If you are looking for a car and are considering purchasing a used one, you must remember that it is not all about being lucky with the car you selected. It’s all a matter of being able to do thorough research, investigation, and inspection.
You can spare yourself from a lot of issues and problems down the road if you make sure that your target vehicle is a reliable one. One of the most important steps that you cannot afford to miss when buying a used car is the inspection.
And here are the things you need to bear in mind when conducting a used car inspection:
1. Inspect the exterior of the car
This is one of the very first things that you should look at when doing an inspection on a used car. You have to examine the body panel and the roof. Be very particular with the dents, rusts, scratches and spots. Also, inspect the paint if it still looks the same on both sides of the panel. You also have to inspect the glass and make sure that there are no cracks and damages. Another important thing you need to take a look at is the suspension and what you need to see is that the car should not be slumping. You would know that the car absorbers are still in good condition if the car rebounds once when you push each of its corners.
2. Check under the hood
You have to make sure that everything under the hood is in a good condition when you are performing a used car inspection. If you find a leak, you have to address it right away, or it will lead to bigger problems in the future. All the fluid storage must be checked and you have to make sure that none of them leaks. There should also be no sign of cracks or dry out. Try to pull out the dipstick to see if the car still has enough oil. The fluid should also be red or pink in color. If it is an older car, the color may look darker but there shouldn’t be any distinct smell.
3. Inspect the interior and everything else inside
After making sure that the compartment and the entire exterior of the car are good to go, the next thing you have to do is to take a look at the inside of the car. Check if the seats need to have repairs and if they have stains, burns or rips. Also, check the air conditioner and make sure that it still functions properly.
Taking at the odometer is another part of the inspection you should do. More often than not, people who are purchasing a used car is looking at a low mileage, because it means that the car has not been overused. However, you must also remember that the car’s age is not only measured in mileage because a 10 or 20 year-old car does not necessarily mean it is still in an excellent condition if it has been driven a few kilometers down the road. Also check this article from about used car inspection from Consumer Reports.
4. Take the car for a test drive
Taking the car for a test drive is one of the best things you can do to make sure that the car meets your standards. Before finally making the decision to buy, it is important to make sure you try it and drive it around. One of the very first things you should observe is the brake especially before accelerating to any speed. Also, try to observe if there will be any strange noises. If you are running at low speeds, you should not feel any vibrate or shaking. Otherwise, it may be an indication of huge problems in the future.
5. Check the car’s history
One of the final steps in doing the car inspection is the checking of the car’s history. If there are documents, or records or repairs and maintenance, it will be much better. This is how you will be able to see if the car has been well maintained and if it has already gone through several repairs.
