How to Ensure Your Next Used Car Won’t Let You Down

Buying a used car is usually a rollercoaster of emotions. While you’re undoubtedly excited about buying yourself a new motor, you’re also probably stressed out at the idea of ending up with a suspect vehicle.

The used car market is absolutely huge. Just shy of 8 million used cars were sold in the UK in 2018 so, while you’ll never be short of choice, finding the right vehicle can be a daunting prospect to get your head around.

There’s no doubt you need a little bit of luck in finding the right deal, but you should be thinking about a few things to try and ensure you bag a bargain rather than a banger.

Private? Independent? Franchise?

You can buy a used car from various sources: the man on the street, an independent dealer or an approved franchise. Each come with their own merits and risks, but usually your chances of finding a bargain price tend to correlate with increased risk.

Your best chance of landing a steal is with a private seller. On one hand, private sellers are usually in a hurry to sell, meaning you can try for a good deal. On the other, private sellers are merely expected to advertise the car accurately and are not obliged to offer any guarantees beyond that. That means if anything goes wrong with the car post-purchase, that’s on you.

Independent dealers tend to offer older cars than a franchised dealer but will offer finance options and warranties. Although these warranties can be short, you are protected by the Consumer Rights Act, thus you have some form of safety net. If you’re wanting a longer warranty period, you might want to have a look about online for third-party extended auto warranties.

Franchised dealers will offer the most expensive options, but the cars tend to be fairly new with low mileage (you may even find former test cars with super low-mileage). If you buy through a manufacturer’s approved used scheme, you can even get a comprehensive warranty.

It’s up to you where you land on this sliding scale of price versus risk. If you’re looking to ensure a good buy, it’s probably worth spending the extra cash if you can afford to.

Inspect & Test Drive

Regardless of what type of seller you go for (but especially if you go private or independent), a thorough inspection and test drive should be an essential part of your pre-buying ritual.

Don’t be afraid to closely inspect the bodywork and look for dents and scrapes. Have a look at the interior, does the wear and tear match the advertised age and mileage of the care? Finally, look at tread levels on the tyres to see if they’ll need replacing soon.

As for the test drive, consider these steps:

Start the engine from cold: are there any issues in getting started? Make sure the engine ticks over nicely.
How does it drive? Make sure it’s not pulling to one side and listen for any bangs or rattles. Test the brakes and see how the car drives over bumpier roads. Make sure the exhaust isn’t coughing up a load of black smoke.
Play with all the electrics: try everything and make sure they work. Also, are there any warning lights lit on the dash?

The test drive is not only a chance to get a feel for if the car is right for you, but also the best time to pay attention to whether it’s fully operational.

Due Diligence

There are numerous checks you can undertake to reassure you you’re making a good purchase.

It’s worth making sure your auto dealer includes a car data check in the overall deal. This will tell you whether the car is subject to any finance, whether the car has its original registration and whether it’s ever been involved in a major accident.

Similarly, make sure you have all the car’s relevant documentation in place and have read through it. This should include its V5C registration document, MOT certificate and service history. Analysing these documents should give you a good idea of the car’s story and what to expect in the future.

Of course, nothing is ever guaranteed with buying a used car. You can do all the right things and still get unlucky. However, the more steps you take to protect yourself, the more likely you are to have grabbed yourself a great vehicle at a bargain price.