Caveat emptor is Latin. It means Let the buyer beware and it makes the perfect maxim for anyone intending to buy a secondhand car. The rules for a successful purchase are simple enough and making a matchless deal is easy if you use these pointers.
1: Check the tyres. Car tyres save your life on a daily basis, simply by doing their job. Tyres with 3 millimetres or less of tread need replacing. Tyres can also be excellent tell tales. If theyre worn unevenly, the cars suspension, steering or brakes could be at fault. Cracked tyres are generally pensionable and lumps or bulges in tyre carcasses suggest internal damage. Remember to check the spare tyre and bear in mind that tyre failure can be a killer.
2: Check the VIN. The cars Vehicle Identification Number should match that in the logbook. If it doesnt or is absent, the car could have been stolen, rung or be two half cars welded together.
3: Check the history. This advice counts in two ways. Dealers must offer an HPI check by law. If buying privately, have one carried out yourself. An HPI check is to validate the cars history and would reveal previous damage, theft, insurance claims, writings off and more.
Service history is equally important. If a main dealer or an approved concern has carried out servicing, the cars automatically a better prospect.
4: Check the deal. Often, dealers can offer a warranty. The car may have some remaining manufacturers warranty and there may be sweeteners, such as included accessories. Be very careful if buying from a private seller. Once the car is yours, you have very little comeback if it proves to be a bad buy.
5: Check the car. Unless professionally executed, accident repairs are easy to spot. Look for poor panel gaps, paint colour and texture mismatches, non-factory additions (e.g. lights) and damaged exterior trim. Take particular note of the cars extremities: the nose and all four corners. Suspiciously thick, new-looking underseal can hide a lot, as can the boot carpet.
Look under the bonnet, for a clean engine bay with no rust or coolant stains. Dip the oil, which shouldnt be like black treacle, and look underneath the car for spots of leaked fluid.
6: Check the mileage. The cars MOT certificates should show a believable progression of mileage figures and the speedometers mileage reading should tally. Modern electronic mileometers can be easily tampered with so checking that the speedo screws arent butchered doesnt always reveal a clocked car. That said, plastics and modern trim can wear. If the steering wheel rim and the pedal rubbers are shinier than the bodywork, chances are the car has an intergalactic mileage in reality. A worn, bursting drivers seat, is a dead giveaway, as are badly worn drivers door mechanisms. Dont forget that these parts could have been replaced, so if they look too new, be wary.
7: Check the performance. Have a realistically long test drive, using the vehicle as you expect to on a daily basis. Try the brakes, steering, transmission and electrical items. Should something be not as expected, be careful to not fall for the old They all do that routine
8: Remember these three golden rules. Unless the car youre examining is so rare that there simply isnt another, you can always find a rival example. Rule two: its a buyers market at the moment and you can always walk away. Rule three is simpler still: buy with your head, never your heart
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Louise Slee has been a fan of driving for over 25 years, with no penalty points to date See her articles at www.merityre.co.uk/ where she cuts through the technical jargon and explains car tyres in simple laymans terms.