What if the fault is intermittent?

Record each occurrence and the conditions around it, even if the symptom disappears before inspection.

Should dashboard warning photos be kept?

Yes. Preserve the original photo with date/context where available.

Should I diagnose the cause myself?

Record observed symptoms separately from any professional diagnosis.

What if the dealer says the fault is different each time?

Keep each diagnosis and repair record so the history can be compared without assuming they are the same fault.

Recurring Used-Car Fault Record

Record each recurring used-car fault

For a fault that appears more than once, record every occurrence with the date, mileage, driving conditions, symptoms, warning lights, photographs or video, diagnostic results and what happened after each repair attempt.

General information only — not legal advice · Reviewed 2 October 2026

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Record each occurrence separately

Use one entry for each time the fault appears. Do not collapse several events into a single summary.

Capture mileage and conditions

Record mileage, weather or driving conditions where relevant and what the vehicle was doing when the symptom appeared.

Link diagnostics and warnings

Keep dashboard photographs, scan reports, workshop notes and diagnoses with the matching fault event.

Record the result of every repair

State what was authorised, what was replaced or adjusted, when the vehicle returned and whether the same symptom returned.

Practical record

Date	Mileage	Symptom	Diagnostic/repair	Result
4 May	82,410 km	Engine warning + loss of power	Scan D01	Sensor replaced
18 May	82,890 km	Same warning returned	Workshop R02	Further inspection booked

Synthetic example only.

Important limitation

GetInstantProof records the history; it does not diagnose the vehicle or decide whether a seller is legally responsible.

Related evidence guides

Keep building the record

Used-car problem evidence checklist Vehicle repair and diagnostic history

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Common questions