Before you touch the car
- Check that the VIN on the dash matches the VIN on the door jamb and the title.
- Run the VIN through NHTSA for open recalls (Driveline does this automatically).
- Ask when it was last serviced and get receipts if possible.
Exterior walk-around (5 minutes)
- Look down each side at eye level for waves in the paint (bodywork).
- Check panel gaps — hood, fenders, doors, trunk. Uneven = collision repair.
- Look for overspray inside door jambs, under the hood, in the wheel wells.
- Tire tread: use a penny — if Lincoln's whole head shows, tires are done.
- All four tires the same brand and roughly the same age? Mismatched = corners cut.
- Windshield chips and cracks. Every state has different inspection rules.
Under the hood (5 minutes)
- Engine cold? Check coolant level (should be pink/orange/green — not brown).
- Oil dipstick: honey-colored is fine, milkshake-tan means coolant in the oil (walk).
- Transmission dipstick (if equipped): bright red, not brown, no burnt smell.
- Look for wet spots on the ground under the engine and transmission.
- Battery terminals clean? Belts uncracked? Hoses firm, not spongy?
Interior (5 minutes)
- Every window up and down. Every lock. Every seat adjustment.
- All warning lights come on with key on, engine off — then all clear once running.
- A/C blows cold within 30 seconds. Heat blows hot within 2 minutes.
- Every interior light works. Radio, USB ports, backup camera, Bluetooth.
- Seat belts pull smoothly and retract fully.
The test drive (5–10 minutes)
- Cold-start it yourself if you can. Listen for tapping, knocking, or extended cranking.
- Drive with the radio off. You're listening.
- Accelerate hard once — transmission should shift smoothly, not flare.
- Brake hard once on an empty road — no pulling, no pulsing, no grinding.
- Let go of the wheel briefly on a flat road — it shouldn't pull.
- Try to feel each gear on the highway. Any shudder = walk.
Before you sign
- Get the OTD price in writing.
- Line-item every fee. Delete anything you didn't agree to.
- Have a mechanic do a pre-purchase inspection if the price is over $10k.
Driveline turns every prospect into an automatic pre-purchase report with year/trim-specific problem areas, recall status, expected lifespan, and this checklist tailored to the car.