Our formula
How We Grade Pre-Purchase Inspection Companies
One formula for every company. Seven parts add up to 100 points. Missing facts score the middle, so no one loses points because a page was hard to read.
The Seven Parts
| Part | Points | How it is scored |
|---|---|---|
| Price | 20 | The price of the standard package for a normal car. $150 or less earns full marks. $400 or more earns none. Everything in between scales in a straight line. |
| Inspection depth | 20 | 70 percent comes from the number of checkpoints, with 150 or more earning full marks. 30 percent comes from two things every good inspection needs: a computer scan of every module and a real road test. |
| Coverage | 15 | States served out of the lower 48. A company that sends someone to the car keeps full marks. One that makes you bring the car in keeps 60 percent. |
| Report speed | 15 | How fast the report reaches you once the inspector is done. Same day earns close to full marks. Three days or more earns none. |
| Report contents | 10 | One sixth of the points for each of these in the report: photos, video, a computer code scan, a road test write up, repair cost estimates and a paint or body check. |
| Vehicle range | 10 | How many kinds of vehicles the company will inspect, like cars, diesels, EVs, RVs, motorcycles, boats and equipment. Twelve or more earns full marks. |
| Customer reviews | 10 | The public star rating, from 2.5 stars (none) to 5 stars (full). A small count gets less weight than a big one. Under ten reviews scores the middle until there are enough to judge. |
Letter Grades
93 and up is an A+. 88 is an A. 83 is an A minus. Each step down is five points, down to a D at 45. Under 45 is an F.
Where the Facts Come From
Prices, checkpoints and coverage come from each company's own website. Star ratings come from Google, Trustpilot or the Better Business Bureau. Each review page links to the pages we used. We checked every fact in October 2026 and we check again every quarter.
Who Runs This Site
Nationwide PPI is published by PPI Auto, the company ranked first here. Every company, ours included, is graded on the same public facts and the same formula. That is why the formula is public. You can redo the math for any company from the facts on its review page.
Spot a Wrong Fact?
Prices change. If a fact here is out of date, send the page with the right number and we will fix it within a week.