How to describe damage and faults when selling your car

You do not need to be a mechanic to describe your car accurately. Our team needs to know what you can see, hear or feel, where it happens and when you notice it. That is more useful than guessing which part has failed.

Clear details and photographs help us assess the car you actually have. They also support our price guarantee: what we offer is what we pay, provided the car matches the description in your initial enquiry.

Use observation, not diagnosis

If a garage has already confirmed a fault, include what it told you and mention any written report or quotation you have. Otherwise, describe the symptom without naming a cause.

For example, write “the engine warning light stays on after starting” rather than “it only needs a sensor”. Write “a knocking sound can be heard from the front over bumps” rather than deciding which suspension part is responsible.

A useful description usually covers:

• Where: the exact panel, wheel, seat, switch or dashboard area.
• What: what you can see, hear, feel or smell.
• When: all the time, only when cold, over bumps, during braking or intermittently.
• Effect: whether the car starts, drives and operates normally despite the issue.
• Evidence: any warning message, recent garage finding, failed MOT item or useful photograph.

Describe bodywork damage panel by panel

Name the affected panel and give a sensible indication of size or extent. Say whether paint is missing, metal is exposed, a panel is dented, or a part is cracked or loose.

Useful examples include:

• “About a 15 cm scratch on the passenger-side rear door; it has gone through the paint.”
• “Small parking dent on the driver-side front wing with no cracked paint.”
• “Rear bumper is scuffed on the left corner and one reflector is cracked.”
• “Several stone chips across the bonnet rather than one isolated mark.”

Avoid broad descriptions such as “age-related marks” when there is a larger dent, cracked bumper or damaged paint that can be shown more precisely.

Report warning lights and dashboard messages exactly

State which light or message appears and whether it stays on, clears after restarting or comes and goes. If you know when it first appeared, include that too.

Examples: “Amber engine light has stayed on for two weeks; the car still starts and drives” or “Tyre-pressure warning returns after being reset.” A photograph of the illuminated dashboard can help, but make sure the odometer remains readable in the required mileage image.

Explain mechanical symptoms in everyday language

Describe the behaviour rather than trying to identify the repair. Include whether it affects starting, steering, braking, changing gear or normal driving.

• “The engine turns over but needs two or three attempts to start when cold.”
• “There is a vibration through the steering wheel at around 60 mph.”
• “The automatic gearbox sometimes hesitates before selecting reverse.”
• “A squeal is heard when braking gently; braking still feels normal.”
• “The car is not driveable because the clutch pedal stays on the floor.”

If the car cannot be driven safely or collected in the usual way, say so clearly in the enquiry rather than waiting until an appointment is arranged.

Describe each tyre by position

Use clear positions such as front-left, front-right, rear-left and rear-right. Record only what you can see or have measured safely: visibly low pressure, a puncture or repair, a sidewall cut, bulge, cracking, uneven wear, a tyre-pressure warning or a recent garage finding.

If you have actually measured the tread depth, say where it was measured and give the reading. Otherwise, write “tread depth not measured” rather than estimating. Uneven wear may be relevant even when the cause is unknown, so describe the pattern without guessing at an alignment, suspension or brake repair.

Describe braking symptoms without guessing the repair

State when the symptom occurs and what you notice: a squeal or grinding noise at low speed, vibration through the pedal or steering wheel, the car pulling to one side, an unusual pedal feel, reduced braking response, a warning light or an MOT or garage finding.

Do not say that pads, discs, callipers, sensors or another part are definitely responsible unless a garage has diagnosed it. If you have a diagnosis, include the date and the garage's wording separately from your own observations.

For example: “Front-left tyre has a visible sidewall bulge; tread depth not measured. Tyre-pressure warning is on. Brakes make a grinding noise at low speed and the steering pulls left when braking. The car is parked and not being driven. No garage diagnosis yet.”

Be specific about electrical and interior faults

Name the item and what it does or does not do. For example: “The passenger window does not open from either switch”, “air conditioning blows but does not get cold”, or “the infotainment screen restarts occasionally.”

Also mention damaged seats, warning sounds, missing parcel shelves, broken trim, water leaks or a key that no longer operates remotely. If only one of two keys works, say which function is affected.

Do not leave out intermittent problems

An issue still matters if it does not happen on every journey. Say how often you notice it and what seems to trigger it. “The warning appears roughly once a week after a longer drive” is more useful than “no current fault” if the problem has recently occurred.

If a garage has investigated but not confirmed a cause, explain that accurately. Do not describe a fault as repaired unless the work has been completed and the issue has stopped.

Build a short timeline for a fault that comes and goes

You do not need a long report. A short timeline helps separate what you observed from what has been checked or repaired. Include:

• First noticed: an approximate date or mileage.
• Frequency: every journey, once a week or only occasionally.
• Trigger: cold start, longer drive, braking, turning, rain or another repeatable situation.
• Current effect: whether the car starts, drives and operates normally when the symptom is absent.
• Checks or work: what a garage reported, what was replaced and whether the symptom returned.

For example: “Amber engine light first appeared at about 78,000 miles. It has returned twice after longer journeys, clears after restarting and has not affected starting. A garage read the code in September but did not confirm a repair; no parts have been replaced.” This reports the useful facts without presenting an unconfirmed diagnosis as certain.

Keep safety separate from the likely repair

A current MOT does not by itself mean a car remains safe to drive. GOV.UK roadworthiness guidance says the person using the vehicle is responsible for making sure it is safe. Brakes must work properly, and car tyres must have at least 1.6 mm tread across the central three-quarters and around the whole circumference, with no cuts or other defects that make them unsafe.

If a symptom affects braking, steering, tyres, visibility or another safety-critical function, say so clearly and do not drive the car merely to take photographs or attend an appointment when you are unsure it is safe. You do not need to crawl under the car, jack it up, remove a wheel or carry out a road test for this enquiry.

You can still describe the symptom without guessing its cause. Tell us that the car should not be driven, where it is parked and anything that may affect safe collection access.

Use the damage photo for the most important detail

The enquiry form asks for seven standard views: front, rear, left side, right side, odometer, front seats and rear seats. Its optional eighth space can show damage, a warning message or another useful detail.

Use the relevant required front, rear or side image to show where damage is and the wheels in context. Use the optional eighth image for the most important close-up, such as a visible tyre bulge or dashboard warning, when it can be photographed safely. Keep every required view in its own labelled space. List other damage in “Anything else?”; for mechanical or electrical problems, select Yes and complete “Tell us about the fault”. A photograph does not replace a written description of the issue.

Our photo and valuation checklist covers matching images to their labels, replacing a wrong picture and resolving missing-view, file-size and image-format errors.

Check your description before submitting

• Have you named the exact panel or feature?
• Have you explained when the symptom occurs?
• Have you included warning lights, MOT failures or known garage findings?
• Have you said if the car is not safely driveable?
• Do the photographs and written description agree?

If you remember something important after submitting, contact our team before accepting an offer. We review each enquiry personally and send the offer by text and email through a secure four-day link. After you accept, we call within 24 hours to arrange free nationwide collection or a forecourt appointment.

Describe your car and request an offer →