A proper third-party inspection has four parts, and you should insist on all of them. 1. Lift inspection: the car goes on a hoist to examine the underbody, frame rails, suspension arms and oil pan for impact damage or leaks — areas no photo set can cover. 2. Paint thickness check: a gauge reading from every panel. Inconsistent or very high values reveal repainting; structural points like the A/B/C pillars matter most because they indicate accident repairs. 3. OBD diagnostics: fault codes and live data from the engine, transmission, ABS and airbag modules. Stored historical codes often tell the truth the dashboard hides. 4. Road test: cold and warm driving to check shifting, braking and unusual noises. The report should carry the VIN, inspection date and the agency's stamp or digital signature. It costs very little compared to the price of the car, and it filters out most problem vehicles before your money moves.

Ask the exporter for a copy of the vehicle registration certificate (机动车登记证书). It lists every owner change and any mortgage registration. If the car was financed, there will be a lien entry; make sure a release entry follows it. You can also verify the VIN against public records through the traffic management platform (12123) — a legitimate exporter can generate a status report on the spot. Check that the seller's company name on the invoice matches the registered owner. For extra safety, require a written statement that the vehicle is free of liens, loans, court seizures, and lease agreements, and wire payment only to the company's corporate account after ownership is transferred to the export entity. That sequence — transfer first, payment second — is your strongest protection.

The registration certificate will show whether the previous owner was an individual (registered with ID) or a company (registered with a business license). Vehicles under a company may be driven by multiple people, so we will focus on checking the uniformity of interior wear and the condition of the chassis.