The motor surveyor's guide — parts, AI damage & a clean assessment.
Everything a motor insurance surveyor assesses on a claim, in one place — the labelled anatomy of every vehicle class you survey, where the chassis and engine numbers hide, how AI marks the damaged parts and drops them into the estimate, how OEM labour rates are looked up, and how the spot and final reports come together. Written for licensed surveyors and loss assessors in India. Part labels and figures are illustrative.
In short
- A motor survey is only as good as its photo set and part names — know the anatomy of each class, shoot it in order, name every damaged part in the report.
- Fix the vehicle's identity first: registration, and the chassis (VIN) and engine numbers photographed at source, plus the odometer.
- AI damage detection marks dented / scratched / cracked / broken parts and drops them into the estimate — a suggestion you verify; amounts stay blank until you confirm.
- OEM labour rates are looked up by city, garage and class and drop into the editable sheet — you still decide repair vs replace, depreciation and the final amount.
- Capture on the phone or a self-survey link → the spot and final reports build themselves, exported as a clean PDF with a GPS- and time-stamped video evidence link.
From the vehicle to a signed report — how the software carries it
Every claim runs the same path, which is what keeps the output consistent across classes and across surveyors:
- Capture on site
Photograph and video the vehicle on your phone, or send the insured a secure self-survey link so they capture it for you. Every live image is stamped with GPS and time the moment it is taken.
- AI marks the damage & names the parts
The AI recognises the vehicle and flags damaged panels and assemblies — dented, scratched, cracked, broken — labelling each correctly instead of leaving a folder of IMG_1234.
- Rates & the estimate fill in
Detected parts drop into the parts table; the OEM labour-rate schedule is looked up by city, garage and class and the scheduled figure drops into the sheet for you to confirm.
- Spot → final report
The spot report assembles in an IRDAI-style format; the same file becomes the final report with part-wise depreciation, excess, GST, total-loss / CTL working and a salvage listing — exported as a clean PDF with a video evidence QR.
What you can do with DigiSurvey on a motor claim
AI damage scan
Marks dented, scratched, cracked or broken parts on the vehicle, in seconds — you check and approve every line.
Parts auto-listed
Detected parts drop into the estimate's parts table, named correctly — add, remove or correct any line.
OEM rate lookup & compare
Labour & painting rates picked from the OEM schedule by city, garage and class — compare and drop into the sheet.
Document OCR
Scan RC, DL, policy and estimate — fields read straight into the report, with an on-device fallback reader.
GPS & time stamp
Every live photo and the walk-around video carry GPS, address and time — a defensible evidence trail.
Spot & final reports
Spot, preliminary, final, re-inspection, total-loss and fee bill — all from the same survey, exported as clean PDFs.
Writing a motor spot report that holds up
The spot (preliminary) report is the first record made at the vehicle, before anything is moved or dismantled — and the document most often tested later. Work to a fixed order:
1 · Identify the vehicle
Make, model, variant and year. Photograph the registration number, the chassis (VIN) number, the engine number and the odometer at source (see the ID guide below).
2 · Fix the event
What happened, when and exactly where — the GPS of the loss and your inspection. State the proximate cause and separate it from contributing factors.
3 · Walk around before touching
Wide shots of the whole vehicle and scene, then mid-range, then close-ups of each damage — so position and context are never in doubt.
4 · Document each damaged part
A dedicated, part-named photo of every damaged panel/assembly, noting whether it is fresh impact consistent with the loss or pre-existing.
5 · Link to the policy
Confirm OD / TP cover, add-ons (zero-dep, engine protect, RTI), the IDV, NCB and the compulsory/voluntary excess that applies.
6 · Preliminary estimate & reserve
A first loss estimate with its basis, and a clear flag if repair approaches ~75% of IDV (possible total loss / CTL) so the insurer reserves correctly.
Do
- Photograph the chassis & engine numbers and odometer — identity is half the claim.
- Keep an unbroken, time-ordered photo sequence.
- Name every damaged part; let the AI pre-list, then verify.
- State repair-vs-replace and the rate basis for each line.
- Flag fresh vs old damage explicitly.
Don't
- Don't let the vehicle be moved or washed before wide shots.
- Don't caption photos IMG_1234 — name the panel.
- Don't accept an AI line without checking it.
- Don't mix accidental damage with wear without saying which.
- Don't edit or crop original evidence images.
Vehicle identification marks — where the numbers are
Fixing identity is the first job on any survey, and it is where disputes start when it is done loosely. The chassis (VIN) and engine numbers, and the manufacturer/compliance plate, sit in different places on each class — photograph each at source, legible, before you assess damage.
The vehicles — labelled parts & what to survey
Each diagram labels the main parts of the vehicle. Under it: the parts you inspect, and the loss scenarios and identity points to focus the spot report on.
01 Car (sedan / hatchback / SUV)
Parts to inspect
- Exterior panels: bonnet, bumpers, fenders, doors, A/B/C pillars, boot, roof
- Lamps & glass: head/tail lamps, windshield, ORVMs, quarter glass
- Engine bay: radiator, AC condenser, battery, coolant/washer reservoirs
- Underbody: suspension (strut, control arm), drive shaft, exhaust, fuel tank
- Mechanical: airbags deployed?, steering, brakes, gearbox
Spot-report focus
- Front/rear/side impact extent; inner panel & apron damage behind the bumper
- Airbag deployment & seatbelt pretensioners (safety restraint claim)
- Water-ingress / hydrostatic lock (flood) — don't re-crank; note air-filter & oil
- Burnt / theft / total-loss; fresh vs pre-existing dents
- Record reg., chassis & engine no., odometer, variant & add-ons
Body type changes the part list and the labour — quick reference:
02 Two-wheeler (motorcycle / scooter)
Parts to inspect
- Body: headlamp, fuel tank / apron, side panels, mudguards, seat, tail lamp
- Frame & forks: main frame, front fork, rear shock, swingarm
- Engine / CVT: crankcase, clutch, variator & belt (scooter)
- Brakes: disc/caliper or drum; wheels & tyres
Spot-report focus
- Frame bend (write-off indicator), fork & triple-clamp alignment
- Engine seizure / crack after fall or flood; plastic vs structural damage
- Theft total-loss; burnt; fresh-fall vs old scuffs
- Frame number near the steering head, engine number on the crankcase
03 Commercial Truck
Parts to inspect
- Cab: panel, grille, windshield, doors, ORVMs; cargo/load body & tail gate
- Chassis frame, cross members, fuel tank, mudguards, side guard
- Driveline: clutch, gearbox, propeller shaft, differential, axle housing
- Air-brake: compressor, dryer, air tank, brake chambers; BS6 SCR/DPF/AdBlue
Spot-report focus
- Chassis frame bend/crack (structural, high-value), cab vs load-body split
- Overturning, jack-knifing; overloading & axle-related conditions
- Fire (electrical/fuel); SCR/DPF/AdBlue electronics after water
- Chassis no. on right-side frame, engine no. on block, axle & gearbox nos.
04 Bus
Parts to inspect
- Body: front/side/rear panels, windshield, side glasses, luggage bays
- Interior: seats, roof, HVAC (AC compressor, condenser, blowers)
- Rear engine bay: engine, turbo, radiator, intercooler, alternator
- Air-brake & air suspension (air bags), chassis/frame, axles
Spot-report focus
- Body-build vs chassis damage (coach-built bodies vary widely)
- Rollover, fire (common on buses), flood to rear engine electronics
- HVAC & electrical extent; passenger-area vs structural damage
- Chassis no. on right-side frame front, engine no. on block
05 Three-Wheeler (auto-rickshaw)
Parts to inspect
- Body: front nose/apron, windshield, canopy, side panels, seats
- Engine (petrol/CNG); CNG kit — cylinder, regulator, gas filter, injector rail
- Driveline: clutch, gearbox, differential, half shaft; chassis frame
- Drum brakes, handlebar steering, suspension
Spot-report focus
- CNG cylinder & kit integrity (safety), overturning, body split from chassis
- Fire (CNG/electrical), flood; fresh vs old on a hard-worked vehicle
- Chassis no. on right-side frame under seat, engine no. on block
06 Tractor
Parts to inspect
- Body: bonnet, grille, fenders, ROPS/canopy, seat, front weights
- Engine, fuel (injection pump, filters, lift pump), cooling (radiator, fan)
- Transmission/gearbox, clutch, PTO shaft & housing
- Hydraulic three-point linkage (top/lower links, lift arms, control valve)
Spot-report focus
- Overturning (common), front-axle & steering damage, hydraulic/PTO failure
- Fire, flood/submersion to engine & transmission; implement vs tractor
- Note commercial vs agricultural use; chassis no. on right-side frame, engine no. on block
07 Ambulance
Parts to inspect
- Base vehicle: body panels, emergency light bar/beacons, siren, glass
- Patient compartment: stretcher & mount, cabinets, O₂ outlet, ceiling lights
- Patient-care equipment (if insured): oxygen cylinder, suction, defibrillator, monitor, ventilator, infusion pump
- Engine, chassis/suspension, braking, fuel, electrical
Spot-report focus
- Is the medical equipment covered on this policy, or only the vehicle? List & value separately
- Body-conversion damage vs base-vehicle damage; accident, fire, flood
- Record serial/rating plates of major equipment if claimed
Policy & claims — getting admissibility right
Before you cost a panel, match the loss to the cover and the conditions:
OD vs TP
Own-Damage covers the insured vehicle; Third-Party covers liability to others. A surveyor assesses the OD side; note which applies.
Add-ons
Zero-depreciation (nil-dep), engine protect, return-to-invoice, consumables, roadside — each changes what is payable. Confirm from the policy.
Depreciation & excess
Part-wise depreciation by age/material, compulsory & voluntary excess, and row-wise GST — DigiSurvey computes these to the slab for you to verify.
Total loss / CTL
Repair ≈ 75% of IDV → constructive total loss, settled on IDV − excess − salvage. State the benchmark you used.
Separate accidental damage from wear and from consequential loss (e.g. re-cranking a flooded engine turns an accidental loss into a consequential one). Work independently and factually, in line with IRDAI surveyor-and-loss-assessor practice, and let the GPS- and time-stamped photos and the walk-around video carry the audit trail.
Frequently asked questions
What should a motor spot survey report record?
How does AI damage & parts detection help?
Where are the chassis and engine numbers?
Can the spot and final reports be generated from this software?
Scan the damage, look up the rate, and let the report write itself.
DigiSurvey marks the damaged parts, drops them and the OEM rates into the estimate, and carries it through to a clean spot and final report — with part-wise depreciation, total-loss maths and a GPS- and time-stamped video evidence link on every file.