Buying a Used Car? What to Check Before You Pay
A used car is the second biggest purchase most people make, and it is usually made in an hour on someone's driveway or a dealer's forecourt. A few checks before you hand over the money will protect you from the most common problems. And if you are spending serious money, an independent inspection is the best insurance you can buy.
Before you go
- Check the MOT history online. The government website shows every MOT the car has had, with the mileage at each test, every failure and every advisory. It is free and it tells you more than the seller will. Look for mileage that goes backwards, repeated advisories that were never fixed, and failures for corrosion.
- Get a history check. A paid history check will tell you whether the car has outstanding finance, has been written off, or has been reported stolen. If it has outstanding finance, it is not the seller's to sell.
- Check the recall status. The same government site shows whether there are safety recalls outstanding on that car.
The paperwork
The V5C logbook should be present, should show the seller's name and address, and the VIN on it should match the plate on the car. Ask for the service history, and read it: stamps or digital records with dates and mileages, and invoices for major work like a cambelt or a clutch. A car with "full service history" that turns out to be two stamps and a receipt for a bulb is not what was advertised.
On the car
- Look at the tyres. Four different budget brands with uneven wear tell you about the previous owner. Check the spare or the sealant kit.
- Look under the bonnet with the engine cold. Check the oil on the dipstick and under the filler cap: a creamy residue can mean a head gasket problem. Check the coolant colour and level.
- Look at the panel gaps and the paint. Uneven gaps, overspray on rubber trims and paint that does not quite match suggest accident repair.
- Start it from cold and listen. Rattles on start-up, smoke from the exhaust and warning lights that stay on are all reasons to walk away or negotiate hard.
- Test everything electrical: windows, air con, heated seats, the infotainment.
The test drive
Drive it for at least twenty minutes, on a mix of roads, and with the radio off. Feel for pulling to one side under braking, vibration at speed, a clutch that bites at the top of its travel, a gearbox that is reluctant into any gear, and any knocks over bumps. Check the handbrake on a hill.
Get it inspected
If the car passes your own checks and you are serious about it, ask the seller if you can have it inspected before you buy. Most genuine sellers will agree. We can put the car on a ramp and carry out a full Vehicle Health Check: the underside, the brakes, the suspension, the tyres, the fluids, a diagnostic scan for stored fault codes, and a road test. You get a report with photos and a clear list of what it needs now and what it will need soon. That either gives you the confidence to buy, a list of things to negotiate on, or a reason to walk away from a car that would have cost you thousands.
To book an inspection, call the branch nearest the car and we will find a time that works for you and the seller.
Book online at bestgarages.co.uk or call your nearest branch: Newport on 01983 533360, Lymington on 01590 674776, or Fordingbridge on 01425 561504.