What this checklist covers
In Saudi Arabia, vehicles must pass the periodic technical inspection (MVPI, known as Fahas) to keep their registration valid. Dealers and fleet operators that prepare vehicles before the appointment avoid failed inspections, repeat visits and unhappy customers. This checklist is the pre-inspection walk-round a workshop or fleet team can run on each vehicle.
The Saudi Vehicle Periodic Inspection Readiness Checklist is a 15-point scorecard for vehicle inspection preparation, safety readiness, customer communication, and reinspection handling per MVPI requirements. Each criterion is scored from 1 to 5 on what the auditor sees on the day, and every gap goes into an action plan with an owner and a close date.
AutoSmart tip: MVPI readiness is a retention and service revenue opportunity, not only a compliance obligation. Customers who receive a proactive pre-inspection service from the dealership are significantly more likely to return for rectification work than those who discover failures at the inspection centre. Build MVPI due date outreach into the standard service reminder cycle.
The checks
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Inspection preparation and safety items
- Is the dealership's service team aware of the MVPI periodic inspection schedule — specifically that new private vehicles are inspected after three years from first licensing and then annually?
- Is a pre-inspection check service offered to customers to identify and rectify defects before the official MVPI inspection, reducing failure risk?
- Does the pre-inspection check cover all common MVPI failure points: brakes, lights, tyres, wipers, horn, emissions, structural integrity, and VIN/chassis number legibility?
- Are vehicles identified as likely to fail the MVPI inspection (through service history or visual check) proactively flagged to the customer with a recommended rectification plan?
Inspection records and customer communication
- Are customers informed of their vehicle's upcoming MVPI inspection due date through the dealership's service reminder system?
- Is the MVPI inspection due date recorded in the DMS or CRM for each customer vehicle, to enable proactive outreach?
- Are MVPI inspection certificates and results retained in the customer's service file, allowing the dealership to track pass/fail history per vehicle?
- Is the customer clearly informed of what documents they need to bring to the MVPI inspection centre (registration card, insurance, prior inspection certificate where applicable)?
Failed inspection handling
- Is there a defined workflow for vehicles that fail the MVPI inspection, including prioritised booking, rectification, and reinspection scheduling?
- Are failure categories (safety-critical vs. advisory) clearly communicated to the customer, with safety-critical items treated as non-negotiable before reinspection?
- Is a failed inspection tracked in the DMS to ensure the vehicle returns for reinspection within the allowed period, with the customer followed up if no booking is made?
Reinspection process and governance
- Are vehicles cleared for reinspection only after all failed items are rectified and verified by a service advisor or team leader?
- Is the reinspection booking made at the time of repair completion, rather than left to the customer to arrange independently?
- Is reinspection success rate tracked, with recurring failure patterns used to identify common vehicle issues or pre-inspection check gaps?
- Is the service team trained on current MVPI failure criteria and any updates to inspection requirements, to provide accurate customer guidance?
How to run it
How the scoring works
Before the visit, fill in the dealer or centre, the auditor, the date and the audit cycle. Then score each of the 15 checks from 1 to 5 on what you see on the day, not on what the site aims for, and add them up out of 75.
- 1Not in place
- 2Attempted
- 3Defined
- 4Managed
- 5Fully sustained
- Green60–75 · 80–100%Compliant. Keep the standard.
- Amber38–59 · 50–79%Improvement needed: a structured action plan within 30 days.
- Red0–37 · Below 50%Priority intervention, escalated to regional management.
Then close every gap
Each gap goes into the action plan tracker and moves through four stages until the auditor closes it.
- 1PendingOwner and close date set
- 2In progressWork under way, evidence gathered
- 3CompletedEvidence submitted for review
- 4ApprovedVerified and closed by the auditor
Questions about this checklist
Is this the official inspection list?
No. It covers the items periodic inspection is known to check, as a preparation aid. The inspection centre applies the official criteria, which can change.
Who should run the pre-inspection check?
A technician or workshop controller, with the service advisor confirming documents and the booking with the customer.
Can fleets use it?
Yes. Fleet teams run it on each vehicle ahead of its due date; in AutoSmart the due dates, photos and failed items are tracked per vehicle.
