Free template
Vehicle inspection checklist form
This checklist covers a general inspection of a light or medium vehicle, such as a car, van or pickup: exterior, interior, under the hood and safety equipment, with room for defects and repairs. Fill it in on this page, add your company name and logo, then print it or save it as a PDF.
Vehicle inspection checklist
Vehicle
Exterior
Interior and controls
Under the hood
Safety equipment and documents
Defects and repairs
Signatures
Inspector
Signature
Reviewed by
Signature
What this checklist is for, and what it is not
Use this form for periodic checks of company cars, vans and pickups: when a vehicle changes hands, before a long trip, at the start of each month, or when a driver reports a problem. It is not the regulated daily trip inspection for commercial trucks and buses. For those, use our DVIR form in the United States or our circle check form in Canada, which follow the required format.
How our platform keeps inspections and repairs together
FleetZap, our own maintenance software, handles inspections, work orders and preventive maintenance by engine hours or kilometres, and a failed item on an inspection opens a repair. High Point GPS tracking adds the real odometer and engine hours for every vehicle, so service reminders follow actual use instead of guesses.
Get a quoteFour tips for useful inspections
Mark every item, even when it is fine. A blank box tells the next person nothing about whether it was checked.
Describe each defect so a mechanic can find it: which side, which light, which tire.
Record the odometer on every inspection. It shows when the check was done in the vehicle's life, and it helps plan service.
Close the loop. Note who repaired the defect and when, and have someone review and sign the form.
Questions about vehicle inspections
- Is this the same as a DVIR or a circle check?
- No. A DVIR in the United States and a circle check in Canada are regulated daily inspections for commercial trucks and buses, with their own required content. This checklist is a general inspection for cars, vans and pickups. If your vehicles fall under those rules, use our DVIR form or circle check form instead of this one.
- How often should a company vehicle be inspected?
- There is no single rule for cars, vans and pickups that are not covered by commercial vehicle inspection rules. Many fleets set their own schedule, such as monthly, at each service, or whenever a vehicle changes driver. Choose a schedule your team can keep, write it in your vehicle policy, and keep each completed form on file.
- What should I do when the inspection finds a defect?
- Describe the defect in the notes, decide whether the vehicle is safe to drive, and arrange the repair. Record who did the repair and the date in the result section, and have a supervisor sign. If a defect affects brakes, steering, tires or lights, take the vehicle out of service until it is fixed.
- Is anything I type sent to High Point GPS?
- No. The checklist runs entirely in your browser, and nothing you type is sent to us. Your entries stay in this browser on this device until you clear them. When the inspection is done, print the form for signatures or save it as a PDF and file it with that vehicle's maintenance records.
- Can I add my own items to the checklist?
- The form covers items common to most light and medium vehicles. For equipment specific to your fleet, such as a ladder rack, a liftgate or a tool box, use the defect notes to record its condition. If you want inspections on a phone with photos and signatures, FleetZap, our maintenance software, records them that way.