Glossary
Vehicle Appraisal
A vehicle appraisal is the structured inspection a dealer carries out on a part-exchange or buy-in vehicle to assess its condition and value before agreeing a price.
Before a dealer buys a vehicle — whether it is a customer part-exchange or a unit bought in from an auction or another trade source — someone needs to check it over and put a number on it. That structured check is the appraisal.
What an appraisal typically records
- Mechanical and bodywork condition, including any faults found
- Mileage, service history, and outstanding finance checks
- Tyre, glass, and interior condition
- Photos and notes to back up the valuation
- A trade valuation, often pulled from a guide like CAP HPI
Why digital appraisal matters
A paper appraisal sheet is easy to lose and impossible to search later. Digital appraisal tools built into a DMS attach the inspection directly to the vehicle record, so the condition and valuation evidence is still there if a comeback or dispute happens months later — and the data feeds straight into stock and accounts rather than being re-typed.
Related terms