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When it comes to buying a used
car, you are entering a terrible world of smoke and
mirrors. The professional dealers have ways of checking
a vehicles' history and there are some sites available
where you can do a search and it is worth to explore
these before going in search of your new set of wheels.
They key to a used cars' history is its VIN (Vehicle
Identification Number), it will always be recorded
whatever happens to the car. Normal cars should present
no problems but the more expensive sports cars, luxury
saloons and 4 x 4s could have even these
forged.
If you are buying form a private person, when
you phone for an appointment, always say you are
ringing about the car, never the make or model.
This way, if it is the persons own, car they will
start talking about it. If the person is selling
cars as a job, then they will be cagey, trying to
work out which one you are interested in.
The VIN will provide a certain amount of
information, such as, if the car has been written
off in an accident, is stolen or has outstanding
finance against it but it cannot tell you the whole
story. One of the best indicators is the full
service history, this is where the servicing
carried out is recorded in the cars service book.
If it has the payment receipt attached, it is even
better. Look carefully at the entries to make sure
that they are valid. The mileage should be recorded
so you can see the progression of the mileage.
The visual check is only the start, look down
the length of the car to see if there are any dents
or accident repairs or patches of paint that do not
quiet match. Check the drivers seat, a high mileage
car could well see a lot of wear and tear here.
Look at the pedals, see if the rubber is worn or if
it is new. New ones could mean that a high mileage
car is being covered up.
Take a mirror with you to run under the car,
this way you can see if there is damage there and
if you can, try to check under the carpets as
well.
Before you check the engine, feel the
bonnet/hood to see if it is warm, it could mean
there's a problem starting. The engine bay should
be fairly clean, depending on the age of the
vehicle, look at the rubber components to see if
there are signs of chaffing, check for oil leaks
and listen to the motor to see if there are any
nasty knocking sounds.
Then take it out for a test drive, see how the
steering feels, does it pull to the left or right,
how does the clutch feel is the gearbox smooth, how
does it accelerate. All these will help you decide
if it is worth the money.
To take the guess work out of buying a used car
you could go to a main dealership who sell their
own make second hand cars which have been checked
over and come with a short guarantee, this way you
have some peace of mind that your car will last a
while.
Finally, whatever the car you decide upon, never
pay the asking price. There is always a deal to
made so haggle. If they say there is somebody
interested, don't worry, it is probably a ploy and
unless you just cannot do without it, walk away,
you can always find another one.
Buying a used car, by Ian Richards
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