Buying a car requires a responsible approach. You should be especially careful when buying a used car. A car sold in the secondary market is fraught with many “pitfalls” that may not be immediately recognized. Whatever they say in the ad, in reality, you can stumble upon “drowned”, beaten, with hidden flaws or with a criminal past.
Still, you should not discard offers to sell cars on the secondary market just because the risk of a bad purchase here is much higher than when buying a new car. Some of them can be weeded out already when viewing ads. In this article, we will explain in detail how to choose a second-hand car.
Where to look for a used car?
There are several options for buying a used car:
- from friends;
- in the car market;
- through the Internet;
- at the dealer.
In the first case, there is practically no choice, since only the proposed option has to be considered. Although the method itself is perhaps the safest.
Considering the other three options, we can assume that it would be more preferable to purchase a car on the market: a large selection of cars, a competitive environment (the ability to bargain), etc. But the situation changes if you put yourself in the shoes of the seller.
Imagine that you just need to sell your car and you do not plan to build a whole business on it. What is then the point of inflating the cost, wasting precious time waiting for your luck in the market and paying for everything else for a place in the market. The easiest way would be to advertise on one of the specialized Internet sites or even in a newspaper. A good car will sell quickly this way. A trip to the car market, of course, does not hurt, but only in order to identify the adequate cost of the car. In addition, there you can practice identifying broken cars.
Important things to look out for
Perhaps the main answer to the question of how to choose a good phrase: “Take your time!” Even if the selection process is delayed, you should be patient. Let you travel on public transport for a while, because rush rarely leads to a positive result. Otherwise, you can buy a completely different car that you wanted, or even “run into” a problem car.
When your desire to buy a 2nd hand car has grown into a final decision and is supported by the required amount, it’s time to think about the main purpose of the upcoming purchase. This will help you understand more clearly: how to choose a used car from all existing offers, minimizing all possible risks.
In this case, it is worth listening to the opinion of professionals: do not forget that you will bear all the costs of repair and maintenance of the car yourself, since there can be no question of any warranty obligations from the manufacturer. Indeed, in most cases, used cars have already been removed from the warranty. It is also worth remembering about the price of spare parts: the difference in their cost for domestic and imported cars will be significant.
How to choose the right used car from a private owner or dealer
Whichever method of buying a 2nd hand car you choose, it is better to invite a familiar auto mechanic to inspect the car.
The experience of a specialist is useful for detecting hidden defects in a car. The main thing is that he is a truly professional. It makes no sense to just take a friend with you (for the sake of appearance).
If you buy a car in a showroom or through an authorized dealer, then you will not need diagnostics (most likely it will not be allowed to be carried out), since such a procedure is carried out during the pre-sale preparation of the car. You will only need to view the report on the results of technical diagnostics.
What to ask over the phone and what to check when choosing a used car
- How long is the rego
- Logbook and service history
- How many keys it has
- Has the car been repainted?
- Are there traces of rust or corrosion? (It is worth asking about the condition of the thresholds, by which one can judge the general condition of the car)
- Are there systems that don’t work or don’t work as expected? (Air conditioning, heating, brakes, etc.)
- How long have you been the owner of this vehicle? (If the term is short, then this is a reason to think about the reason for the sale)
When buying a new car, the first step taken is selling your old car. If you have a car that doesn’t have much demand in a private sale due to its condition or age, you can still sell it at Cars Wanted Newcastle. Here we will pay you top cash for cars and also offer you free car removal.