At The Filter we reckon we know a thing or two about buying a decent used car, so we've put together our top ten tips so that you can benefit from our experience (and mistakes!)
1. Do your homework: Decide on a make and model you want then find out everything you can about that car. Find out what parts give trouble, what are the service intervals, what are the known faults? http://www.carsurvey.org/ is a great website with owners reviews and complaints of nearly every make and model of car. Also search the internet forums and see what people are saying about the car you have your heart set on.
2. History check: If you're serious about a particular car then spend a few quid and get a history check, they can be done over the phone and generally cost about £30.00/€35.00. They will tell you if there is any outstanding finance, registered crash damage, if it has been stolen and the number of previous owners.
3. General Condition: Does the general condition of the car match the mileage on the clocks? Look for excessive wear on all the contact points such as driver’s seat, steering wheel, gearlever and most commonly used buttons such as electric windows. Excessive stone chips on the bonnet can often be a sign of high motorway mileage possibly indicating it was a Reps car. Are there bumps and scrapes on the bodywork? Are there cigarette burns on the Drivers A pillar or in the seats? Is the ashtray clean? Does the car have its hand book or owner’s manual? Are the tool kit, jack and spare wheel all there? All these things can help to tell you if the car been cared for and looked after or has it been abused and neglected.
4. Paint & Crash Damage: Look for any obvious signs of panel damage, check for overspray, look inside the door jams and check for visible signs of areas that have been masked off, check under the carpet in the boot and look at the spare wheel as well to make sure there are no creases in the metal, if possible try and look at the front chassis legs for damage too.
5. Paperwork: Read the cars paperwork properly. Make sure the chassis and engine numbers match the ones on the car, check the reg plate matches and make sure the car wasn't a taxi, also double check the number of owners.
6. Electrics: Turn on the ignition, make sure the ABS and Airbag lights come on, start the car and make sure the lights go out. Check every single button, switch and lever in the car and make sure everything works.
7. Engine: Try to view the car when the engine is cold. Take off the oil filler cap and expansion tank cap and look for creamy sludge. Check the dipstick and see if there's any oil in the engine, if there's barely any, how well has this car been looked after? Does the car start easily from cold? Check for smoke on start-up. White smoke on turbocharged engines can indicate a turbo on its way out. Listen to the engine, is it excessively noisy or 'tappety'? Check for any signs of oil or fluid leaks and lastly find out what the timing belt interval is and when it was last changed. Does the engine idle smoothly?
8. Suspension, Steering & Drive: If the tracking is way out then something is wrong, excessively worn tyres on the inner or outer edges can be a sign of this. Drive the car on a rough road and make sure there are no knocks, rattles, clunks or squeaks from the suspension. Turn the steering to full lock in both directions and drive forwards, loud clunks or clicking indicate worn CV joints. Listen for a drone or whine that increases with speed, this would indicate wheel bearing issues.
9. The seller: If at all possible meet the seller at their house. If it is a private sale and the seller is genuine they should have absolutely no problem with this. Deals done in pub car parks are a big no no!
10. History: A car with a full, documented service history is a huge selling point. I would rather buy a car with 100,000 miles on it that has been properly maintained than one with 50,000 miles that has been neglected. Look for main dealer stamps at the correct service intervals, receipts for parts and labour.