Buying a Used Car in Pakistan: Inspection Checklist and Paperwork

Verify the registration online against the chassis and engine numbers in the advertisement. If the seller refuses to share them, walk away immediately.

Before you see the car

Verify the registration online against the chassis and engine numbers in the advertisement. If the seller refuses to share them, walk away immediately.

Check outstanding token tax and whether the vehicle is under a bank lease. Both become your problem after transfer.

The physical inspection

Look along the body panels from an angle in daylight for paint mismatch and ripples. Check panel gaps, weld marks in the boot channel and inconsistent bolt paint, all signs of accident repair.

Cold-start the engine yourself. Sellers who warm the car before you arrive are usually hiding a start-up noise or smoke.

Transfer and payment

Complete the transfer at the excise office within the legal window and keep the receipt. An untransferred car remains the seller's liability and your risk for every challan and accident.

Pay through a traceable banking channel and never hand over full payment before documents are signed.

Key takeaways

• Before you see the car
• The physical inspection
• Transfer and payment
• Verify anything time-sensitive with the official source before you act on it.

This guide is written for a general Pakistani audience. Rules, fees and prices change; treat the numbers here as a starting point and confirm the current position before making a decision.