Many of us would opt for used car for so many reason, the common one is financial affordability, model that has stopped its production and convinience. However, there are many cases that you spent more than it should worth. Worst case scenario, you get unexpectedly conned due to inexperience. Here are some simple tips for you to follow when you decided to hunt for a good car.
Make sure you get the seller's home phone number and meet them at their home address to inspect the car if you are buying from a private seller. This way, in any circumstances you get to meet the seller for any problems that may occur to the newly bought car. Please remember, a used car is not in its out-of-the-box condition. Menial problems like loose screw or rattling sound from the dashboard may be common. Problems like engine breakdown or rattling sound from the engine are the example to knock an occupant's door.
- Wheels should sit neatly within the arches and equally on both sides. Check out for uneven wear on the tyres - this could hint at improper alignment - and make sure they are not 'bald'. Refer to the examples of wear above. It can give you a general clue on how the tyres are misaligned.
- Check the cabin for unnatural wear - for instance, a car with 50,000km on the clock should not have an unduly worn cabin with saggy seats and loose controls. In the picture above you can see some dark marks on places most touched or brushed. The other parts you might want to look at are at the steering wheel, mat and door handle, look for signs of significant wear and tear. The conditions could tell you approximately how worn the car is.
- Inspect the bodywork for scuff marks and overspray - it's nearly impossible to buy a used car with showroom perfect body, so an unnaturally faultless car could mean a respray to cover up damage. What matters here is you need to indentify whether or not a car has ever been in an accident, because if it has, the car has less safety and less sturdy frame.
Get extensive guide on how to check the body of a used car
- Check under the bonnet - the engine oil should not be sludgy. An unclean engine need not be a sign of neglect, but look out for oil and fluid leaks, these usually require attention and fixing.
adapted from: Malaysian Motor Trader, issue 567, pg 7.
