Auto Critic

This is «The Real Deal»! They inspected the van at the dealership and gave as detailed a report one could imagine. Based on the inspection report and the dealer’s refusal to budge on price or repairs, we decided not to buy. The inspection saved our bacon as this van had several hidden problems that we could not possibly find on our own.

Matt was awesome. I will NEVER buy a car near Dallas without his help. He’s prompt and cares a lot about his customers

Thank you, Matt, for the thorough inspection and detailed report about the car. Your expertise has put my mind at ease about this purchase. It was a pleasure working with you!

I ordered a PPI from Matt for a 2002 Porsche Carrera Cabriolet with 26,600 miles. The car was in such immaculate condition that my wife did not want me to spend the $ 250 for the inspection. I decided I wanted the inspection anyways and was extremely satisfied that I used AutoCritic.
Although the Carfax was clean Matt did notice some prior paintwork on the vehicle and that the front hood was replaced by the prior owner. I was able to get some service records by contacting a dealer noted in the Carfax history and it substantiated Matt’s analysis. Matt told me that not all states require body work be reported to Carfax which is a lesson not to just purchase based on Carfax history.
Matt also noticed that the prior owner was using a green colored coolant instead of the Porsche standard. He advised an immediate flush and replacement with the correct coolant. He also diagnosed a faulty window regulator and provided me the results of the OBD scanner showing a faulty circuit in the headlamps. He also noticed it was missing the lock key for the wheel nuts. This guy does not miss a detail.
I was able to use this information to negotiate the price of the vehicle downwards by nearly $ 4000. This savings more than justified the $ 250 I spent for the inspection. I can now apply some of the cost savings towards an Intermediate Shaft Bearing (IMS) bearing upgrade and have a very nice and reliable 911 to enjoy for a long time.
Before you purchase a used car give Matt a call. He provides a very honest, detailed and accurate and professional level of service not available from any of the chain inspection places that just take pictures of your car, which I have used in the past.

Matt did a great job.
Same day service and the inspection more than paid for itself. He found and documented needed repairs and seal leaks. He pointed these out to the dealwr, so I was able to use his report to get them to fix, then I will use in the price negotions.

Matt is great! We had him look at a vehicle for us on 1÷5÷16. He does a complete and thorough inspection and then not only sends the report over, but follows up with you on the phone and explains all items found. Best of all he gives you his real opinion on not only what needs to be fixed, but realistically when it would need to be fixed, and if it is a safety issue or not etc. I found him to be responsive and a great communicator. I would hire him again and will recommend him to anyone I know looking to buy a used vehicle. Thanks Matt!

In May of 2015, we decided to get a cheap convertible for the summer. After looking through many websites we finally found one in Dallas, TX. Long distance buy from New York is usually a gamble. There are many advertised to do car buying inspection but I have found none to be reliable. I found Matt after reading some positive reviews. It was for a 2006 Lexus SC430. He went out inspected the car and took numerous pictures. The best part is the detailed report and pictures he sent me on the same day of inspection. After getting an OK from him, we put down a deposit and drove it home after 2 weeks. The car is almost like new… very happy. I really wish there are someone like Auto Critic near where I live. Because of his excellent service, I would purposely look for cars in the Dallas Tx area in the future.
See his pics.

Submitted an online request. Got an email immediately and a call a half-​hour later. Matt, who had never met me or seen the van, started telling me exactly the problems I was concerned about – in shockingly accurate detail. I asked if he did his inspections psychically and he said, «No, I’ve just inspected 9,000 cars by now.» After talking with me for 15 minutes he encouraged me to not hire him but to take the van back to the mechanic who had done some recent work. Matt felt that would get me better outcomes. He was still available to inspect (now or later) but didn’t want to waste my time or money. How cool was that? I was ready to pay him, but he gave me a free consult and got me to the solution a day faster. So call Matt. Even if he doesn’t inspect your car, you’re winning.

Matt is absolutely the best person to take a look at a vehicle before purchasing. I was ready to buy my first car used and was hesitant since the dealership would not let me take the car off the lot to my mechanic across town. I hired Matt for just under $ 200 for a Toyota and couldn’t recommend him more. The inspection is very detailed and he is easy to schedule and communicate with. He recommended a few maintenance repairs on the vehicle and was extremely patience when I asked a million questions. When I took the car into my mechanic to get the repairs done, the mechanic said he’d do a full inspection and let me know what I «actually» needed done to the car. Turns out, it was IDENTICAL to what Matt recommended and the dealer did not find anything else. If you are buying a used car, Matt is 110% worth it.
Thanks Matt for an excellent job done!

We hired Matt at Auto Critic to help evaluate a car we were buying. It was not a hugely expensive car — just a Civic — but still something we wanted to have peace of mind with. And Matt is the guy for peace of mind.
He puts a level of detail and effort into his inspections that the others don’t really come close to.
On the car we were buying, pretty much everything was in order. There were $ 200 or so worth of small things that needed to be done, and the seller took care of those, which already will cover Matt’s fee. Beyond that, we are glad to have that peace of mind in knowing that we are buying a car that has been looked after and is in the condition that it is claimed to be in.
EDIT: Things fell through when the dealership screwed us over and sold our car to someone else, then gave us a different car that looked the same. Ultimately they gave us our money back and reimbursed us for Matt’s fee.
We hired Matt to inspect a second Civic for us. This one was in even better shape than the first, and Matt got out there super quick to make it happen.
I showed Matt’s report to my mechanic and he was blown away by the thoroughness. He said «no way I’d be doing all that stuff at the prices he’s charging.»
If you’re buying a car in the Dallas area, you cannot afford not to have Auto Critic look at it first.

Matt is the real deal, and if you are buying a used car, you need to have him look at it first.
He was so incredibly nice, and he helped me with my car decisions and saved me THOUSANDS!
I was incredibly impressed with his knowledge and how detailed he was.
I give him my highest recommendation, and I really cant say enough good about him!
Stellar guy!
Thanks Matt! :)

Matt is, without a doubt, the most thorough and honest blue collar mechanic I’ve dealt with. Absolutely recommend him and trust his work!

I was very impressed with Matt. I felt like I could trust not only his inspection, but his recommendations about the makes and models I was looking at purchasing. He knows his stuff.

I live in CT and asked Matt to check a car in Dallas. He was great. Professional, responsive, knowledgeable. Ask him all you wish about the car you are interested in and he makes time for you. Not sure if I will buy the car but absolutely would work with Matt again. Thanks!

Matt is an absolute dream of a mechanic and everything you could hope for in getting a thorough inspection! After trying to find the specific make/​model we wanted in our hometown, my husband and I turned to Autotrader to find vehicles within 500 miles. We did manage to find the «perfect car» but needed a good, detail oriented mechanic to confirm that. That’s where Matt comes in…
We had a great phone conversation and he gave me tips on how to make the out of state buying process easier on me and my husband and gave me warning signs to look out for as well. Matt and I were on the phone as he was doing the inspection so he could tell me exactly what he was seeing with his own two eyes. He took some detailed photos and emailed them along with his report to me promptly. The vehicle got his stamp of approval and my husband will be flying over to pick up our car. :) Thank you Matt for being so thorough, kind, and flexible with your schedule in our time crunch! I would recommend him to ANYONE in the Dallas area in a heartbeat.

Matt saved me from overpaying for a used car. I live in Houston and was looking into buying a car in Dallas. I had Matt inspect the car before my test drive. Matt alerted me to a few issues (oxygen sensors and the rear brake pads and discs needed replacement) and he also found a dent beneath the car (when he raised the car). Equipped with this information I decided not to go for the car.
After my first positive experience with Matt, I used Auto Critic again for a used car inspection. After Matt’s thorough inspection came clean, I made my purchase with confidence.
I highly recommend using Matt if you are considering purchasing a used car in the Dallas area.

I have used Auto Critic on 2 purchases so far and both times have been impressed with their service. They do a thorough job of inspecting every part of the vehicle they can get to and test driving it like they stole it!
When purchasing a used vehicle for my kids I want to make sure we aren’t getting into a money pit and that it is safe and sound. In both inspections they found some issues that needed to be addressed and in one case we negotiated a lower price and had the repairs done ourselves and in the most recent case we had the dealer agree to make repairs before finalizing the transaction.
Both times the dealers told me how impressed they were with the amount of time spent on the vehicle and how thorough the inspector was.
MATT P. was our recent inspector and did a great job. If you are looking at purchasing a used vehicle from a dealer or individual — I highly recommend you use them. If the seller doesn’t want an inspection then run away from that vehicle.
You can visit Auto Critic at
or call the listed phone #‘s. They will get there either the same day or next day (at least that is what I experienced).

Matt saved me tons of time and money!
I live in Austin, but found a car I wanted in Dallas. They went and reveiwed it, took pictures, and explained the problems to me. The car was mostly as advertised, but I wouldn’t have known about the internal issues, if it hadn’t been for them. I would have driven up and either wasted time and gas money looking, or ended up with a lemon.
Thanks Auto Critic!

I particularly recommend Matt P. My wife and I feel Matt’s service is a good value. The private party sellers of the 2003 Honda Accord we purchased had positive feedback about their experience w/​Matt, too.