A used car can look immaculate in a listing photo and still have thousands of dollars of problems underneath it. If you’re shopping privately or at a yard, a bit of homework before you hand over money is time well spent.
Check the paperwork first
Run a PPSR check before you go any further. It costs a few dollars and tells you whether the car has money owing on it, has been written off, or has been reported stolen. If there’s finance owing, the lender can repossess the car even after you’ve paid for it.
Make sure the VIN on the car matches the paperwork, and check that the licence details match the seller.
Look at it in daylight
Inspect the car in good light and never in the rain — water hides paint defects remarkably well. Look along each panel from an angle for ripples, mismatched colour or overspray on rubber seals, all of which suggest accident repairs.
Check for water and rust
Lift the boot floor and check the spare wheel well for water or silt. Have a feel under the carpets. Damp carpet or a musty smell can mean a leaking seal or, worse, flood damage.
Drive it properly
A five-minute lap of the block isn’t enough. Get the car up to highway speed, use the brakes firmly, and drive it long enough for the engine to reach normal operating temperature. Listen for noises that change with road speed versus engine speed, and watch for warning lights that appear once the car is warm.
Get an independent inspection
This is the one that saves people the most money. An independent pre-purchase inspection puts the car over a pit so a mechanic can check the underbody, suspension, brake lines and chassis properly — the things you simply can’t see in a driveway. It costs a fraction of what a bad buy costs.
We offer pre-purchase inspections at our Belmont workshop. Give us a call on (08) 9277 4550 and we’ll tell you honestly whether the car is worth the money.