TOP TIPS FOR BUYING A USED CAR: 

Afraid of being sold a dud car?  Read our Informed tips when you are buying a used car...

Vehicle History

Pay for a vehicle history check. Its useful to know how many owners the car's had, whether there's outstanding finance, if it could have been in an accident etc. There are a number of companies offering used car checks  for between £20 and £50.  They'll send an engineer to check the mechanics and condition of the car - very reassuring if you've no knowledge of cars yourself.

The AA offer car checks and used vehicle inspections,click here to visit their website

The RAC also offer car checks and vehicle inspections, click here to visit their website

HPI offer car checks for £19.99, click here to visit their website

Compare the data from your research and the V5C (the vehicle's logbook) to the car itself. Does the information match? If not the car could be stolen. Chat to the seller about their time with the car, why're they're selling it etc.  Does everything tie up?

Examine the service history.   Note locations of the garages where work's been done. Does this line up with the rest of the car's history?  

Condition of the Car

A poorly maintained vehicle could cause serious problems. If buying privately, cars are usually ‘sold as seen’, so it is particularly important to check everything carefully.

The Tyre Condition. Examine tread depth - the legal minimum is 2mm.  If a tyre has uneven wear, it could be a sign of poor wheel alignment. Look for sidewall damage.

The steering wheel should rotate smoothly from lock to lock without unusual noise or vibration.

The gears should engage easily and smoothly, without  grinding when the clutch is fully depressed. A weak or extremely stiff clutch pedal could be a sign of worn components.

The engine should idle smoothly and rev evenly. Check the oil dipstick and the inside of the oil filler cap. If you see  brown sludge the engine could be damaged and need expensive repairs.

Check the exhaust doesn’t produce lots of blue smoke when you rev the engine – this shows sign of excessive internal engine wear.

Examine the body work and underside of the car for rust. Look at the exhaust system - does it look like it might need replacing soon?

Be suspicious of a very clean engine bay, has it been cleaned to hide something?

Look for signs of flaking paint and rust around the panel joints at the front of the car. This may indicate repairs after crash damage.

Does the wear on the interior of the car match the mileage on the odometer? A low-mileage car with very worn seats and pedals could have been clocked.

Open and close the doors to check they work correctly, and examine the rubber seals for signs of paint, another indication of crash-damage repairs.

Inspect the sides of the car - do all the panels and bodywork line up smoothly?  Be suspicious of wavy panels or cars with uneven gaps between panels.

When on a test drive, the brakes should feel responsive and provide adequate stopping power when travelling at speed.

Finally, make sure all items work correctly, including electrical components. This should include windows, sunroofs, seats etc.

Have Your Say

If YOU'VE had any interesting experiences when buying a used car, why not share them?  Click here to visit our forums or why not post a quick comment below.....