7 tips Before you Buy a used car!!

ikkie

Hi Guys All,

I am sure many of you already aware of this. But still some time we do struggle to find some useful tips and helping links specially when we are buying used cars.
1. Read reviews about the car you're thinking of buying next.
2. Have a Test Drive with one of your local dealer, so you get the drive experience.
3. Once you're happy with car and sure about the make and model do some research about the pricing of those model. I suggest you visit Auto Trader.
4. Do you car valuation of the car you're going to buy.
5. Do HPI check
6. Ask seller to keep engine cold before you get the seller. In this way you would be able to note any chunky engine noise which can make trouble for you later on.
7. Before you buy have a least 15 minutes drive on the car.

Please add more if you have any by replying to post.

Horizon81

Join an internet forum for the make and preferably model of the car you're interested in. There's often buying guides and lists of common faults/things to check.

And keys! Modern keys can cost a fortune if you're down to the last one or the valet key. Check how many keys the car came with when new and the different types.

kripel

I think you forgot the 5 most important ones when buying from private:
-Make sure the owner has had it for at least 3+ years
-Make sure it has at least 9months MOT
-Not much problems in the previous year MOT's (you can check mot history on gov.website)
-Make sure the previous owner isn't some Homeless chav
-Make sure that tyres aren't mis-match and that they arent worn to nothing.

These are much much more important than your 7.

=rizla=

kripel wrote: »

I think you forgot the 5 most important ones when buying from private:
-Make sure the owner has had it for at least 3+ years
-Make sure it has at least 9months MOT
-Not much problems in the previous year MOT's (you can check mot history on gov.website)
-Make sure the previous owner isn't some Homeless chav
-Make sure that tyres aren't mis-match and that they arent worn to nothing.

These are much much more important than your 7.

Until recently I've had older cars for 20 years, often I've changed before 3 years for lots of reasons, children/bored of car/need a car to tow etc. So I wouldn't rule a car out on this, although I wouldn't want one that the PO has only had it for a few months.


Mismatched tyres, really?, I've got a '15 plate car with mismatched tyres. It came with no spare and I had an unrepairable puncture, the only tyre place near where I was didn't have the same tyres in stock, and I was on my way to a flight for work, what should I do replace a brand new tyre to keep them the same?

dannyrst

Completely disagree with mismatched tyres.

I used to have cars that I believed were worth putting the best of the best tyres on and have them all match. I now drive a SEAT Ibiza 1.6, which I do not really care about matching the tyres on. It doesn't mean I don't look after the car...I just buy the tyres that are on offer at the time that I need tyres.

caprikid1

"I just buy the tyres that are on offer at the time that I need tyres."


I think that sums it up, you look to save money on maintenance and repairs at every opportunity. Nothing wrong with that but as a buyer is a good indicator that you are price sensitive to maintenance and repairs.


Personally good branded identical tyres all round is a great indicator of the attitude of the owner.

Zandoni

dannyrst wrote: »

Completely disagree with mismatched tyres.

I used to have cars that I believed were worth putting the best of the best tyres on and have them all match. I now drive a SEAT Ibiza 1.6, which I do not really care about matching the tyres on. It doesn't mean I don't look after the car...I just buy the tyres that are on offer at the time that I need tyres.

Someone put on here recently that checking the wheels and tyres is a very important part of car buying. I hadn't give it much thought but I do think it's extremely important.

Although I'm sure you look after your car but I do feel buying matching good quality tyres is a sign that the owner doesn't skimp in the maintenance department.

dannyrst

Zandoni wrote: »

Someone put on here recently that checking the wheels and tyres is a very important part of car buying. I hadn't give it much thought but I do think it's extremely important.

Although I'm sure you look after your car but I do feel buying matching good quality tyres is a sign that the owner doesn't skimp in the maintenance department.

I think I read that.

I could go out tomorrow and buy 4 Dunlop tyres for £200 and on that basis, my car has been looked after.

Whereas I keep a catalog of all work done on my car, all parts I've bought and had fitted, the year it was done and the mileage.

I know which I'd pay more attention to if I were buying a car.

=rizla=

caprikid1 wrote: »

Personally good branded identical tyres all round is a great indicator of the attitude of the owner.

So in my situation you would have changed all 4 tyres, one had a nail in the 'shoulder', the other 3 had 500 miles on them?

Zandoni

dannyrst wrote: »

I think I read that.

I could go out tomorrow and buy 4 Dunlop tyres for £200 and on that basis, my car has been looked after.

Whereas I keep a catalog of all work done on my car, all parts I've bought and had fitted, the year it was done and the mileage.

I know which I'd pay more attention to if I were buying a car.

Of course tyres are not the only factor but they are important.

Zandoni

=rizla= wrote: »

So in my situation you would have changed all 4 tyres, one had a nail in the 'shoulder', the other 3 had 500 miles on them?

In your case I'd buy another new one of the same type.