What the inspection checks
APK is a safety and emissions inspection, not a full mechanical health check.
- Brakes: condition, balance, handbrake performance.
- Steering and suspension: play, leaks, damaged components.
- Tyres: tread depth, age, damage, matching sizes on an axle.
- Lighting and electrics: headlights, indicators, stop lights, reversing lights, reflectors.
- Bodywork: rust on structural parts, sharp edges, missing sections.
- Emissions and fluid leaks: CO or smoke test as applicable to the engine type, visible leaks.
- Vehicle identity: chassis number, type approval, documentation.
What the inspection does not check
An APK pass is the floor, not the ceiling.
- Clutch wear, gearbox condition, and most drivetrain issues.
- Air-conditioning performance.
- Battery health, starter condition, alternator output.
- Infotainment, driver-assistance calibrations, and most comfort features.
- Long-term maintenance items that are not safety-critical right now — cambelts, coolant condition, fuel-system cleanliness.
How to read a deficiency note
An APK report can list items under different headings. They are not the same.
- "Afkeur" (reject): the car failed. Work has to be done before it can pass. You cannot legally use the car on public roads without a valid APK.
- "Reparatieadvies" (repair advice): not a fail today, but work that should be done soon. Repeat advisories across years are a pattern worth reading.
- "Opmerking" (note): observation without fail. Useful context, not a blocker.
- A clean report with no notes at all is unusual on older cars. Absence of notes can mean a thorough service — or a quick inspection that missed things.
How to use the APK record as a buyer
The history tells a story the current sticker does not.
- A repeat advisory — the same item flagged on three consecutive inspections — usually means the owner chose not to fix it. Factor the future repair in.
- A suspiciously clean inspection the week before the sale, after years of notes, is worth asking about. Sometimes it is a seller doing the right thing. Sometimes it is paper-thin preparation.
- A long gap with no inspections often means the car was off the road. That is not a fail by itself, but the reason matters.
- The expiry date tells you the next deadline. If the current APK is close to expiring, negotiate accordingly — or ask the seller to have it re-inspected before the sale.