What to Look for in a Used Car
If you are planning to buy a used car, you should know what to look for in a used car, otherwise you will be stuck with a car which gives you huge repair bills. There are pros and cons to buying a used car, but, if you thoroughly check the car before buying, the pros will outweigh the cons. One of the major pros of buying a used car is that it is going to be less expensive than buying a new one. The depreciation of used cars is less than the new one. Dealers and vendors offer payment options that might make car buying easier with a monthly payment plan. Many dealerships have sales, wherein they offer cars at considerably low rates, keep an eye out for such opportunities.
Tips for Buying Used Cars
Before you go visiting your nearest car dealerships or car auctions, it is important that you first look into your needs and reflect why you are buying the car. This is important, because the car that you buy must fulfill the function that you bought it for. To give an extreme example for better understanding, you need a car to take your 2 kids to school for soccer practice and you go out and buy a coupe instead of a hatch back. Although this might be an extreme example stranger things have happened when there is a mixture of shiny gleaming metal, smooth talking car salesman and a fickle mind.
Take stock of your finances and pre-decide the budget that you want to allocate for buying a used car also look up some car magazines, they will have a list of used cars to avoid, steer clear of such models. Visit few of the dealerships, trade-ins and also ask your friends if they know anyone who wants to sell their car. If you are planning to buy a used car on a payment plan and want to know what to ask when buying a used car, ask for the finance charge and the annual percentage rate. Different dealers will offer different interest rates and will have various offers, so check all before deciding.
Many people go just by the outer appearance of the car and decide to buy it, although the looks of the car are important, it is a mistake to overlook the other aspects. Here are a few pointers for what to look for when buying a used car.
Engine
Open the hood and have a look at the engine and the surrounding area, if the area is clean it is a good sign. Check the dipstick and see the color of the engine oil, if it's dark black that means the previous owner isn't maintaining the car properly. Check the oil levels, if proper oil level is maintained it is a good sign, also check if the dip stick has any carbon deposits. Carbon deposits are an indicator of more oil consumption and engine problems.
Dealers will clean a car properly before selling it, that's how they will camouflage any leaks, so thoroughly inspect the car and, if possible carry a flashlight and check for any leaks. Make sure the engine is turned off and then open the oil cap, check for any oil sludge on the cap or inside the engine walls. Oil sludge is an indicator of over heating of the engine or low-frequency of oil change, both are negative signs.
Transmission
Some cars have automatic transmission while other have mechanical, although it is not possible to thoroughly check them without requisitioning professional help, you could check for a few things. Inspect the transmission fluid, dirty fluid is a sign of internal transmission problems. Also smell the fluid if you get a burnt smell it's advisable that you don't buy the car.
For a mechanical transmission, start the car and put it in neutral with parking brake on, then press the clutch all the way down and listen for noises that are out-of-place. Test drive the car and shift down from a higher gear and see how the car responds. If the car has problems with the gear box it will hesitate to shift down to lower gears.
Body Work
Inspect the car from one end to the other, check for visible signs of dents or metal corrosion is one of the obvious things in what to look for in a used car. If a car has been repainted, it will have uneven color shading in some areas. Rust is the biggest enemy of metal, check if the cars body has signs of rust. Looking underneath the bumper and the hood is also a good idea, if you think that the problem areas have been painted over, tap the metal and investigate for any soft areas or cracking noise.
Investigate the body, and see if the body lines have any visible signs of an accident. It is advisable to not take a car which has been involved in an accident. Have a look at the doors, see if they are aligned properly, run your hand along the body and see if you feel any bumps or dents. View the car from a distance and from different angles, the light will refract in such a way that it will highlight any discrepancies in the body work.
Interiors
It is important to check the odometer and see the mileage that has been put in by the owner. See if the air conditioning and the heater are working properly. Looking at the brake pedal and clutch will give you a fair indication on how much wear and tear the car has seen. Look at the car thoroughly from the inside look for any cuts on the upholstery or broken car parts on the dashboard. See if the stereo works properly, if not you could use this as a bargaining chip in the price negotiation.
Other
Check the papers of the car and make sure it has a clear title, also see if the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on the car matches with the number on the papers. It is important that you test drive the car that you are planning to buy. If you are wondering what to look for when test driving a used car, make sure that car handles well on turns, and responds correctly to braking. Test drive it in all conditions, for example drive it up hill and on freeways, and also remember to check how it handles in traffic. Take a close look at the tires make sure they have some mileage left on them, buying new tires will cost you.
Now that you know what to look for in a used car, make a checklist and carry it with you when you go out looking for your car. Also check if the windows roll up and roll down properly, check the locks and doors, if you find any repairs that are necessary ask the dealer to get them done or use them in your price negotiation.
