What to look for when buying a used car
Buying a used car is not as easy as it sounds. Before the inspection, it seems that you remember all the nuances, but when it comes time to inspect the next instance, we often forget about half of the things that we wanted to check, the second half was checked hastily, and the seller perfectly hides the flaws, and we fall for his hook. Result? A purchased car after a short time begins to “crumble”, a lot of parts fail, and happiness after the “update” replaces the time spent and nerves. Is there any way to avoid this? Yes, but it takes a lot of patience, sobriety of the mind and reason.
1. Carefully review the ad
A sales announcement should be as capacious and informative as possible.
Each seller, regardless of whether he is an individual selling his only car or a professional trader who submits more than a dozen ads a day, wants to quickly and profitably sell the car. It is clear that the announcement will indicate the advantages of the car, while defects will be placed at the very end or omitted altogether. For example, it’s better to write that the tires are new and have travelled only 1000 kilometres, and not describe the fact that they are the cheapest “Chinese” who need to be replaced after such a run.
The better the car is described in the ad, the more difficult it is to evaluate it later, because subconsciously we believe that it is so. Often sellers push that the paintwork is in very good condition, although in fact it will be very scratched, or even rust will appear in places. The description will indicate that the car looks beautiful. From far away. In the rain. After dark … And it doesn’t matter that after washing the machine there will appear dull spots previously covered with wax, and a few months after incompetent painting, there will be swellings. This is the concern of the new owner.
When an ad is interesting, it is worth calling and asking about things that interest you, such as mileage, technical condition, recent repair and replacement of parts or fluids, accident history, etc. Even if all the information is in the ad, you can understand it in a live conversation. whether the seller or answers questions directly, as is. It is very important to check everything and make sure that the seller confirms the content of the advertisement before the inspection, especially if you are waiting for a long trip.
2. The first thing to check the condition of the body
Body repair is the most expensive, so we check it with special attention
A very important tool during the inspection is a thickness gauge (LKP thickness gauge), but at first it should not be used because the seller may not like it. First, we check the paint and its condition, as well as the gaps and installation of the mounted components. It is necessary to look for increased gaps between the parts, non-factory shagreen leather, local corrosion and traces of poor-quality paint on the old one. Of course, if we consider a car over 10 years old, finding a copy with perfect paintwork is not practical, but the age of the car does not justify poor-quality “artisanal” repairs or serious damage after an accident.
No need to lie to yourself, a fifteen-year-old car used daily cannot look like new. Therefore, minor scratches and damage to bumpers, door edges, door sills or even slightly damaged varnish are normal. On the contrary, great doubts should cause the perfect condition and lustre of the body, which may impress at first, but, on the other hand, under such luster may be hidden recent repairs after an accident. If the seller mentioned this in the announcement and spoke about the reasons, you should not worry. But, if the seller responds evasively, this may be a bad sign. Not a bad practice when buying a car is a particularly picky for little things. There are people who just care about their car and, as a rule, this is visible. The owner must answer clearly any question.
3. Attention to the condition of the steering wheel and gear knob
Replacing a steering wheel is a fairly common occurrence before selling a car.
These are some of the elements that are a kind of indicator of vehicle mileage. It is with these elements that the driver has direct contact while driving, so they are subject to severe wear. When buying a car with a mileage of more than 200,000 kilometres, both elements will be clearly worn out – the steering wheel will be smooth, slippery, often cracked. Leather upholstery will show signs of wear. If both of these elements look extremely good, it is possible they were replaced by the previous owner, which, in turn, could mean a much higher mileage than the one promised by the seller.
If you want to buy a new car but don’t have enough cash, you can sell your used car at Cars Wanted Newcastle. We pay top cash for cars in Newcastle and will happily buy your car. Contact Us today and receive your cash.
