Garage inspection checklistThe check that catches the comeback.

A comeback is usually a missed check

The car returns because a tyre pressure, a drain, a belt or a warning light was not looked at before it left. A checklist makes the check visible, so the next person can see what was and was not done.

It also protects the garage: a finished inspection with readings and a name is evidence of the condition of the car at handover.

What to record

Record the result, not just a tick. For each item, keep:

• The checklist item and its result
• Any reading, such as pressure, voltage or temperature
• A note when something needs attention
• Who did the inspection
• When it was finished

Built-in lists, your wording

Start from the built-in A/C, general service, battery and charging, brakes and pre-delivery lists. The owner or manager can rename and edit the garage's own templates.

A finished inspection cannot be changed. If something was missed, the answer is a new inspection, not an edit to the old one.

Before the car is marked ready

A garage can require a finished pre-delivery check before a car moves to Ready. The check must be done by someone who did not work on the job, so the person who fitted the part is not the only person who signs it off.

Anyone who worked on the car, including a helper or another technician on the crew, is excluded from passing its pre-delivery check.

In Garage Master

Inspections start from the job card, record results and readings, and finish into a read-only record. With the pre-delivery rule on, the job board refuses Ready until a qualified person has finished the check. The printed job card carries the inspections and the signature lines.