When buying a used car, always look out for the following phrase: “This warranty does not cover consequential damages.” This means that if one component fails, and subsequently causes another to fail, the warranty does not cover the second item. Also take care of used cars that are advertised “as is,” meaning you have no recourse to the seller if things go wrong. You should therefore inspect the car carefully for latent defects. Here is a checklist to make sure your used car purchase is not an enormous waste of money:
- Always ask for service records to ensure the car has been maintained properly.
- Check the vehicle thoroughly for rust. The most obvious places are the door sills, window and headlamp surrounds, under the carpet inside the car, and also in the trunk.
- Check for signs that the car may have been in an accident. Are some parts re-sprayed? Are there odd welding seems? Are any body panels ill fitting or wrinkled?
- If a car has been poorly maintained, it can usually be picked up quite easily. Look under the hood and check for frayed wiring, an oily engine bay, cracked hoses and corroded battery terminal.
- Remove the radiator cap and start the engine from cold. If bubbles surface on the water, it could indicate a defective cylinder head gasket.
- Check the windscreen for cracks and chips. A windscreen can be very expensive to replace.
- Standing behind the car, ask the salesperson to start the engine. Blue/grey exhaust smoke might indicate worn valve guides, or seals. If there is a lot of smoke the engine might need an overhaul.
- Listen to the engine with the hood open. Remember that not all engines idle smoothly (even when new), but strange knocking or whining should be investigated.
- Always test drive the car with the radio switched off. Check the workings of the indicators, wipers, fan, gearbox, pedals, etc. Also make sure the car accelerates smoothly.
- Inspect the tires carefully. If the tires are very worn, you must replace them, and this can be expensive. Unevenly worn tires can indicate defective shock absorbers and suspension damage.
- Check the CV joints. If the protective covers are worn, the joints are possibly also worn. When driving a front wheel drive car slowly, turn full lock in both directions. If the joints are worn, they will make a clacking sound. (Rear wheel and four wheel drive cars have CV joints on their driveshaft)
- If the black deposit in the cars exhaust is wet, the engine is using oil; a dry black deposit is fine.
