Buying a used car is trickier than buying a brand spanking new one. Ideally you want the newest car with the lowest numbers of kilometres that you can afford. Buying through a reputable pre-owned car dealer is advised, but here are my tips to not end up with a dud when buying from a private seller or from a dealer.
1. Research, research, research! Know your stuff.
2. Contact the seller and ask a lot of questions like these:
• How long have you owned the car?
• How many owners has the car had?
• Why are you selling it?
• Do you have a full service history of the car?
• Has the car ever been in a crash?
3. Make an appointment to see the car. If through a private seller, it is always better to see the car at the seller’s home- if they are reluctant to do this they may be trying to hide something!
4. Always go to see a car in daylight. In the rain or in the dark, car damage and imperfections may not be seen.
5. Take a friend with you (preferably someone who knows about cars) as they may notice something you don’t.
6. Ask to see the car’s log book, vehicle inspection reports and make sure the roadworthy certificate is under 30 days old.
7. Licensed dealers are obliged to guarantee that the car has not previously been declared a write-off, hasn’t been deregistered or stolen and that there is no money owing on it. This information can be harder to gather from a private seller. The best thing to do is check with your state transport authority. In QLD that is the Department of Main Roads www.mainroads.qld.gov.au
8. Take the car for a test drive. Make sure you drive the car under all kinds of conditions to get a real feel for how it drives. Take it up to highway speed and on roads with different surfaces and listen for any unusual noises. Check the hand brake on a steep hill.
9. If through a private seller, check their driver’s licence to be sure that the name matches up on the paperwork and get original copies, never photocopies. Alert the appropriate authorities that you are the new owner of the vehicle.
10. Make sure that all of the seller’s information is on your receipt and organise your insurance before you drive away.
