You can easily check some basic things when looking over a used car as a potential buy.

What you find may persuade you to look elsewhere, but if not you may be able to use any faults you find with the car to bargain the asking price down. Either way you can be guided to choose with a little more confidence.

Checking Inside The Car

Look at the general condition of the interior. Does this fit with the mileage of the car? Wear on the driver's seat, a shiny steering wheel, worn carpets and pedals all indicate a high mileage vehicle. Check for damp carpets.

Check that all of the lights/indicators work.

Does the air conditioning (AC) work? Do the electric windows work? If the car has an immobilizer/alarm or a gps - vehicle tracking system check that it works. What is the car key code? Unknown key codes can be difficult/expensive to obtain. If the car has central locking do all of the doors and boot lock and unlock OK?

If the car has a stereo does it work? Is the re-set code to hand?

Check to see that the car has a spare tyre and all of the necessary tyre changing equipment.

Check The Vehicle Paperwork

Check to see how long the previous owner kept the car. If they only kept the car for a few months then better to be safe than sorry - now is the time to walk away.

Take some time to check over the car's service history and any receipts for upkeep. Be cautious of any large gaps in service history.

Check that recorded mileages on MOT certificates tally with the car's service book.

Check over all paperwork to ensure that reference numbers (VIN - Vehicle Identification Number, Registration Engine Number) match those on the car itself.

Checking Outside The Car

It is important to view a vehicle under natural lighting conditions, as it may be difficult to assess the true condition of the bodywork under fluorescent lighting. Also try to avoid viewing on a rainy day as wet body panels may hide surface scratches.

First of all take a few steps back from the car and look at the general condition of the bodywork. Does the car look like it has been well treated? Are there numerous surface marks along the length of the body? Check that all of the gaps between the panels are aligned. Check the sills, door edges and undersides for signs of rust or repair. A small pocket mirror may prove helpful for this type of inspection.

Check the windscreen for cracks (how much will it cost to replace a cracked windscreen?). If a registration number is engraved on the glass does this match the vehicle registration?

Check the condition of the tyres. Uneven tread wear could indicate suspension or steering problems. Are the tyres above the minimum required tread depth of 1.6mm (in UK)? If the tyres are close to the legal limit then how much will it cost to replace them? Mismatched tyres could indicate a car that has been maintained on the cheap.

Alloy Wheels (ALL's). Kerbed wheels indicate that a car has not been well looked after. Don't be fobbed off with a suggested refurbishment job. If the damage is non-repairable then you will have to replace both the affected wheels and the tyres (tyres must be replaced when a wheel is replaced due to the decompression and rim seating). This is not a cheap fix. Additionally kerbed wheels could indicate steering and or tracking problems. Do the tyres look new but the wheels badly damaged?

Check the nuts/bolts on the bodywork to see if the original paint remains or if it has been scraped or chipped off when a panel has been removed for repair.

Check that the number plates carry the name of the original supplying dealer. If they don't, then why have the plates been replaced?

Further Points To Consider

What will the annual car insurance premium be? What sort of car fuel efficiency would you expect to get out of the car? Has the value of the used car been adjusted for Mileage?

Does the condition of the engine match the age of the car and that of the service history? If the Engine Bay looks pristine but has an incomplete service history then the engine may have just been steam cleaned. This may have been done to hide a nasty oil leak.

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