A Manheim Post-Sale Inspection is a basic mechanical, structural and flood inspection you order after you buy, with a 7-day or 14-day guarantee on what passes. You must order inside a cutoff window, the buyer pays the fee whether the car passes or fails, and the policy lists no price.
Need the fee side? See Manheim buyer fees and the Manheim late fee calculator.
Everything below is from Manheim's Post-Sale Inspection policy, checked October 2026. The policy has had multiple versions with different eligibility limits, so read the current one for your sale.
LocalIQ™ market snapshot
What top flip candidates are asking right now
| Model | Listings | Median asking price |
|---|---|---|
| GMC Sierra 1500 | 632 | $29,972 |
| Honda Civic | 5,396 | $15,000 |
| Honda Accord | 4,176 | $15,999 |
| Ford F-150 | 3,134 | $24,000 |
| Toyota Corolla | 3,040 | $14,500 |
| Nissan Sentra | 3,004 | $9,880 |
| Toyota Camry | 2,510 | $17,082 |
| Hyundai Elantra | 2,396 | $9,499 |
LocalIQ™ asking-price median · 24,288 listings · updated every 6 hours. National, last 8 model years; asking price is your resale ceiling.
What does a Manheim PSI cover?
The policy calls it "a basic mechanical, structural, and flood inspection." It is a one-time check, so it cannot match normal operating conditions. Passed components carry "a 7-day or 14-day guarantee of function or condition, based on the PSI product purchased."
Not inspected: ADAS features such as rear cameras, parking sensors and blind spot detection. Not covered: announced structural damage or alterations, and wear items like tires, wipers, fluids, pads, belts and hoses. Non-dripping oil leaks and certain yellow OBDII scanner results do not cause a failure.
How long do you have to order a PSI?
A vehicle is ineligible if you pass these cutoffs:
| Sale type | Order cutoff |
|---|---|
| Auctions that start before 9:30 AM | 5 PM |
| All other auctions | 3 hours after auction end |
| If bids | 3 hours after acceptance |
| Manheim Timed on Manheim.com | 24 hours after purchase |
The safe habit is to decide at purchase, not after. If you buy cars you cannot see the mechanicals on, add the PSI when you bid.
Which cars are not eligible?
Per the policy, eligibility is under 125,000 miles and a purchase price over $3,000, and "the auction makes the final call." Ineligible: 125,000+ miles, $3,000 or less, a purchase price or estimated value above $75,000, all electric vehicles, heavy-duty trucks and buses, branded titles, antiques (20+ years), exotic or handmade makes, and makes averaging 4,000 or fewer units per year.
The policy is inconsistent on yellow-light vehicles: one section lists green and yellow light vehicles as eligible, another excludes vehicles sold under yellow light (Limited Guarantee). Ask the auction before you rely on it. Sale lights are explained in Manheim run list and sale lights.
How does a PSI claim work?
Claim rules from the policy:
- Submit within the guarantee timeframe you purchased.
- Arbitration requires "200 miles or less accumulated on the odometer" between the auction reading and the claim date.
- The defect must be within the inspection scope and estimated at or above the NAAA Arbitration Policy threshold to repair or replace.
- If a return is required, the vehicle goes back "within the stated deadline established by the facilitating location."
The guarantee is non-transferable and void if the vehicle is resold during the guarantee period. If you flip fast, check that the guarantee window and your resale plan do not collide. Manheim's wider dispute timelines are in Manheim arbitration deadlines.
What does a PSI cost?
The policy says only that "the buyer is responsible for the PSI fee regardless of vehicle pass or fail." It states no amount, and we will not guess one. Add the quoted fee to the unit cost on every car where you order one, then see whether it changes your max bid in the max bid calculator.
PSI or Digital Buyer Protection?
They are different programs. Manheim's Digital Buyer Protection is complimentary coverage on digital purchases with a completed inspection report, with its own claim minimums. The PSI is a paid inspection you add. Read both and note which one covers the defect you are worried about.
Make the exit price part of the PSI decision
An inspection fee is a fixed cost on a unit with a floating exit price. The free CarFlipIQ Chrome extension shows local resale, days to sell and a max bid after fees on Copart and IAAI lot pages. New accounts start with a 7-day free trial (card required, $0 today). Its manifest also lists manheim.com, so it loads on Manheim search and detail pages too. Manheim publishes no buyer fee table, so net your own rate-sheet fee out of any max bid by hand.