Used Car Checklist: What To Look For

When it comes to buying a used car, there are a lot of things to take into consideration. A checklist of things can help make sure that you don’t miss something out – and pay for that mistake later.

It’s much easier to buy used cars now. The vehicles manufactured are more reliable, there are more records kept and for much longer and that gives you a lot of indicators about the cars life before you came along.

People also tend to take better care of their cars because they simply cost so much it’s not wise to let them fall into a state of disrepair.

There are two key things to keep in mind when it comes to buying used cars. Go into it with the intention that you can walk away at any point. You aren’t tied to this car in any way, and sometimes your intuition pays off. Secondly, think with your money, not with your heart. There may be an occasion that you arrive to see a car and a fragile older lady answers the door. You know the car is shoddy, but you feel like you have to buy it.

You’re not on the market for a classic or a rare car. So you will be able to find exactly what you’re looking for when you give yourself enough time to look. You can check online for the best place to buy used cars.

Photo by Oli Woodman on Unsplash

Here are some tips to help you along in your used car buying journey:

Engine

If you buy a great looking car with a borked engine, you may as well have thrown your money away. The engine is a serious machine, it is prone to a lot of wear and tear as it is essentially the heart of the car. Check for leaks. You’ll do this by taking a look underneath the car. Most of the time a car that’s not being used will be standing for a while – giving you a telltale oil patch.

Check the oil. Just make sure the dipstick is there and that the levels are easy to check.

Gearbox and Clutch

For this, you’re going to need to take the car for a spin. If you’ve been driving for a while, you will have a feel for what is right.

For automatic, you’re looking for the kickdown. It’s when the gearbox changes down gears when you put your foot down a little more. You’ll hear it and feel it in most cases.

Manual will take a little more. Look for the bite point on the clutch. As well as giving the car a good test run for all of the gears. They should all engage quietly and without resistance or grinding.

Documentation

Make sure that you can get as many records as possible on the cars life until now. Maintenance, trips the garage, mileage and yearly checks like MOT.

Body

Looks for any rust points, at discoloration in the bodywork. Any dents and scratches may indicate an accident.