When we tell a customer the inspection is "21-point", a perfectly reasonable next question is: which 21 points? Here is the full list, and what each line is actually trying to tell you.
Why a written report at all
A workshop owner once told me that "people don't read service reports". He was half right. People do not read seven-page PDFs filled with cryptic abbreviations. They do read a single page that says, in plain language, what is fine and what is not — provided someone has bothered to write it that way.
So the report is the artefact, but the mindset behind it is: prove the conclusion to a non-mechanic.
The 21 lines, grouped
1. Tyre block — four lines
Tread depth (three-point measurement per tyre), cold pressure on each wheel, and a sidewall age check. The "borderline" score on this block almost always means a tyre that is still legal but rapidly approaching the wear bar — the kind of thing where a wet morning will surprise you.
2. Brake block — three lines
Pad depth, rotor thickness, and brake fluid moisture content. The fluid line is the unglamorous hero here. A boiling-point reading below 180°C means the system has absorbed too much water and a hard stop on a hot day will feel spongy.
3. Fluids and filters — five lines
Engine oil level and condition, coolant strength, transmission fluid colour, brake and power-steering fluid, plus the cabin air filter. We photograph each fluid sample on a white card — colour drift over time is its own kind of warning system.
4. Battery and charging — two lines
State of charge and cold-cranking amps under load. A battery can hold voltage at rest and still be unable to turn the engine over on a humid morning. The CCA test catches that one.
5. Lighting and electrical — two lines
Exterior bulbs, parking lights, indicators. Plus an interior dash-warning sweep — sometimes a quietly burned-out airbag bulb is masking a real fault from the driver.
6. Drivetrain and suspension — three lines
Engine mount condition, suspension damper rebound, and a steering rack play check. These three lines are where 80% of "the car feels different lately" complaints get explained.
7. Powertrain electronic scan — two lines
Stored fault codes (with freeze-frame data) and live sensor sanity check. We do not always recommend clearing codes — sometimes the code itself is useful evidence for the next visit.
"Borderline" is not a euphemism for "soon". It is an honest description of a measurement that is inside the manufacturer's spec but trending toward the limit. We mark them so you can plan, not so we can upsell.
What a "borderline" actually buys you
A borderline score is the workshop saying: this is fine today; budget for it in the next three to six months. That distinction matters. Without it, every grey-area finding becomes "needs replacing now", and the trust between customer and shop quietly erodes.
If your last report had three borderlines, the right reading is not "I need to spend money this month". It is "next time I'm at the workshop for something else, ask whether to combine these into one labour visit".
Reading the photos
Every line on the report has a thumbnail. Some are obvious — a worn pad next to a fresh one tells its own story. Others need a sentence of context. We try to write that sentence. If we ever skip it, ask. The photo without the explanation is less than half the value.
What to do with the report after
Three things. First, save the PDF — your customer file in our system is good but a personal copy never hurts. Second, share it with anyone giving you advice about the car (spouse, friend who knows engines, mechanic at your kampung). Third, check the borderline list before your next planned drive of more than 200 km. Most of them will not bite. Some will.