20 Things You Might Not Know Before Buying A Used Car!

Over the past couple of years, a major hike has been observed in the market of used cars. And why not! Used cars have always been the best option for those who wish to buy a car of their choice but unfortunately do not have pockets deep enough to pay for a brand new model. Buying a used car not only helps such buyers be the master of their dream car but also ensures that their bank accounts do not go empty! On the other hand, their usual inability of bringing along proper warranty offers and slim chances of their being in perfect working conditions makes them a challenging option for those who are looking for a fair deal. Adding to it, described below are a whole bunch of useful tips and techniques that can prove to be of great help to a prospective buyer in making a much more informed and confident decision when compelled to select from a number of options in used cars.

20. Tyres

• During the inspection, the car must be parked on level ground so that the tyres are completely visible and any possible sagging in the car is clearly detectable.
• The tyres (including the spare) must have 1/4 inch of tread at least, otherwise a replacement is necessary.
• The tyres should show uniform wear; uneven wear indicates problems like misalignment, faulty steering/suspension and frame damage.
• It is better if all four tyres as well as the spare belong to a quality brand, and match in brand and size.

19. Leaks

• The underbody of the car and the ground below the car must be checked for any dark spots that may indicate fluid leaks, in other words, cracks, in the car frame.
• This check should be performed both with the engine cold as well as with the engine running.
• Any dark oil spots on the engine block should be looked out carefully as they are most likely to mean an oil leak in some part of the engine. Such cars should never be bought as they often bring along heavy repair expenses
• Fluid reservoirs present as engine components should be carefully inspected for any possible leaks or cracks.
• A simple way of detecting leaks in fluid containers is by opening their caps, looking into them and checking if there is any formation of foam in there. Foam indicates leak in the container.

​18. Dents and Damages

• To know if the car has been repainted, the easiest way is to look for indicators like ripples or waviness on the car’s surface, difference in colour shade on two different panels. A paint thickness meter, if handy, proves extremely useful for this test.
• It is always better to take sufficient time and locate small defects like corrosion spots, faded mirrors, scratches, dents, windshield cracks, worn wiper-blades and others early on than to pay for their repair oneself after purchase.
• If a car shows signs of excessive corrosion, the buyer is better off not buying it because corrosion is something that has a tendency of reappearing time and again, resulting in never-ending troubles. Moreover, a rusty car body might also be an indication of more severe damage under the surface which means an unsafe ride. The best way of detecting rust is to use a magnet and see where it sticks and where not.
• Imperfections, bold ripples, welding spots and other signs of the sort are clear indications of a repair. An explanation for the same must be sought by the buyer and in case the car has been through a major accident, it is better to drop it off the list of probables because severe accidents can result in major mechanical troubles in the car later on.

17. Rips, Tears and Stains

• A careful check of defects in upholstery and linings of cabin roof and walls like scratches, burn marks, stubborn stains, rips, tears and excessive wear should be made.

16. Defective Fitments

• Defects like broken door handles, rusting door hinges, loosely hanging sun visors, window panes that are difficult to roll up and down and damaged seat belts also need to be looked out for by a smart buyer.
• Profuse use of car air-freshener is the most obvious indication of the cabin having odours that are not easy to get rid of.
• To be entirely sure, all a buyer needs to do is turn the air-freshener down, leave the doors of the car open for a few minutes for the air to clear out and then feel the natural odour of the cabin and its furnishings.

15. Driver Seat

• Proper visibility, absolute comfort and complete convenience of the driver is of critical importance for a safe and easy ride, and that makes a thorough check of the driver’s seat extremely important.

• For a proper check, the buyer should adjust the driver’s seat according to their preference and see if they notice any visibility issues, or experience any difficulty reaching the controls on the front console, or feel any comfort problems. If any of these issues are faced, the buyer might want to look for a different model.

14. Passenger Comfort

• The comfort of every occupant of the car, and not just the driver, is important, and hence, it is important to check the other seats too before making the purchase.
• The seat of the co-passenger as well as those of the second row occupants should be comfortable and provide ample body support.
• Knee-room, Legroom and headroom should be enough for occupants of every seat.
• All door-handles should be easy to reach and doors easy to open and shut.

13. Switchgear and Other Parts

• All the switches, buttons, controls, information display units, gauges and levers in the car must function smoothly and properly, always staying within an easy reach of the passenger whom they are meant to be used by.
• All the doors and the trunk-lid should operate smoothly, easy to open and close, should not make creaky sounds every time they are opened or closed, and should not show any signs of rusting, especially their hinges.
• All the locks, along with their keys, must function perfectly.
• All the lights, whether they are the headlights, tail-lights, blinkers, stop-lamps or cabin lamps, must function properly.
• All the fitments, including the air-conditioner, heater, audio system with all its ports and functions, wipers and sunroof (if present), must function properly.
• More than any of these, it is extremely important for the buyer to ensure that all the safety features that the used car has been claimed to carry are in perfect working condition, be it the airbags, the sensors or functions like hill-hold.

12. Trunk

• The first thing about the car’s trunk that needs to be ensured is whether or not it meets the capacity/space requirements.
• Next, it should be made sure that the trunk does not have any rust spots, leaks, cracks, holes, signs of excessive wear, or dampness that indicates water seeping in from somewhere.
• For a thorough check, the trunk carpet should be removed to check the condition of the bed.
• If the seller claims that the car is equipped with a foldable rear seat that can be used to increase the storage capacity of the boot, the buyer must check it themselves instead of simply taking the seller’s word for it.

11. Fluids

• The level and condition of the various engine fluids is the perfect way of judging the condition of a used car’s engine and to get an idea of how well or badly the engine has been maintained over the years.
• For every fluid, be it the engine oil, the coolant, the transmission fluid or any other engine fluid for that matter, it must be ensured that the fluid is filled to the proper level, that the fluid does not look or smell burnt, and that the fluid or its container does not look dirty.
• Burnt or dirty fluids are indicators of a poor maintenance which in turn indicates a short and unhealthy engine life.
• This test should always be performed with the car parked on level ground, and should be done both with the engine cold as well as with the engine running.

10. Belts and Other Things

• The belts and hoses that run along the entire engine system, especially the timing belt, should be given a proper check for cracks, breakage, excessive softness and the likes. In fact, it is better if they all look considerably new because replacement of such components proves to be quite expensive most of the time.
• Although a clean engine does not necessarily translate into a well-maintained engine, but it does leave a much better first impression than an engine covered in dust and stains.
• While the hood of the car is popped, the ignition should be turned on and the engine should be heard for any out-of-the-place sounds like ticks, knocks, hisses or rattling that might point towards a fault in the engine.

9. Odometer Reading

• Before going for the test drive, the mileage reading on the odometer of the car should be noticed; higher the reading, older the car, higher the probability of car troubles, shorter the car life.
• However, this does not mean that a car that has been around for a long time but covered a very short distance over its lifetime is necessarily a good buy.

8. Cold Engine

• Old engines often have difficulty starting when they are cold, and hence it is a good idea to take the used car for a test drive early in the morning, if possible, to check whether the engine starts smoothly or not even when cold.
• Once the ignition is turned on, focus of the buyer should shift to the warning lights mounted on the front console to see if all of them are functional or not.

7. Parking

• Check how difficult or easy it is to park the car in a parking lot or in parallel parking. If the car has too many blind spots while parking then one can avoid it.
• Also check the parking aids like park sensors or reverse parking camera, if the car is equipped with these kits.  

6. Noises

• The audio system of the car should be turned off during the test drive and conversations should be kept at a minimum so that any weird noises that might be emanating from the engine or any other part of the car can be easily detected; these noises might be signs of defects and damages in the car.
• No noises should be heard during idling, driving at low speeds, accelerating or moving at high speeds.

5. Vibrations

• Vibrations of any sort should never be experienced at any point of time, be it accelerating, braking, cornering or straight-line driving.
• In no speed interval should the buyer experience trepidations of any kind. Vibrations/trepidations are clear signs of faulty auto-parts that need repairing.

4. Steering Wheel

• The steering wheel of the car should be responsive, showing no notable delays in its operation.
• The steering should not pull to one side. One way to confirm this is to take the car to a large and open parking space, drop the speed to around 30kmph and let go of the steering wheel for a moment; that will help ensure whether it keeps straight or pulls to one side.

3. Brakes

• Braking in a properly-maintained car should neither make any noise nor cause any vibrations in the car.
• Different situations, like sudden and hard braking in a moderately speeding car, easy braking in a slow-moving car, etc., should be tried to test the brakes of the car thoroughly and be entirely sure of their proper functioning.
• Brake pedals in a used car should neither be too hard to press nor too squishy as both would affect the braking action and hence compromise on the safety of the passengers.

2. Transmission Suspension

• The gear-shift stick (in case of manual transmission), should be smooth in its shifts.
• To test the suspension system of the car, a bumpy road can be included in the test drive route.

1. Service History

• If available with the owner of the car, the service record of the used car must be given a look by the buyer to see whether the car has been given a proper and timely service or not. A properly serviced car always performs better than one that has been handled roughly and not been to the service station whenever required.

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