Buying a used car for dummies: Evaluate and assess the quality without being an expert

How can you assess a used car without being an expert? How to see if the car has hidden defects without being an automechanic? How best to bargain with the seller? Please follow the steps to minimize the risk of a wrong decision.

1. What to do before you contact a dealer:

A) Before you actually go out and buy a car check out the current market price in the internet. Get a feeling for what is a good and what is a bad price.

B) Check out forum entries and reviews about the common defects of your targeted model. Often cars develop specific weak points over time. This could be rust on the wheel arches or problems with some electronic components. To know the common weak points will help you to focus on the relevant things when you actually inspect the car.

2. What to look for when you inspect a car:

Before you take a test drive you have to check the car inside out. Here is what you should take care of:

A) Do never inspect a car on a rainy day! In rain it is much harder to see damages of the paint job or little bumps on the body.

B) Ask for the history of the car. Specifically ask for the date of production, mileage, number of prepossessors, history of accidents and repairs. Ask for all the relevant documents, especially bills from repairs and inspections. If the car has more than appr. 50k miles ask the seller if the drivebelt has already been replaced (you can find the recommended mileage and age in the owners manual). It would cost you some hundred dollars if you had to replace it.

C) Use your knowledge about the common weak points from your internet research. Focus on these points. Ask questions about it, so the seller will know that you are not an easy prey.

D) Be sure to check if the stated mileage is true. Especially if there are any signs of doubt (like a ten year old car with 20k miles sold by a young man). First look at the bills of the repairs or inspections. Often the mileage at the time of the repair or inspection is stated on the bill. Look at the date of the bill and assess if the current mileage can be realistic. If the car is old and there are no bills: Look at the surface of the pedals and check if the profile is scrubbed down. The pedals are made of particularly durable material so a srubbed down profile means that the car has probably run more than appr. 60k miles.

E) Look for evidence of concealed accidents. This is especially advisable if the car is offered by a professional dealer at a very low price, without an obvious reason. Often really wrecked cars are brought back into shape by heating up the metal frame. Although the car might look new, it is absolutely not save any more in case of accidents. So how to look for evidences of an accident? First check the clearances at the doors and body of the car. The clearances should show the same gap all over their length. Furthermore they should be identical on both sides of the car. Also look for dents on the side of the roof. This could be a sign for a frontal crash (which left a kink in the roof). The second thing to check is the inside of the trunk. Remove all the interior trim and look for weld seams which seem out of place. Also look for traces of an overpainting. This could indicate a rear accident.

F) Check the profile depth and possibly the age of the tires. You can see the age of the tires by looking at the 4-digit number next to the “DOT” logo on the side of the tires. The first two digits are the week of production, the last two digits mark the year of production (e.g. 4008 is week 40 in the year 2008).

3. What to look for on a test drive:

A) First make sure that you start the engine from a cold state. If the car has problems with the starter the seller might have let it run before your test drive. The car should start smooth out of the cold state.

B) Test the function of all the electronics like lights, turn signals as well as cooling systems etc. Of course a broken light is not a reason not to buy a car but it could be a valuable argument for a price reduction.

C) On your test drive switch off the radio, ask the seller not to speak all the time and possibly open a window so you can hear possible suspicious sounds.

D) Take your time and choose a route that allows you to speed up to at least above 50 miles per hour. A lot of defuncts will only show up at a higher speed.

E) Take the hands off of the steering wheel. The car should go straight, provided you drive on even ground. If not, ask for the reason (accident etc.).

F) Check the brakes by making some hard brakings from high speed. If the brakes are ok the car should go straight and not steer to one side or the other. This test also has the side effect that you will see if the ABS is working properly.

G) Check the clutch with the following very simple method (but ask the seller if this is ok before you do it): While the car is parked shift into the third gear. Then engage the clutch suddenly without any gas. The engine should stall immediately. If it moves forward in a rather smooth motion it is definitely a sign of a worn out clutch (which means a pricy repair).

H) Check the wheel bearings on a wide space, possibly a big parking area. Drive in the narrowest circle possible (the steering wheel is fully turned in one direction) and listen for bumping sounds from the inner wheel. Do this in both directions.

I) Check the engine and bottom of the car for fluids after your test drive. Often the engine and bottom of the car was professionaly cleaned by dealers before your inspection so that leaks can only be seen after the test drive.

4. Price negotiations:

If your test drive has been successful it is time to negotiate the price. Here are some suggestions on how to reduce the asked price:

A) Recite all the weak points that you have found during your inspection and test drive and sum up the amount as a price deduction.

B) Deduct the price of new tires (tires are almost never new on used cars). Also deduct the price of additional winter tires (if you live in an area where they are necessary).

C) Make an additional discount, proportionate to the requested price. Offer to pay cash in return. It is just human nature that people will agree into a lower price when they are offered a cash payment.

5. Feedback:

I hope you have found the information helpful. I have accumulated this knowledge over the years and never bought a really bad used car so far.

Please write me a comment if you have any other tipps and tricks for the ordinary used car buyer. If you have questions or suggestions on the tipps above feel free to contact me.