Buying a used car can be an intimidating task. You can never be too
sure about the condition of the car, whether it has been used carefully
or has been handled roughly. The safest way out is to inspect the car
completely.Great! You have finally found the used car of the make
and model that you wanted. Hi Five! As the car fits your budget too!
Now don't just sign the dotted line immediately. You have to make sure
you are buying a used car that is in a good working condition. You don't
want the doors to fall open and the engine to cough up and die a few
miles down the road do you? So before you make an offer, you need to
inspect it to ensure you're not buying a well painted wreck. And
inspecting a car does not mean kicking a tire!
Whether you are
buying from the owner directly or from the dealer, you must have your
back covered. The best idea is to take the car to a trusted and expert
mechanic and let him look it over for any defects. If there is no
mechanic available, then you need to do the inspection yourself. Now you
can get a report of the vehicle's history from the sources in the
field, and pay a huge amount for it, or you can do an initial inspection
yourself.
Initial inspection is done before you start the car.
Get down, and look underneath the car for rust. If the frame is rusted,
then it is not a good thing as rust weakens the frame. And if you will
have to get it repaired, then it may cost a load of money. So, it is
best to say goodbye to the car there and then! The next on the
inspection list are the tires and wheels. Look closely for wear and
tear. If the wearing is uneven then in all probability the wheels or
suspension are out of alignment. So be on your guard here.
Now
scan the car's exterior. Spot the recent paint jobs by a slight change
of color. Remember that paint jobs are almost always a result of damaged
body. A sneaky trick to spot paint jobs is to look for over-spray on
the rubber window molding. If you do find the repainted area, then tap
on it and listen for a change in tone. This tone change is an indication
of patchwork.
Let's head inside the car now. Try to match the
odometer of the car, with the wear and tear inside. If the meter shows a
lesser number of miles, while the car's interiors are worn, then you
know that the meter's been tampered with. Open the hood then, and look
for rounded or stripped nuts and bolt heads. If you see them, then the
car has been repaired by the worst guys in the field. If the spark plugs
are newer, then this is an indication of a well-maintained car that
went through regular checks.
The
next stage of inspection is completed with a test drive. Only then you
can judge the engine, whether it is smooth or makes weird noises. It is
advisable to drive through a variety of routes like freeways, city
streets, rural roads and parking lots. This will let you know how the
car responds to each road. Keep these inspection tips in mind the next
time you plan to buy private cars for sale and you will not make a wrong purchase.