 3 mm; write the spec you used so the number means something later.

20-point vehicle health check: every car, ten minutes

The quick version for every vehicle booked in, including the ones that came in for a logbook service. Twenty numbered items on one page: five fluids, five under bonnet, five lights and visibility, five tyres and brakes. Scored OK, Advise or Urgent rather than Pass or Fail, because the goal is to advise, not to certify. If you adopt one form from this page, this is the one that lifts the average invoice.

How to use Pass, Needs Attention, Fail

Three levels, not two, because the middle one is where the revenue is. Pass means within spec today. Needs Attention means it will not pass next time: 3 mm of tread, pads at 3 mm, a battery testing weak. That is the item you quote on the job card and book, not the item you push. Fail is a safety concern you do not release the car without discussing: metal on metal, a bulged sidewall, a leaking brake hose. Write the number next to the score. Needs Attention on its own is an opinion; Needs Attention, 3 mm, is a fact the customer can check.

Paper inspection or digital vehicle inspection?

Paper is the right way to start: it costs nothing and the forms above are as good as any software’s template. The limit shows up later. Every sheet is one visit; the history lives in a folder; the photo of the worn pad is on someone’s phone. A digital inspection captures the same items on a phone or tablet, attaches the photos, and files it under the rego so the next visit starts from the last one. When you are re-printing and re-filing these sheets every day, that is the moment to move.

Frequently asked questions

Which vehicle inspection checklist should a workshop use?

For most bookings, the 20-point vehicle health check: ten minutes while the car is on the hoist, and it catches the safety items and the work worth quoting. Use the multi-point inspection sheet when the customer wants the full picture, the safety inspection checklist as your standard on every car, and the tyre and brake checklists when the concern or the health check calls for measurements.

Is a vehicle inspection checklist the same as a roadworthy inspection?

No. A roadworthy inspection is a formal check to a list set by each state or territory, done by an authorised inspector, when your state or territory requires one. The checklists here are the workshop’s own inspections, to find what needs doing and to record it. Every form on this page says so. For roadworthy requirements, go to your state’s transport authority.

What is the difference between an inspection checklist, an inspection sheet, and an inspection form?

Nothing that matters. They are three names for the same printed list the mechanic works through and marks. Mechanics say sheet, owners say checklist, forms suppliers say form. Pick one and keep it consistent on the form, the job card and the invoice.

What tread depth should I flag?

Record it in millimetres. Around 3 mm is where most workshops advise replacement is coming; 1.5 mm is the minimum tread depth used across Australia. Three readings per tyre (inner, centre, outer) catch alignment wear that one reading misses.

Can I add my workshop name and logo to these checklists?

Yes. The Word versions are editable; replace the workshop name line, add your logo and ABN, save. The PDFs print on A4 as they are.