Like other predictive techniques, visual inspection allows identifying specific failures related to an inspection point. Generally, these failures are of direct evidence, however, it is also possible that it requires an analysis of the inspector correlating the reading of a parameter with some abnormal condition found.

Direct diagnosis and instant failure analysis is what differentiates visual inspection from other predictive techniques that require further analysis and processing of data or information. This is also the reason why visual inspection reports are made at the same time at the inspection site.

Visual inspection for predictive maintenance can diagnose the following faults: