Used car buyer's checklist

USED CAR BUYERS CHECKLIST

If you are not an experienced car buyer and have no extensive mechanical knowledge you may find it useful to use our checklist to make a decent judgement. Below is a step by step checklist.

Further to the above if you want to carry out a more in depth vehicle inspection similar to that carried out by main dealers and inspection companies prior to resale, then please download our vehicle inspection report which can be used in conjunction with the checklist for complete confidence with your potential purchase.

1. SHORTLIST VEHICLES - that fit your requirements and budget.
2. FINANCE - find out how much you can afford to borrow?
3. INSURANCE - what is the cost of insuring the vehicle?
4. PROFILING THE VEHICLE - questioning the seller.
5. VIEWING - Set an appointment in daylight hours.
6. CHECK THE PAPERWORK - HPI, history etc.
7. EXTERIOR CHECK
8. INTERIOR CHECK
9. UNDER BONNET CHECK
10. TEST DRIVE
11. AFTER THE TEST DRIVE

The full details of the Used Car Buyer's guide are below:

1. SHORTLIST VEHICLES - that fit your requirements and budget

   By this stage you should have read reviews on different types of vehicle and chosen a vehicle or two that fits your requirements.

   • What bodystyle does it have? - MPV, Saloon, Hatchback, Estate, Sports etc.
   • What age or mileage are you looking for?
   • How far are you prepared to go to view a vehicle?

   The best way to short list vehicles that fit your requirements is to search classifieds online and in magazines and newspapers to find examples that fit your budget and if you're feeling bold give the seller a call to see if they will negotiate on the asking price

2. FINANCING - find out how much you can afford to borrow?

   Providing you have a worthy credit rating borrowing money nowadays can be fairly cheap and there are plenty of avenues to explore! If you haven't already researched this, the first step is to work out how much you can afford to pay each month. From this you point you can then determine the amount you have to spend on the purchase of your new car.

   There are ten's of companies online that offer loan services and they are all competing for your business so rates can be very competitive. At this point you need to decide who your preferred lender is, by comparing Interest rates and payback terms. This process can be a bit baffling if you're not familiar with it, so make sure you do your research before you commit to anything.

   Once you have chosen your preferred lender(s) you can apply online and usually have an answer within 24 hours if not sooner. The response time can be affected by your credit history, the more complex and the more borderline your credit rating the longer it will take. Please note that companies will often offer an acceptance at a higher rate than the one you applied for, in this instance we always recommend contacting them and negotiating the rate back down.

   If you are intending to purchase through a dealer on a finance scheme you should be vigilant as the sales person will often try and earn commission from the finance which puts the APR higher and has an effect on your monthly payments, if you are prepared and have researched the cost to borrow money this will put you in good stead for negotiating.

   Please visit our loans section to get an idea of what you can afford

3. INSURANCE - What is the cost of insuring the vehicle?

   Once you have chosen the vehicle(s) you are interested in, before making arrangements for a viewing and potential purchase you will need to get some insurance quotes to make sure it fits within your budget.

   It pays to shop around. You will find that quotes will differ from one company to the next and sometimes quite substantially so allocate some time to shop around for the best quote.

   Please visit our insurance section for latest deals and recommended companies - link

4. PROFILING THE VEHICLE - questioning the seller.

   It may save you a lot of time and money to gather as much information about the vehicle before actually seeing it, you can do this by questioning the seller on the condition and history of the vehicle ? please visit our section on buying advice.

5. VIEWING - set an appointment in daylight hours.

   When you have decided on a vehicle(s) viewing is essential! We recommend arranging an appointment in daylight hours and preferably not raining so you can have a good look around the vehicle and assess its overall condition. Rain and darkness can hide a multitude of sins!

6. CHECK THE PAPERWORK - HPI, history etc.

   It is very important to check the all the paperwork for the vehicle to confirm the vehicles history and it tallies up with the information advertised or previously discussed with the seller.

   If the seller does not have a V5 for the vehicle it is best to walk away as this could mean they do not own the vehicle? They could in this instance try and convince you that the document is with DVLA or lost and is easy enough to apply for a new one, but without this document you may find it hard to insure or tax the vehicle and most importantly will not be able to confirm the ownership and if required check that the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) and engine numbers match those on the vehicle.

   When discussing with the seller ask if they have carried out an HPi on the vehicle? If not we would recommend that you do this to confirm that the vehicle has no history of major accidental damage, outstanding finance, mileage recorded and also the vehicle identification. If the seller has carried out an HPi they should have a certificate to prove this, if not then we would strongly recommend that you carry out your own report. If you are fairly serious about a vehicle you have discussed on the phone but not yet viewed and the seller has confirmed that they have not carried out an HPi we would recommend carrying one out prior to viewing as this may save you time and money. Please visit link for HPi.

   Spend time looking through the service bills and service book, make sure that the vehicle has been serviced regularly and at the correct intervals and that the cambelt (if required) has been changed at the required mileage. If there are previous MOT?s then you can check the mileages recorded with that of the bills and service book to confirm the mileage is genuine.

7. EXTERIOR - What should I check outside the car?

   A car that has been well looked after will usually be reflected in its condition throughout, however a vehicle could easily have been cleaned up for the occasion and sometimes only a trained eye will spot the pitfalls, but by following this checklist you should minimise that risk significantly.

   Look for obvious signs of wear and tear, and make a judgement if this is unacceptable for the age and mileage. Look for stonechipping around the front of the car and the windscreen, you will usually only find this on high mileage vehicles so be suspicious if you find heavy chipping on a low mileage vehicle.

   Look to see if the colour on the car matches on each panel, no odd rippling (cast your eye down the side of the vehicle) or orange peel effect in the paintwork, or overspray? A good place to look can be on window rubbers under wheel arches and door handles and inside door or bonnet shuts. It may be acceptable for the age and mileage of the car to have had some paintwork but if there are signs to suggest there has been then this should still be questioned with the seller as to why?

   It is very important to check that all the gaps between the panels are fairly equal and aligned and the doors hang properly, as any irregularity would suggest accidental damage that quite possibly has not been repaired properly, at which point it may be time to walk away.

   Walk to front and back of the vehicle and cast your eye down the side to see if there are any small dents or imperfections, these are very common nowadays and are usually caused by shopping trolleys or other car doors, these should not be a deal breaker as they can easily be removed by paintless dent removal companies however this may act as a negotiation tool.

   Check the tyres for tread mill depth, the legal limit is 1.6mm, if they are heavily worn this may also act as a negotiation tool. For the little cost involved it may be wise to purchase a tyre tread depth measuring tool that can be purchased online through our accessory section, please visit link and type in ?tyre tread depth tool? http://www.buyacar.co.uk/Accessories.jhtml .

   Check the lights all work, if you are on your own ask the seller to operate them while you check, also check for cracks or chips in the lights or windows as these can prove expensive to replace.

8. INSIDE - What should I check inside the car?

   The condition of the vehicle interior is another good indicator of how the vehicle was taken care of.

   • If the seats are saggy and worn and steering wheel worn smooth this is usually a good indicator that the vehicle has covered a high mileage.
   • Checkall the seat belts work and adjust properly?
   • Look for damaged or missing trim parts?
   • Check for wear in the carpets, you may need to lift the mats?
   • Are the carpets wet, especially in the drivers footwell?
   • This could mean a leak in the windscreen seals or a hole in the floorplan or bulkhead?
   • Test all doors, do they open and close freely?
   • If not this could mean the vehicle has been involved in a collision and the panels no longer align properly. Try to lock and unlock the driver's and passenger's doors and the trunk with the key, the same key should operate all the locks, if they don?t then one of the locks has possibly been changed at some time?
   • Check the boot area for any wetness? This will usually indicate a leak?
   • Check the spare wheel for tread and pressure, make sure the toolkit, locking wheel nut, jack and brace are all present?
   • Check the instrument panel: Do all the gauges work? Any warning lights such as "check engine", "airbag", "ABS" stay on after the engine started? If the car has "check engine" or any other warning light coming on while driving, have the proper diagnostic done before deciding to buy it; in some cases the problem could be very costly to repair.
   • Check all the electrical accessories: test operation of power windows locks and other features. Test wipers and windshield washer function. The rear wiper is the part that often fails. If the seats are heated try if they are working - many cars have problems with heated seats. Try seat adjustments. If the car has a sunroof, test all its functions. If the car has an alarm system ask to demonstrate how it works. Test all remote control functions. Try the stereo functions. The CD-player often has some problems and it's quite expensive to fix; try if it plays your CD?
   • It's very important to check the air conditioning is functioning properly. To do so, start the engine and let it warm up for a few minutes. Turn the A/C on. Unless it's very cold outside, the air conditioner should start working immediately. Within a few seconds you should be able to feel really cold air blowing from vents. If this is not happening, very possible the air conditioner doesn't work? This could be caused by the system requiring a service and re-gas or could be more expensive and costly if the system has a leak or faulty component. Check the heater system. Try if all heater fan speeds work and that the system is blowing out hot air ? if not then fan, switch or thermostat could be at fault?
9. UNDER THE BONNET - What should I check under the bonnet?
   • Check the engine compartment inner wings and bulkhead for any signs of repair or creasing. This could indicate that the vehicle has been involved in front end collision?
   • Check all the fluid levels, i.e. engine coolant level, power steering fluid, brake fluid. If these are very low they could just require a top up, however this could also indicate some mechanical problem or a leak.
   • Look at the oil dipstick? If the vehicle has been regularly serviced the oil should be Golden Brown and clear and registering at the correct levels. If the Oil level is low this could indicate that the car is burning or leaking oil? A good way to confirm a leak would be to look for oily deposits on the underside of the engine and around the area where the vehicle has been parked. If the vehicle is burning oil then usually the exhaust fumes will be a blue smoke, and if black then the vehicle is running rich and burning to much fuel. If the oil has deposits on it. i.e Black and lumpy, or mayonnaise like colour this will indicate that the engine has been seriously neglected and probable engine damage
10. TEST DRIVE

    Start up

    • Test the engine first. Does it fire up quickly? If not this could indicate that the engine requires a service or the compression is low?
    • Check whether the car was warmed up and started before you arrived - the engine will be warm if it was, if so this could indicate that the seller is trying to hide a problem?
    • Are there clouds of blue or black smoke from the exhaust?
    • Are there any odd tapping noises - especially those that speed up when the engine speeds up - metallic clunks and so on, and does the car tick over evenly when the engine is idling?
      Any of these symptoms would indicate that work is required on the engine.

    The Drive

    • During a test-drive look for anything irregular such as vibrations, noises, etc.
    • Test drive a car for as long as you need to get the feeling, try to drive on bumpy road and if possible, take the car on a motorway or dual carriageway
    • Try to accelerate - there shouldn't be any hesitation.
    • Does the engine make any irregular noises? Any smoke?
    • Is the steering responsive?
    • Does the car feel stable at a highway speed?
    • Any shudder, jerks, harsh shifting?
    • Does it make knocking or creaking noises when driving over bumps?
    • Is it too "bouncy"?
    • Does the car hold straight direction or pulls aside? Is the steering out of center?
    • Any humming noise?
    • Check that you can engage all the gears - don't forget reverse - and that the car doesn't jump out of gear. In an automatic, feel for the changes in ratio and smoothness of acceleration - does the car jerk or lurch?
    • Stop on a hill and apply the handbrake. Does it hold the car stationary?
    • Try the foot brakes (making sure that it is all clear behind). Does the car brake quickly and in a straight line?
    • Find a quiet area - an empty car park, if possible - and test the steering. Are there any clunks or grinding noises?
    • Does the car wander, suddenly feel over-light to steer or pull to one side?
    • Keep an eye on the temperature gauge; this should climb to roughly halfway and stay there. Going into the red is not normal.
    • Listen out for any odd noises: clunks when braking or knocking sounds from the steering column.
11. AFTER THE TEST DRIVE

    Don't sign a contract and don't give a deposit until you are completely satisfied with the car.

    If you have any hesitation be prepared to leave, you can always find another car or come back later. Try to test-drive another vehicle of the same model to have something to compare with.

    If you find any problem with the car and the salesperson promises "to take care of it" make sure to discuss in details - what exactly will be done. For example, if the car needs new tyres, what kind of tyres will be installed - cheapest possible or of reputable brand?

Author: John Stephens

Date: June 2009