What do you look for when buying a 9-11 year old second hand car from a private seller (Carsales, Gumtree, ads)?
Considerations When Buying a Second Hand Car (9-11 Year Old Car)?
[Deactivated] on 13/01/2015 - 22:20
Poll Options
- 12Mileage (km)
- 0Manufacture year
- 0Car make
- 1Physical appearance (damage/scratches/dents)
Comments
when the car is cold (hasn't been started for a few hours) take off the radiator cap and look for oily scum. is the coolant level correct?
check the oil -dipstick. is it dirty? is there oil at the correct level?
take off the oil filler cap and check the inside of the oil. clean ? yeah, well maintained. dirty, not too great.then start it. how smoothly does it start?
look under the bonnet again. check for any leaking coolant.
look at the alignment of the panels. is there a uniform gap between them all? if not then it may have been in an accident and had panel repairs.
when you go for a test drive take the car somewhere with lots of corners to check steering and brakes. (some people just test cars on the highway - "wow, it goes well in a straight line")Excellent information above. Thanks for your time and expertise.
By no means this list is exhaustive
Check service history (Has it been completed, and was it on time? Receipts, logbooks, Proof, etc)
When checking exterior look for dints, straight panels, rust. Have a quick look under the car and see if you notice any of these. When you open the doors, bonnet, boot follow the doors and panels and check for any damage. The rear could have been pushed in but when the boot is closed it hides it, etc. Look at the paint condition, this will tell you if the owner has taken care of the car. Has the car been re-sprayed? If so i would be asking questions.
Look at the engine bay and try to have a look if there were any prior oil leaks. its hard to tell when you're not in there but its sometimes obvious if you look hard enough. Check along the gaskets and the lower extremities for any leaks.
a decade old car should be fairly decent inside, but i would look for the condition of the seat, door guards, arm rest, gear stick and seat belts for any signs of wear. Turn on the A/C and heaters to check that they actually work.
When you go for a test drive give it a boot and run the climate settings at the same time and listen for any signs of struggle. Listen out for the engine too under hard acceleration, if it sounds like its rattling, walk away.