Buying a Used Car - Do's & Checks - Part 2

Now that you know the car that you are looking for and the approximate price you should pay, it’s time to look for your future car.

In the earlier days, I would go and meet the mechanics in my neighbourhood and tell them what I was looking for and they would put the word out and try and find something for me. Today, all I need to do is go and look up on a used car website and there are usually quite a few listings of the car that you are looking for.

The next thing you do is short-list the cars that you like based on colour, usage, price etc. and get in touch with the sellers. You can send them a message through the website or call them based on how they have chosen to be contacted.

Now remember – a thorough inspection of the car is a must. Don’t simply go on looks.

The best way to go about it is to ask your local mechanic to come along and help you inspect the car.

The most basic things to check on the outside are repainted surfaces and uneven gaps in the body panels. This almost certainly means the car has had an accident as the repair garages in most cases aren't able to align the body parts exactly like how it was when it was originally fitted. The gaps on the sides of the hood or trunk are the most telltale. If the gaps on both sides are not the same. You need to be careful.

Most city cars have their bumpers repainted due to scratches from bikes, other vehicles etc so that is acceptable, a car with original paint and a few scratches is still the best option because you know this is exactly the condition of the car and not a “done up for sale car”

JaanCar

Now pop the hood and the trunk. Check the crash beams behind the bumpers. These should not be bent or dented. This would mean the car has been involved in an accident and has been repaired. Check the seals on the insides of the bonnet and trunk edge. If the seals are original, it means that the car has not had any repairs done to the bodywork, another good sign.

One of the first things is do is check the tyres and then the odometer. The tyre wear should match the mileage. For example a car which is showing 30k kms should not have new tyres because you usually change the tyres at 50k kms conversely a car which shows 30k kms shouldn’t have completely worn tyres. This is another sign of odometer tampering, which is a very common problem in used cars and another deterrent to the uninitiated. 

More checks coming soon - Part 2 of 3