KRAI CASEBOOK / FIELD GUIDE
Bought a used car with no service records? Start an honest log.
You cannot reconstruct maintenance that nobody documented. You can mark the past as unknown, check the car's present condition, and make every new service or repair easier to understand.
First, separate three kinds of information
- Documented: an invoice, dated service entry, or inspection result you can actually review. Keep the original document.
- Reported: something a seller or previous owner says happened, without supporting paperwork. Write “seller reported,” with the date you heard it.
- Unknown: a service that may or may not have been done. Leave it unknown; do not turn a guess into a completed maintenance entry.
A vehicle history report can add clues, but it may omit unreported work. The FTC recommends an independent mechanical inspection before buying a used car. A log cannot replace that inspection.
Make a starting snapshot
Record the purchase date and odometer reading, year, make, model, any warning lights, and the symptoms you actually notice. If a mechanic inspects the car, keep the written findings separately and note the date, mileage, and source in your log. Ask the mechanic to prioritize safety concerns and maintenance whose history cannot be confirmed; the correct work depends on the vehicle and its condition.
Do not backdate a service because a fluid looks clean or a part looks new. Those observations may be useful, but they do not establish when the work was done.
Example of a careful first entry
Vehicle: 2008 sedan, 142,300 miles on October 5.
Before: “Seller reported a recent oil change; no invoice provided. Check engine light off during my drive. Slight vibration at highway speed. No scan performed.”
Action: “Independent inspection scheduled. No repair performed yet.”
Follow-up: Add the inspector's findings and any work actually completed later, with dates and mileage. If a symptom is rechecked, describe the conditions and outcome without declaring the car permanently fixed.
Keep the history usable from here
For each new concern, record what happened before work, what was checked or changed, and what you observed afterward. Save invoices, part receipts, and inspection reports outside Casebook; the pilot does not attach files. Export a JSON backup before clearing browser data or moving to a new device.
Start your first record
The free KRAI Casebook pilot lets you enter a manual before-and-after vehicle case in your browser. It does not scan the car, reconstruct missing history, diagnose a fault, or verify a repair for you.
Open the free Casebook pilot