A used car that has been taken care of and is up to date in services can be a better investment than purchasing a new car. This is due to the depreciation a new car experiences as soon as it driven off a forecourt. So when looking to buy a used car, and when looking to sell a car, what information needs to be considered?
Meter Readings; the average motorist will do around 10,000 miles per annum. So any used car should reflect this in its meter reading. Some people when wanting to sell a car may ‘clock’ the odometer. This is where there is some tampering with the odometer to reduce the amount of miles it has clocked up. It is therefore a useful tip for consumers to be wary of any cars that appear to have a lot less miles clocked up than what the average would suggest without a logical explanation, e.g. a garaged car or a car from a show room for test driving etc.
The odometer reading, if real, should also reflect the wearing of other areas of the car, as should the MOT reports and service history of the car. These sections of information will provide you with a good background, use and problems current or old of the car. To sell a car a full service history is normally required from many consumers. However, from a consumer perspective the purchase of a used car with a large service history is not recommended. If a car has a long list of old problems then it’s likely to have some more.
From a physical point of view, consumers should take an opportunity to take a look at the general state of tyres, gear stick, pedals, break pads and other points of contact in order to make sure these are not worn down significantly because this will be the sign of an over-driven used car.
By far and away the largest risk of buying used cars where there is a lack of history or MOT certification is the worry of a “cut and shut”. A cut and shut car is where two different cars have been cut somewhere around the middle of each and the parts are welded together to form one car. It is noticeable for consumers from welding signs anywhere along the body.
HPI checks should be carried out on used cars for sale. HPI checks will find if a car has outstanding finance, if it has been deemed ‘written off’, stolen, clocked or cloned. Those trying to sell a car need simply provide an up to date full documentation of a vehicle and consumers can sensibly consider the vehicle. Cars through trade are more reliable in this scenario.
Buying a car a used car should be an enjoyable experience and these are areas in which the used car market can suffer from those who sell a car in a manor not becoming of the majority of consumers in the market. As long as the used car on offer has all the information required available then a purchase can be enjoyable and sound.
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