What should I look out for when I am buying a second hand car?

Question

I have just written-off my Ford Focus diesel car (T- Reg) and hopefully going to recieve the insurance money very soon (which is around about the 2k mark). Retrospectively, this car has not been very good (ie had to buy a new engine, starter motor, brake pads, had wrong size spare tyre at the back) and paid 3k for it in 2005 and I do not wish to make the same mistake again.

Answer 1

My tip would be to take someone with good mechanical knowledge with you when buying.

Hopefully they will know what to look for and what to listen for when you are test driving it.

Answer 2

You didn't get the car new I take it.
BUT it sounds like the previous owner just drove it - THAT IS ALL-
When buying used, you got to expect things like brake shoes(pads) being worn, and filters need changing along with an oil change.
Having the wrong size tire in the back is not so bad as having a tire and rim that does not even belong to the car sitting in the back with a jack which does not work for the car either.

You got a car from somebody who threw this one together more interested in selling it even if it is not all there. Somebody will buy it. You lucked out.

In the majority of cases, that does not happen. To best protect yourself in buying used.....inspect it in the daylight. Take it for a drive. Listen for odd noises from the engine compartment. Note the wear on the footpedal pads(if they are brand new be also suspicious because the old ones must be worn thru) Note the wear and tear of the interior. Lots of wear indicates lots of mileage. If the odometer looks low, it may have been swapped or tampered with.
You have to be able to size up people too. Does he/she look like a mechanical whiz or a complete dufus? Both are bad - the second is worse because they just put in gas and drive.
A bunch of receipts mean nothing except that the car breaks down alot.
Items that do wear for all cars are batteries, oil, filters, tires, spark plugs, brakes and belts,clutches(maybe a starter). Thats about it.
Everything after that is a high mileage engine.
Note too, when you take it for a drive that the speedometer works and the odometer works.
I have purchased cars with relatively low mileage to find that the odometer did not work(so the mileage was not being counted off) Factory defect which I fixed myself - I like to know how far I went for the next oil change. I have repaired 3 others in the same make of car of various years.
Also be wary of electrical systems that require you to hit the dash or jiggle a switch to get it to work. Electrical problems are a nightmare. Watch too for water getting into a car after a rain.
Best time to look for a car. A day after a downpour...when you can feel with your hands whether the headliner or the carpets are wet in places that they shouldn't be wet(such as the spare tire well) or the electrical does not work well, or there is a musty smell to the inside of the car. Don't listen to their official explanation - use your head. What is worn, and what is not right. If the car is 10 years or older back there is alot more you got to look at for wear. If it is only a couple of years old, there should be nearly no wear on some parts
Seeing you bought your last car in 2005 and the diesel engine is replaced throws up alot of RED FLAGS. There is something wrong with that picture.
If the seller is the pushy type in that "well, I got others wanting to look at this car too, so do you want it?". Leave it. If it is still there 3 days later, there were no others, there may be a problem you did not see but others did.

You can tell alot by assessing the seller themselves and where they live. Is the house kept up, is the person kept up, is the yard kept up - chances are good that the car is kept up too.

Answer 3

Best advice I can give you. No one sells a perfectly good car. Almost any used car comes with something wrong. Or latter you will find out why the pervious owner got rid of it. Buy a good car from some old retired person who cannot use it anymore If the corners weren't knocked in. Always make the used car purchase pending mechanical inspection and get a Car Fax report.

Answer 4

As above.

There's alot of things to look out for, i.e. correct paperwork (V5 Logbook), MOT, Service History. This is as well as getting the mechanical side of things checked out.
Best bit of advice is when you've found the car you like get a HPI check done. This will tell you if the car is either an insurance write off, been involved in an accident or money is still owed on it. This is the best course of action.

Answer 5

Go for a honda or a toyota they are the best reliable cars ever built but look at milage, whether the engine is clean or dirty if there is oil all over it, it suggests oil leaks somewhere check tyres for wear and tear but the best thing would be too find a mechanic to check the car over or have someone that knows a bit about cars to come with you. oh and test drive it and always ask for a full service history. thats really it

Answer 6

Take someone with you who knows about cars to help. Falining that pay the RAC or AA to provide you with a mechanical survey of the vehicle you are interested in.

Answer 7

Make sure that it hasn't been under water as a lot that were totaled went out of state an retitled, Buyer be ware.

Answer 8

you should watch out if its stolen or if it has any bad damage in the engine

Answer 9

physical damage as well undercarriage signs also oil / transmission leaks .