What Do You Need When Buying A Used Car

Buying a used car: your consummate guide

Buying a used car from a dealer or privately isn't always easy. So here is our advice and tips on how to buy your dream 2d-manus motor

26 Nov 2021

Classifieds

When buying a used car - whether that's privately, past going through a dealer, or online - there is an amount of inherent take chances. Merely if yous do your research, learn what your rights are as a buyer, and know what to look for, y'all could salvage a substantial amount of coin and forestall any nasty surprises further down the line.

Follow this guide - while making employ of our used car checklist - and you lot can enjoy peace of mind and a corking deal your new pride and joy.

When shopping for a used car, most buyers tend to aim for the 'sweet spot', when a car is three years old. This is because most new cars are bought on finance deals or company armada leases which run for around 36 months, After this they are returned to the dealer or sold through auctions and ordinarily discover their style into the used machine market place.

At iii years quondam, a car should be effectually one-half the price it was new, depending on the model and the mileage, but should still accept plenty of life left in it. It'south a generalisation but data from warranty providers also suggests that machine reliability tends to tail-off later five years so that's a sensible point at which to move your used machine on and look for a replacement.

There are still plenty of expert cars which are 5+ years old, of class, just bear in mind that they may cost more than to run and demand more than repairs than younger models.

Used automobile buying communication: the basics

When buying a used car, at that place are unlike hurdles to clear compared to when you're buying new, but it is only as crucial to get these right. Here are some full general tips to consider when choosing and checking that second-hand motor...

one. Become your finances in gild first

Any car is a big investment, and then the first affair y'all volition need to practice is accurately work out your budget and stick to it. If necessary, find out the all-time way to finance your auto, whether information technology's a personal loan, vehicle finance or straightforward cash. Work out how much you tin put downwards in deposit, and then calculate the monthly payments that yous can afford. Do this, and you won't stop up looking baffled when the salesperson asks, "how much have you got to spend each month?". Our guide to automobile finance will aid.

two. Keep on height of used car market prices

If y'all're in the market place for a used car, then looking at diverse sites on the cyberspace is a great way to run into what is effectually and what yous tin can afford. You'll get a good guess on whether you're paying over the odds, and with and so much choice, you don't have to rush into buying a car if you don't think information technology'due south quite the right i for you. If y'all're looking at mainstream models, then at that place will always be plenty of examples on offering if the cost isn't right.

3. Check all paperwork thoroughly

There'southward no point attaching whatever value to the pile of papers that comes with a used motorcar if you lot're not prepared to bank check them out. If you are buying from a private individual rather than a dealer, commencement by making certain the listed keeper is selling the car from the address stated on the V5C logbook, then bank check the logbook registration and chassis numbers against those on the vehicle.

Later on that you tin kickoff looking for any discrepancies in the service tape, determine whether the cambelt needs renewal (this tin be an expensive job on some cars), and check sales receipts that show ownership and the end of any finance agreements. An HPI check will besides help to expose whatsoever outstanding finance or subconscious history.

iv. Inspect the machine carefully in daylight, and good atmospheric condition

Rain on paintwork can hibernate a multitude of sins, every bit volition streetlamps or torchlight, and so endeavour and wait at cars in skilful weather, and definitely inspect them in daylight. Take your time to look over every console, and all the trim surfaces inside. Older cars are bound to have the odd scuff, and then of more importance will be to make certain all the switchgear and accessories piece of work. Do the electric windows all open at the same speed, and does the air-conditioning blow cold?

v. Take a thorough examination drive

It's vital to ensure that the car drives and handles correctly, and performs as you would expect. Does the motorcar offset easily? Are in that location any unusual sounds from the engine or brakes? Does the steering pull to i side? Is there any telltale smoke coming from the exhaust? Remember to make sure yous have insurance in identify before setting off on a examination drive.

6. Is everything there?

Check under the boot floor to see if the spare wheel and/or repair kit are in place, the original jack and tools, plus locking alloy wheel nuts. Also bank check the glovebox for the vehicle handbook and ask the possessor if any spare keys are present. Some cars will need sat nav discs or SD cards too. If any of these are missing, information technology could cause pregnant grief - and they're all expensive to replace.

7. Finalising the deal

When you lot've agreed on a price and are going to purchase a car, make sure all terms are agreed in writing, with a receipt that both parties can sign and keep a re-create. It should show vehicle details, price, and terms of auction and both the seller'south and buyer's name and accost.

8. Paying for the auto

If you're buying through a reputable dealer there should be no concerns here, but it's worth repeating the obvious advice about paying for a motorcar in a private auction. Be careful about taking large sums of money to pay for a car. If possible, apply a money transfer. Never accept cash to a meeting identify that isn't the seller's dwelling accost.

Used car ownership pitfalls: things to watch out for

Nosotros've covered the basic tips on how to purchase a used car above, merely unfortunately, not every seller is completely above board and not every car is every bit information technology seems. The guide beneath is designed to aid you avoid the worst of the second manus automobile buying pitfalls and scams that can leave you out of pocket.

These are some of the worst-instance scenarios that can trap unwary buyers in the second manus car market, just with intendance the risks can be avoided.

Clocking - This is the criminal exercise of misrepresenting a used machine'southward mileage past tampering with the odometer on the dashboard. It'due south done simply to hide the true mileage of a vehicle in order to increment its value on the used car market. Our guide to automobile clocking and mileage correction volition tell you more.
Cloning - This involves fitting a car with copied number plates from an identical vehicle, usually either to hide the fact a car is stolen, or in gild that criminals tin can rack up speeding fines and parking tickets in another owner's name.
Cutting-and-shuts - These are cars that have been welded together from the remains of ii (or more!) blow-damaged cars of the same type, and presented to buyers as one original – undamaged – car.

It has become harder to spot a clocked machine in recent years, as improvements to quality and durability means mod motors hide high mileages very well. Nevertheless it's still worth looking out for some central clues:

Check the MoT history online for discrepancies from i year to the side by side
Significant wear to the driver'southward controls – a shiny steering wheel, pedal rubbers, and indicator switch markings all suggest heavy usage.
Worn out seat squabs and chafed seat belts are giveaways besides.

Many of these signs can be easily masked past replacement trim parts, so information technology's vital that yous cheque the mileage history on service records and other documents. For more information read our investigation into auto clocking.

How to avoid ownership a cloned car

There'south an piece of cake fashion to avert buying a cloned motorcar, and that'due south simply by checking that all the numbers match upwards.

Check that the number plate on the vehicle you're looking at matches the number on the V5C logbook.
Check that the VIN/chassis number listed on the V5C logbook matches the VIN plate on the auto itself.

Nowadays you lot can commonly discover the VIN plate at the base of the windscreen, simply on older cars the VIN plate can be inside the driver's door jamb, or under the bonnet. To carry out the checks, y'all obviously demand to be looking at a used car that has a V5C logbook. If the vendor can't prove yous this vital certificate, that should throw upwardly a warning almost the car in the first place.

How to spot a cut-and-shut car

If professional criminals exercise a cut-and-shut, information technology'southward possible to fool even the experts without an extremely thorough inspection. Unfortunately, however expert a cut-and-shut motorcar looks, the car'due south compromised structural rigidity is probable to be highly dangerous, especially in a severe accident. HPI and similar vehicle history checks will reveal if a car has been recorded as a write-off, and you can make your own visual checks, as well. Look out for:

Uneven console gaps and poor paint matching
Pigment overspray on glass or non-metallic trim parts

Both of the in a higher place indicate to accident damage, but not necessarily a cut-and-shut. Yet yous needn't be likewise contemptuous, as experts reckon there are almost 30,000 cut-and-shuts in circulation. This sounds a lot, until yous remember that well over 7 million used cars are sold in the Uk every yr.

Are y'all on the other side of the car selling process? Take a look at our guide to selling your automobile and visit our sister site BuyaCar for the latest used car deals...

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