Get Your Roadworthy Before You List Your Car for Sale
I inspected this Nissan 370Z in Ormeau today. The seller had already found a buyer, taken a deposit, and the buyer was on his way from Cairns to Brisbane to pick it up that evening. That’s a long drive.
The car failed for a leaking shock absorber.
The sale almost fell through
The owner was furious. He’d spent weeks finding a buyer for a car that isn’t the most common on the market. He finally found someone willing to drive from Cairns to Brisbane to buy it. Everything was arranged – deposit paid, buyer possibly already on the road.
Then I found the leaking shock.
He begged me to pass it. I said no. The buyer is expecting a car in roadworthy condition. If that buyer is driving this car all the way back to Cairns, it should be safe. A leaking shock absorber affects braking, handling, and stability – especially on a 1,700km highway drive.
He screamed that the sale might fall through. That finding another buyer would take months. That it was Friday afternoon and finding a mechanic to replace a shock absorber on a 370Z before the evening would be nearly impossible.
He was right about the timing. It was a bad situation. But it was entirely avoidable.
Get the roadworthy done first
This is exactly why you should get your roadworthy done before you advertise your car for sale. Not after you find a buyer. Not on the day of the sale. Before you even list it.
Getting the roadworthy first does three things:
It gives you confidence. You know the car is roadworthy before a single buyer contacts you. If something fails, you have time to get it fixed without the pressure of a buyer waiting.
It prevents exactly this situation. No last-minute surprises. No panicking about a repair on a Friday afternoon. No risk of a sale falling through because of an issue you didn’t know about.
It helps you sell faster. A listing that says “roadworthy certificate ready” gives buyers confidence. They know the car meets safety standards, the paperwork is sorted, and they can complete the purchase and drive away. Buyers scroll past listings without a roadworthy because they don’t know what they’re getting into.
You no longer need a roadworthy to advertise
Since 2024, you don’t need a roadworthy certificate to advertise or list a registered vehicle for sale in Queensland. You only need it before the actual transfer of ownership.
But just because you’re legally allowed to advertise without one doesn’t mean you should. This 370Z seller could have legally listed the car without a roadworthy – and he did. But when sale day arrived and the inspection revealed a problem, he was stuck.
Get it done early. Book the inspection when you decide to sell, not when you’ve already found a buyer.
A note for buyers - especially long-distance buyers
If you’re travelling a long way to buy a car, a roadworthy certificate tells you it meets minimum safety standards. That’s a good start. But a roadworthy is only a basic safety check. It doesn’t reflect the overall condition of the car.
If you’re driving from Cairns to Brisbane to buy a Nissan 370Z, consider booking a mobile pre-purchase inspection before you make the trip. I can inspect the car at the seller’s location, give you a detailed report on its condition, and let you know if it’s worth the journey. That’s a much cheaper option than driving 1,700km to find out the car isn’t what you expected.
Local Roadworthys offers mobile pre-purchase inspections from $200.
