Buying a used car instead of a new one makes plenty of sense from a financial point of view, mostly because brand new cars have a habit of shedding their value at an alarming rate.
From the moment their first owners drive out of the showroom, most shiny new models are on a one-way journey to the vehicle recyclers. Buying second hand allows you to decide which part of that ride you want to get behind the wheel for, and naturally your decision has a dramatic impact on the cost of ownership.
• How to sell your car for the best price
The old cliché “buy at three years old, sell at five” has been around for many years, but there’s still a lot of sense in it. After three years the worst of the depreciation damage has been shouldered by the first owner, but you can still expect a couple of good years out of a three-year-old car before the mileage ticks up and the inevitable big repair bills begin to land. Recent warranty company statistics have confirmed that five years is the critical age after which reliability tends to falter.
Used car buying advice: the basics
When buying a used car, it’s crucial to get the basics right. Here are some general tips to consider when choosing and checking that second-hand motor…
1. Get your finances in order first
Work out how much you want to spend on your car, and if necessary research the best finance or loan deals before you start your used car search. That way, you won't end up standing on a dealer forecourt in front of the car of your dreams looking baffled, as the salesman asks, “so how much have you got to spend each month?”. Our guide to car finance will help.
2. Keep on top of used car market prices
It’s easy to research used car prices online to make sure you’re not paying over the odds by getting a picture of the market. Used cars are not in short supply, so don’t feel pressured into paying too much when you find the first car that looks just right. There’s always another one if the price isn’t right. Check out our used car valuation guide to find out more.
3. Check all paperwork thoroughly
There’s little point attaching any value to that pile of papers the vendor is brandishing, if you’re not prepared to check them out. Start by making sure the listed keeper is selling the car from the address stated on the V5C logbook, then check the logbook registration and chassis numbers against those on vehicle.
After that you can start looking for any discrepancies in the service record, determine whether the cam belt needs renewal, and check sales receipts that prove ownership and the end of any finance agreements. Read our guide to the V5C logbook here.
• Check car mileage and MOT history online
4. Inspect the car carefully in daylight, and good weather
Rain on paintwork will hide a multitude of sins, as will streetlamps or torchlight. Take your time to look over every panel, and all the trim surfaces inside. Make sure all the switchgear and accessories work too. Do the electric windows all open at the same speed, and does the air-conditioning blow cold? Our used car inspection checklist can be downloaded here.
5. Take a thorough test drive
It’s vital to be assured that the car drives and handles correctly, and performs as you would expect. Does the car start easily? Are there any unusual sounds from the engine or brakes? Does the steering pull to one side?
6. Is everything included in the price?
Remember to look for the spare wheel or inflator kit, the original jack and tools, plus locking alloy wheel nuts, the vehicle handbook and spare keys. If any of these are missing, it could cause significant grief - and they’re all expensive to replace.
7. Finalising the deal
When you’ve agreed a price and are going to buy a car, make sure terms are agreed in writing with a receipt that both parties sign and keep a copy of. It should show vehicle details, price, and terms of sale and both the seller’s and buyer’s name and address.
8. Paying for the car
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 car in a private sale. Be careful about taking large sums of money to pay for a car. If possible use a banker’s draft or a money transfer. Never take cash to a meeting that isn’t at the seller’s home address.
Used car buying pitfalls: scams and problems to look out for
We’ve covered the basic tips on how to buy a used car well above. Unfortunately, not every seller is completely above board and not every car is as it seems at first glance. That’s why we’ve prepared this guide to help you avoid the worst of the second hand car buying pitfalls and scams that can leave you out of pocket.
Clocking, cloning and cut-and-shuts – what to look out for
These are some of the worst-case scenarios that can trap unwary buyers in the second hand car market, but with care the risks can be avoided.
- • Clocking is the criminal practice of misrepresenting a used car’s mileage by tampering with the odometer on the dashboard. It’s done simply to hide the true mileage of a vehicle in order to increase its value on the used car market. Our guide to car clocking and mileage correction will tell you more.
- • Cloning involves fitting a car with copied number plates from an identical vehicle, usually either to hide the fact a car is stolen, or in order that criminals can rack up speeding fines and parking tickets in another owners name.
- • Cut-and-shuts are welded together from the remains of two (or more!) accident-damaged cars of the same type, and presented to buyers as one original - undamaged - car.
• Cat D and Cat C cars: everything you need to know
Car clocking – the giveaway signs
It’s become harder to spot a clocked car in recent years, as improvements to quality and durability means modern motors hide high mileages very well. However it’s still worth looking out for some key clues:
- • Excessive stone chipping to panels at the front of the car can indicate very high mileage.
- • Significant wear to the driver’s controls – steering wheel, pedal rubbers, indicator switch markings – suggest heavy usage.
- • Worn out seat squabs and chafed seat belts are giveaways too.
Many of these signs can be easily masked by touched-in paint or replacement trim parts, so it’s vital that you check the mileage history on service records and other documents. If you’ve any doubts at all, don’t be shy about contacting previous keepers listed in the logbook. For more information read our investigation into car clocking.
Avoid buying a cloned car
There’s an easy way to avoid buying a cloned car, and that’s simply by checking that all the numbers match up.
- • 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 car itself.
Nowadays you can usually find the VIN plate at the base of the windscreen, but on older cars the VIN plate can be inside the driver’s doorjamb, or under the bonnet. To carry out the checks, you obviously need to be looking at a used car that has a V5C logbook. If the vendor can’t show you this vital document, be very cautious indeed.
• How to write a classified car ad
How to spot a cut-and-shut car
If professional criminals do a cut-and-shut, it’s possible to fool even the experts without an extremely thorough inspection. Unfortunately, however good a cut-and-shut car looks, the car’s inevitably compromised structural rigidity is likely to be highly dangerous in a severe accident. HPI and similar vehicle history checks will reveal at once if a car has been recorded as a write-off, and you can make your own visual checks too. Look out for:
- • Uneven panel gaps and poor paint matching
- • Paint overspray on glass or non-metal trim parts
Both of the above point to accident damage, but not necessarily a cut-and-shut. However you needn’t be too cynical, as experts reckon there are about 30,000 cut-and-shuts in circulation. This sounds a lot, until you remember that well over 7 million used cars are sold in the UK every year.
• How to spot a flood-damaged car
Download the Auto Express used car inspection checklist
To help you avoid the pitfalls of buying a used car, we’ve prepared a detailed checklist for you to print out and take along when you’re looking one over. To find out more about it - and to download your copy – click here.
For a guide to the best used cars currently on sale click here...
from Featured Articles http://ift.tt/1sm59Fe
Comments
Post a Comment