Independent used car reliability reports, run by Bram Asselman.
Car Checker started after a used BMW purchase that turned into weeks of messy research. Forum threads, conflicting opinions, no clear answer on whether the timing chain was a genuine risk or just internet noise. Even after all that reading, the viewing checklist was incomplete and important things got missed.
The information is out there, but it's scattered across forums, YouTube videos, and random blog posts. There's no easy way to compare how serious one car's problems are versus another's, or to show up at a viewing with a clear list of what to inspect.
That's what Car Checker tries to fix: one structured report per engine and generation, covering what actually breaks, what it costs, and what to look for before buying.
Each report includes annual ownership costs, common failures with repair cost ranges, recall history, warranty information, and a pre-purchase checklist. The cost estimates are wide on purpose — used cars depend heavily on condition, service history, and luck, so pretending to give an exact number would be misleading.
The site currently covers 950+ cars across 49 brands, with more being added regularly. For the detailed process behind the reports, see the methodology page.
Questions, corrections, or suggestions: bram@percept-tech.com