Auto Exam

What Auto Exam does

Auto Exam, Inc. is a Houston-based, privately-held company founded in 1992 that operates as a full-service marketing and product distribution firm for the credit union industry. The company's original business was pre-purchase vehicle inspections performed by ASE-certified technicians at its Houston facility and via mobile units, and it remains the largest and oldest pre-purchase inspection provider in the Houston market. Over time, Auto Exam expanded into a broad portfolio of automotive and loan protection products, including vehicle service contracts (administered through its related entity Vision Warranty Corporation), GAP protection, collateral protection insurance, credit insurance and debt protection, GPS tracking, vehicle history reports, and specialized service contracts for powersport vehicles and RVs.

The company's technology stack is centered on web-based quoting and administration platforms, including the VWC Quote System and VisualGAP Platform, which enable credit union partners to self-serve vehicle service contract and GAP quotes. Auto Exam integrates with CARFAX and J.D. Power for vehicle history and appraisal data, and provides GPS tracking hardware with smartphone applications and lender-facing monitoring capabilities. Partnerships with over 400 credit unions nationwide form the core distribution channel, supported by a full-service call center, online and onsite training programs for credit union staff, and lending system interfaces.

Revenue mechanics are primarily recurring in nature — commissions, premium shares, or product resale margins on vehicle service contracts, GAP, credit insurance, and CPI products distributed through credit union partners — supplemented by transactional revenue from direct-to-consumer pre-purchase inspections and GPS hardware sales. Auto Exam is led by CEO Shane Vaughn, employs 11–50 people, and operates from a single headquarters location at 17555 El Camino Real, Houston, TX. The company has no disclosed external funding and no public listing.

Name

Auto Exam

Legal name

Auto Exam, Inc.

Website

https://autoexam.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Auto Exam is a Houston-based, privately-held firm founded in 1992 that distributes automotive and loan protection products — pre-purchase inspections, vehicle service contracts, GAP, and credit insurance — to over 400 credit unions nationwide through a full-service call center and web-based quoting platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vehicle Protection Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Auto & Vehicle Loan Brokerage (FSAEAEAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Auto Loan Servicing & Collections (FSAKADAK)

Keywords

• Vehicle inspections
• Vehicle service contracts
• Auto loan protection
• Credit union products
• GAP insurance

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Vehicle Service Contracts: Extended vehicle service contracts (vehicle protection plans) sold to consumers through credit union partners. Contracts cover various levels from powertrain to exclusionary coverage.
2. Pre-Purchase Vehicle Inspections: One-time bumper-to-bumper inspection services performed by ASE certified technicians at Houston location or mobile units. Provides written reports and vehicle appraisals.
3. GAP Protection: Guaranteed Asset Protection insurance covering the difference between actual cash value and insurance payout in total loss events. Sold through credit unions.
4. Collateral Protection Insurance: Insurance products for lenders protecting against uninsured collateral damage on repossessed vehicles.
5. Credit Insurance and Debt Protection: Credit insurance and debt protection products for financial institutions, covering loan balances in case of death, disability, or job loss.
6. GPS Tracking Services: GPS tracking devices and monitoring services for consumers and lenders, including anti-theft protection coverage up to $5,000.
7. Vehicle History Reports: Vehicle history reports offered to credit unions and their members, including branded titles, maintenance history, collision reports.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Auto Exam is a full-service marketing company that sells automotive protection and loan protection products — primarily pre-purchase vehicle inspections and vehicle service contracts — to over 400 credit unions nationwide. Its portfolio is rounded out by GAP protection, collateral protection, credit insurance, GPS tracking, and vehicle history products, all delivered through credit union channel partners and supported by web-based quoting platforms and a full-service call center.

Product overview

Auto Exam, Inc. is a full-service marketing company providing automotive products and loan protection products to credit unions nationwide since 1992. The portfolio centers on Pre-Purchase Vehicle Inspections (core offering since founding) and Vehicle Service Contracts administered through the Vision Warranty Corporation program. These core products are complemented by a suite of add-on protection products including GAP Protection, Total Restart, LOC Protection, Blanket VSI, Tracked Collateral Protection Insurance, Credit Insurance, Debt Protection, Auto Deductible Reimbursement, GPS Tracking, Vehicle History Reports, and Pre-Approval Check. Specialized service contracts cover Powersport vehicles and RVs. Technology platforms including Quick Quote System (VWCQuote) and VisualGAP Platform enable credit union partners to access these products. The company serves over 400 credit unions nationwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pre-Purchase Vehicle Inspections Bumper-to-bumper vehicle inspections performed by ASE-certified technicians, producing written unbiased reports on vehicle condition before purchase. Available as in-shop or mobile services in the Houston area; offered directly to consumers and to credit union members.
• Vehicle Service Contracts (Vision Warranty Program) Extended vehicle service contracts providing repair coverage for autos, RVs, and powersports. Administered by Vision Warranty Corporation with multiple coverage levels including Exclusionary, Listed Component, Powertrain, and Powertrain Basic. Sold through credit union channel partners to their members.
• GAP Protection

Quantifiable outcome

• Inspection Money-Back Guarantee within 7 calendar days ensures quality inspection service
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Credit UnionscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 1992Auto Exam partners with credit unions nationwide to offer automotive protection products and loan protection products to credit union members. Since 1992, Auto Exam has built relationships with over 400 credit unions, providing vehicle service contracts, GAP coverage, pre-purchase inspections, collateral protection, and credit insurance products through these channel partners.
• Vision Warranty CorporationcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 1992Vision Warranty Corporation administers vehicle service contracts, RV service contracts, and powersport service contracts for Auto Exam. The Vision Warranty program offers favorable terms including per-visit deductibles, sales tax coverage on repairs, and coverage for fluids, seals, gaskets, and EV/hybrid components.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Endurance Warranty: Direct-to-consumer vehicle service contract provider with comparable exclusionary and powertrain coverage tiers. Competes head-to-head in the same VSC category that Auto Exam distributes through credit unions.
• CARCHEX: Extended vehicle service contract provider selling directly to consumers and through financial institution partners. Closely comparable VSC product, similar coverage tiers, and overlapping finance-channel distribution.
• Carfax: Provides vehicle history reports that Auto Exam resells alongside its inspections. Same buyer (used-vehicle shoppers and lenders), same workflow (pre-purchase due diligence), and Auto Exam explicitly integrates CARFAX as a priced add-on.

Broad incumbents

• CUNA Mutual Group: Insurance and protection provider purpose-built for the credit union industry. Competes with Auto Exam across debt protection, GAP, CPI, and lender-side insurance products through a much larger institutional footprint.
• Pomco (group of dealers/agents): Specialty insurance and risk solutions provider with credit union and lender-facing products including collateral protection and credit insurance — directly overlapping Auto Exam's CPI and credit insurance portfolio.
• Assurant: Large incumbent in vehicle service contracts, GAP, and credit insurance distributed through banks and credit unions. Offers overlapping products to Auto Exam but as part of a much broader financial services portfolio.

Emerging players

• YourMechanic: Mobile mechanic and pre-purchase inspection platform. Adjacent competitor to Auto Exam's inspection offering and a potential partner or threat as consumer auto-services shift to on-demand mobile models.
• Lemon Squad: Mobile pre-purchase vehicle inspection service. Closest direct competitor to Auto Exam's inspection business, particularly relevant if Auto Exam attempts to expand its inspection geography beyond Houston.

Others

• Mechanical Breakdown Protection (MBP) providers via CUSOs: Credit union service organizations and shared CUSOs that aggregate lender demand for VSCs and CPI products at scale. They compete for the same credit union procurement budgets Auto Exam relies on.
• JD Power: Provides the vehicle appraisal report Auto Exam bundles with its inspections. Serves the same pre-purchase due diligence workflow and could be both a partner (as today) and a channel-disintermediation risk.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/autoexam
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/auto-exam-inc-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Auto Exam