When shopping for a used car you’re not going to be lacking in options, if anything you’ll be spoiled for choice. What you need is a way to narrow down your search, and the best way to do that is to look for the red flags, things that once you catch them mean you can rule out buying that car. So, here’s what to know when buying a used car.
Vehicle History
One obvious red flag is something that doesn’t actually have to do with the car itself. All cars have on them a VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) which can be used to research the history of the vehicle, you’ll be able to tell when the car has been serviced, any accidents it’s been in and if it’s ever been reported stolen. If a buyer has been lying to you about the vehicle’s history or worse, refusing to give you the VIN number, that’s a red flag.
Exterior
Now onto the actual car itself. There are many things you should be on watch for when examining the car. We’ll start on the outside and work our way in.
Body Work: look for major rust damage or paint damage, possibly fixable depending on the state.
Glass: Look for chips & cracks
Suspension: Push down on the car and see how it does, does it spring back into position or does it bounce? Bouncing is bad.
Tires: Tires can be replaced but they can give you an idea of how the car has been treated, gauge the wear vs the mileage, and look for inconsistencies, if some tires are more worn than others it could be a sign of faulty suspension.
Interior
Smell: Does it smell bad in a fixable way or an unfixable way like moldy or smokey?
Seats: Check the seats for rips and stains. If it’s leather, look for cracks.
Electronics: Try the radio, air conditioning, and heated seats, and see if they still work.
Roof: Look at the interior roof for sagging or scrapes, especially look for any water stains.
Engine
Rubber Components: check the belts and hoses for any cracks or wear.
Radiator: Check the colour of the radiator fluid, and check for stains on the outside.
Fluids: Check the fluids, fluids can be replaced but they’ll give you an indication of how hard the car’s been pushed and if there are any leaks.
Battery: If the battery has a charge indicator you want green, not yellow or red.
Any or all of these could be a deal-breaker, knowing how to gauge damage and wear and tear is a skill that takes practice, if you don’t have that practice it’s recommended that you take someone who does with you to inspect the car, they’ll be able to catch the things you may miss.
Thanks for reading! We hope you understand a little more about what to know when buying a used car.
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