Lemon Squad Review: What the Inspection Covers and Its Terms

Lemon Squad sells mobile pre-purchase inspections. You pay online, it dispatches an inspector to the seller, and the inspector looks the vehicle over without a lift, drives it if conditions allow, and uploads a photo report that Lemon Squad reviews before you can read it. On 16 October 2026 we read its inspection pages, FAQ, two sample reports, its Terms of Use (Last Updated: May 2023), Privacy Policy and Contractor Terms, the newer copy of the Terms on its owner Wrench, Inc.’s site, Wrench’s 2020 post on the acquisition and Wrench’s SEC filings. Both companies’ Terms forbid linking to their sites, so documents are named, not linked. We placed no order and have no commercial relationship with Lemon Squad. For inspections in general, see our guides to the pre-purchase inspection and the mobile inspection; this page covers Lemon Squad’s own service and terms.

Who owns Lemon Squad, and who inspects the car

You contract with Wrench, Inc. Lemon Squad’s Terms are an agreement with “WRENCH INC. including its subsidies Lemon Squad, YourMechanic, Mobile Battery Solutions, and SouthWest Inspections Services.” The Privacy Policy (11 May 2023) and Contractor Terms of Service (24 August 2024) name the same company. A post on Wrench’s blog dated 2 October 2020 says “we have acquired a used car inspection company,” and its press page lists coverage dated 15 September 2020 headlined as Wrench acquiring Lemon Squad. Legal notices go to Wrench in Seattle; Lemon Squad’s coverage page says “we’re headquartered in Minnesota.”

Delaware or Washington? The Terms, Privacy Policy and Contractor Terms call Wrench a Delaware corporation. Both Form D notices Wrench filed with the SEC on 7 August 2023 give Washington as its jurisdiction of incorporation. We did not check either state’s register. Wrench’s EDGAR record holds 5 Form D notices of private offerings and nothing else; the 2023 pair report a $40,000,000 debt offering, fully sold, first sold on 15 June 2022, and a $21,000,006 equity offering first sold on 21 July 2023, $14,253,374 of it sold to 7 investors. A Form D does not say who controls the company.

The inspector is an independent contractor. The Become an Inspector page says “All inspectors are independent contractors” under Wrench’s Contractor Terms, “including licensing and mandatory commercial insurance.” Those terms say the inspector is “not an Employee of Wrench for any purpose,” may decline any job, supplies their own tools, must carry auto, general and professional liability insurance, and is “SOLELY RESPONSIBLE” for damage to the owner’s vehicle. Wrench may obtain their criminal and driving records.

Certification is claimed, not promised. The Corporate page claims “the largest network of ASE-certified inspectors,” and the coverage page “over 3000 technicians on file.” The application form asks for “ASE# & Other Certifications” without saying it is required, and the customer Terms say “THIRD PARTY PROVIDERS MAY NOT BE PROFESSIONALLY LICENSED OR PERMITTED.” What Lemon Squad does say is that a review team it calls “ASE Master Technicians” checks each report before release.

Lemon Squad’s inspection types and printed prices

Lemon Squad prints a price for 7 in-person inspection types, each on its own page, plus the video call. The FAQ says the order form “will automatically pick the correct inspection for you based on the year, make, and model.” Five type pages print a price one cent below a round dollar figure, which the Compare and home pages round up. These are list prices, not quotes: the Terms reserve the right to change “items and/or price at any time prior to billing you,” and some locations carry a mileage fee shown only when you order. See what sets an inspection’s price.

Electric Vehicle. The EV page lists charge level and estimated range, which it calls “a snapshot, not a battery health test,” plus EV electronics, the charging cable, and tires, brakes, cooling, suspension and steering. The home page promises more: checks for “battery-related red flags a standard mechanic (and a standard test drive) will miss.” Go by the EV page; our guide to EV battery degradation explains why range is not capacity.

RV. The RV page describes “a standard 150-point inspection” with generator, LP gas, appliance and slide-out checks, and says inspectors “do not go on the roof.” The seller must have the unit hooked up to water, power, propane and generator fuel, or some items cannot be tested.

Add-ons and Live. The home page prices a CARFAX history report at $34.99 and a Verbal Vehicle Assessment, a staff call explaining your finished report, at $49.99; the FAQ prices the history report at $24.99 (see where the documents disagree, and our guide to CARFAX and AutoCheck). Lemon Squad Live is not an inspection: a “certified inspection specialist” guides you over video for “Up to 20 minutes” while you stand at the car, and “the decision stays yours.”

What the Standard checklist and sample report cover, item by item

The Standard page prints a 15-line list, repeated on the Classic and Exotic pages: the body and paint; scratches, cracks, dents or rust; an underbody check for rust or damage; tires and wheels; glass; previous accident and flood damage; lights, A/C, gauges and “operation of all other electrical items”; the interior, including upholstery, mats, headliner and seat belts; “Comprehensive inspection of the motor and transmission”; all drive-line components, including four- and all-wheel drive; steering, suspension, brakes and exhaust; a “Visual inspection of engine and all other items under the hood”; fluid levels, oil leaks and missing parts; “any additional areas of concern that you identify”; and a road test “If possible.” The Commercial page adds “Examine all specific commercial/industrial components.”

The sample report is more specific. Lemon Squad’s Standard sample, dated 13 November 2019 on a car from 2013, prints 78 labelled rows in four sections, each with a check mark or a comment, then a tire grid:

The rows change with the vehicle. The Classic sample, dated 26 October 2019 on a car from 1967, drops 18 rows such as the sunroof and cruise control and adds 11: “Body Filler?” with hood, doors, floors, rockers and quarter panels under it, plus chrome, inner trunk, steering fluid, transmission fluid and modifications, 71 rows in all by our count.

Two details matter. The tread key calls 4/32 or less “Tires need replacement!” and 5/32 to 7/32 due soon. And a green check mark “does NOT indicate that the specific components or systems are in good and operating condition under all circumstances”; it means the inspector saw the item and “noted no visible issue with it.” Both samples are 7 years old, so the current form may differ.

What a Lemon Squad inspection does not do

The Terms call the service “a visual inspection of all reasonably accessible items only” and say “Each inspection is limited to the items expressly stated in the inspection report”: anything missing from the report, “you should assume that the item was not inspected.” The FAQ lists the limits:

• No lift. “the inspector will look under the vehicle using their camera and mirrors.” At a dealership, you can ask whether a lift is available.
• No wheels off, no brake lights. “We do not take the wheels off to inspect the brake pads,” and lights are checked “except for the brake lights.”
• No compression test, “due to a liability issue”, and no timing belt: “you need to assume that it has not been done.”
• The frame is a look, not a measurement. “Just because we do not see any damage does not mean that the frame is not bent.”
• Some faults can be hidden. Sellers may power-wash oil leaks, top up a leaking A/C system or mask smoke, and accident or flood damage is “not always possible to see.”
• No state or emissions test, and no cleaning: the car “must be clean, dry and well-lit,” or repainting and bodywork are harder to spot.

The road test is conditional. The Terms: “Unless the inspection report specifically states that a test drive was conducted, no such test drive was conducted.” The seller must allow it, the inspector “may decline or stop a test drive at any time,” motorcycles never get one, and on commercial vehicles the seller drives. See how to test-drive a used car.

Records are your job. The report “does not address value, title, VIN authenticity, vehicle history, odometer accuracy, open recalls, or emissions or smog compliance, and does not determine eligibility under any lemon law.” Check the history, open recalls and the odometer record yourself. Our mobile inspection guide explains what a missing lift costs.

The code readout: promised on the pages, disclaimed in the Terms

The Standard, Exotic and EV cards promise a “Computer code readout: engine, transmission, ABS, and airbag,” and the FAQ says Lemon Squad hooks up “the OBD2 computer to the vehicle if it is 1996 or newer and we will report on any codes found.” The documents that bind the sale say otherwise. The Terms: “Diagnostic equipment is not typically used in a pre-purchase inspection.” The sample report: “no diagnostic testing or teardown was performed.” Neither sample has a fault-code section; the nearest row is “Dash Warning Lights”.

The Contractor Terms point the other way: among “Examples of an incomplete Job Request” they list a “Missing photo of OBD scan tool showing fault codes, if any,” with an incomplete road test and missing photos of the VIN plate. So inspectors are expected to plug in a scan tool, but the customer Terms promise nothing, and they supersede “content or information you read or have access to at other places, such as our website.” If a scan matters, ask for it in Additional Notes and look for the scan-tool photo in the gallery; the FAQ says it will not confirm special requests in advance. Our booking questions explain why an engine-only code reader is not a full scan.

The report: how fast it comes and how long it stays online

The steps. After you pay, “Our team of dispatchers will contact our nearest technician and brief them” on the car and your notes. The inspector contacts the seller, inspects, and uploads findings and photos “At the end of his day”; Lemon Squad’s reviewers check them and you get an email when the report is ready.

How fast, as stated. “Inspections are typically completed within two business days, depending on the inspector’s schedule, the seller’s schedule, and the weather,” with reports usually uploaded the next morning. Reviews start “at 8:00 am central time”, and hours are Monday to Friday, 8:00 to 5:00 Central. Friday inspections are reviewed on Saturday, but “We do not schedule inspections on weekends. Reports can not be expedited.” The RV page promises a towable report “within 1 business day.” None of it is guaranteed: “we cannot guarantee a date of an inspection,” and the FAQ asks you not to book travel until the report is in hand.

What you get. An online report: “We do not provide hard copies of reports.” It holds a written summary, the rows above and a photo gallery. The inspector may leave notes on photos, but “If you use the ‘download all images’ button, those notes will not be there.”

Who may rely on it. The report is “for the sole and exclusive use of the Customer,” not the seller or a later buyer, and is “intended as a buying guide, not a mechanical warranty,” nor “a recommendation for or against the purchase.” If a lender is involved, the FAQ says to send it the sample report first. There is no verbal report from the inspector; the paid Verbal Vehicle Assessment is a staff member explaining the finished report.

Scheduling: the seller, the surprise visit and the rules for you

The seller is the contact. Lemon Squad needs “the seller’s name and phone number,” and the report makes it “the customer’s responsibility to obtain the consent of the vehicle’s owner or seller to the inspection and any test drive.” The Terms make you responsible for a suitable location with access and permission.

A visit timed to catch the seller out. The home page says the inspector will “set up an appointment.” The FAQ says that because sellers may warm the car up or erase check-engine lights, “we do try to take them by surprise”: a call to confirm the car is available, “and then he will show up unexpectedly,” which “may not be possible with private sellers.” Inspectors are “trained to make the seller think that everything is going well,” and the report is not shared with the seller. Why a cold start helps is covered in our mobile inspection guide.

You stay away. “we do not allow customers to be present during this inspection,” and “inspectors are not able to place calls from the field”; concerns go in Additional Notes. If the seller books a time and does not show, you get a report with a photo of the location.

Coverage. Lemon Squad says it covers the entire USA, “even” Alaska and Hawaii, but “only operates within the United States.” It inspects eBay cars with “2 to 3 business day lead time” and auction cars where the auction allows it, but inspectors “will not register to gain entry to an auction.” Buying on Bring a Trailer, Cars & Bids or Hemmings? Confirm the seller will allow a visit before bidding closes. See also buying from a private seller and buying out of state.

Cancellation, refunds and rescheduling

No refund once you order. Lemon Squad is “a pre-pay service.” The Terms: “All sales are final for inspection Jobs ordered on the LemonSquad website.” The FAQ: “PLEASE BE SURE OF YOUR VEHICLE BEFORE PLACING YOUR ORDER,” and if you buy the car before the inspector arrives, “we will not offer a cancellation for a refund.” The only refund the Terms spell out is for a job Lemon Squad declines.

If the car sells first. If it sells “before we are able to dispatch a technician,” Lemon Squad “will honor the amount paid towards a future order.” But “If the seller shows us the vehicle and then sells it to somebody else, we are not able to put your order on hold.” You cannot otherwise switch cars: “Can I change the vehicle I ordered an inspection on? No.”

Rescheduling. The Terms say rescheduling “may be subject to additional fees” but no Lemon Squad document we read gives an amount. Wrench’s own copy of the Terms (November 2023) prints a $150 fee for changes within 48 hours, but under a heading for Wrench jobs; the lemonsquad.com copy does not contain it. Ask before you move a date.

Live is the exception, mostly. The Live page calls the $59.99 link “Always refundable” and promises to “refund the full amount paid” if you are unhappy or never use it, yet the cancellation policy in the same page’s footer says “we cannot offer a refund.” Keep a copy of the promise.

An undefined policy. The FAQ says “Our 7 day policy does not apply to salvage title vehicles. Buyer beware.” Nothing we read says what the 7 day policy is. On salvage cars, see inspecting a salvage-title car.

Liability limits, the 30-day claim rule and arbitration

An opinion, not a guarantee. “Pre-purchase inspection reports are not guaranteed or warranted,” because the vehicle can change before you buy and the inspector “cannot see inside an engine or transmission.” In the FAQ’s words: “if it is not failing at the time of the inspection, we will not know that it is failing.”

Not a warranty on the car. “An inspection does not act as a warranty or as an insurance policy for any vehicle,” and your right to recover for defects is “limited to any warranty the seller may offer.” The Terms incorporate a Wrench Limited Warranty, but the report says it “does not apply to inspections.” Repair cover is a separate product; see whether an extended warranty is worth it, and note that service contracts usually exclude faults present before cover began, as the samples in our CARCHEX review do.

The cap. The service is “AS IS,” “AS AVAILABLE,” and “WITH ALL FAULTS”; Wrench calls its platform “ONLY A VENUE FOR CONNECTING USERS” and puts the quality of the work on “THE THIRD PARTY PROVIDER.” If Wrench is liable anyway, its total liability will not “EXCEED THE AMOUNT INVOICED FOR THE ASSOCIATED JOB”: for a Standard order at today’s price, $219.99 plus any tax or mileage fee. The report also disclaims “any hidden wreck, flood damage or tampered components not readily apparent upon visual inspection,” while promising “reasonable care within the scope stated in this report.”

The 30-day claim rule. “Any claim relating to an inspection must be submitted to Wrench in writing within thirty (30) days after the customer discovers the basis for the claim and, where practicable, before the vehicle is repaired or altered, so that Wrench may re-inspect the vehicle.” Write before the repair, and keep the old parts and your copy of the report.

Disputes. Disputes go to “binding arbitration, rather than in court,” except small claims, run by the American Arbitration Association under its Consumer Arbitration Rules, with fees set by those rules. The seat is Seattle, but you may choose arbitration “by telephone, based on written submissions, or in person in the county where you live.” Claims are “only on an individual basis and not in a class,” with a jury waiver if a case reaches court. Delaware law governs, and California residents waive Civil Code Section 1542 where the law allows. Wrench may amend the Terms by posting new ones.

Where Lemon Squad’s own documents disagree

On 11 topics, by our count, two of Lemon Squad’s or Wrench’s own documents say different things. Because the Terms supersede the website, the Terms and the report are the safer reading where they conflict with a sales page.

The Live page also says “since 2005”; no document we read dates the founding. The FAQ invites customers to give an AI assistant their vehicle and contact details to build a pre-filled order link, as does the site’s llms.txt file; we treated both as marketing text.

Is Lemon Squad legit? The public record, and what to settle first

Lemon Squad is a trading brand of a company that files with the SEC, names its owner in its Terms and prints its limits in unusual detail. Searches on 16 October 2026, including ones limited to the FTC, CFPB, Justice Department and the Washington, Minnesota and California attorneys general, found no enforcement action, settlement or court case naming Lemon Squad or Wrench. That is a search result, not a clearance. The Better Business Bureau’s site blocked our request, and review sites and complaint aggregators are left out because their reports are unverified.

A Lemon Squad report is an informed visual opinion with photos from someone who travels to the car; it is not a lift inspection, a guaranteed scan or a records check. If the seller refuses any inspection, see when the seller says no; for acting on findings, what to do with the report.

Common questions

How much does a Lemon Squad inspection cost?

On 16 October 2026 its pages printed $219.99 Standard, $285.99 Exotic, $329.99 Vintage & Classic, $364.99 Commercial, $209.99 Motorcycle and $249 Electric Vehicle; RV inspections start at $449, with a Class A motorhome at $549. The Live video call is $59.99. Some locations add a mileage fee, shown when you order.

How long does a Lemon Squad inspection take?

Lemon Squad says inspections are “typically completed within two business days,” with reports usually uploaded the next morning and reviewed from 8:00 am Central. It does not inspect on weekends, cannot expedite reports and does not guarantee a date. Reports stay online for 60 days.

Can I get a refund from Lemon Squad?

Not for an inspection once ordered: the Terms make all sales final. If the car sells before an inspector is dispatched, the money moves to another car; if the seller has already shown the car, it does not. The Live video call is sold as always refundable.

Are Lemon Squad inspectors certified mechanics?

They are independent contractors under Wrench’s Contractor Terms, which require legally needed licences, commercial insurance and records checks. Lemon Squad claims a network of ASE-certified inspectors, but its Terms say providers “MAY NOT BE PROFESSIONALLY LICENSED OR PERMITTED,” and nothing we read guarantees your inspector’s certification.

Does Lemon Squad put the car on a lift?

No. Inspectors look underneath “using their camera and mirrors,” do not take the wheels off and do not disassemble anything. At a dealership you can ask whether a lift is available.

Who owns Lemon Squad?

Wrench, Inc., a mobile vehicle-service company in Seattle, which wrote in October 2020 that it had acquired Lemon Squad. Lemon Squad’s Terms and Privacy Policy name Wrench as the contracting company; its other brands include YourMechanic.