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How To Buy A New Used Car
- Used Car Buying Guide
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.
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.
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
auto fuel efficiency would you expect to get out of the car? Has the
value of the used car been
adjusted for Mileage?
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