17 Things to Check When Buying a Used Car

I was out looking at used cars this weekend with my father.  I was just glad that he didn’t bring along his own 100 point check list or something like that.  But he is a bit of a car guru so he was telling me what to look for when buying a used car.

1. Look down the door line for ripples in the sheet metal.  This could be an indicator that the car was in an accident.

2. Look at the doors, is the space around the door even on all sides?  This could also indicate that the car was in an accident and that something was bent.

3. Look at the rubber pieces around doors and windows.  If the car was in an accident and was repainted, usually you will see some paint on the rubber.  In most cases people wont have paint jobs of excellent quality so the painters will just cover up the rubber with masking tape.  Some paint with inevitably get on the rubber.

4. Make sure bumpers look like they fit well with the car because this could be a sign of an accident.

5. Make sure body parts look their age.  If some of that grey plastic that they like to use for bumpers or on the side of doors looks like it is new compared to other parts, this could indicated that it has been replaced and that their could have been an accident.

6. Look under the car, if their is a new undercoat, this could indicate that the dealer is hiding something.

7. Look under the car at the sheet metal, does it look buckled or rippled?  Does it look original?  If either of these are wrong, it could be an indicater of an accident.

8. Open up the trunk, inspect the sheet metal around the trunk, if it is buckled or rippled or obviously new, it could incate an accident.

9. Look for straight lines in paint like masking tape was peeled away, this indicates that something was fixed or replaced.

10. Check for any leaks in hoses or gaskets.

11. Ask the dealer or person you are buying it from how many owners the car has had, if it was a leased car, if it has been in any major accidents, if it has had water damage, et cetera.

12. Check the interior for rips, tears, stains, holes, missing knobs, broken levers, et cetera.

13. Check if the windows, locks, AC, 4 ways, turn signals, lights, wipers, cd player, cassett player, mirrors, and sunroof work.

14. Check if the car smells of mold.  Could indicate water damage.

15. Check if the steering wheel wobbles while driving the car.  This could indicated an assortment of problems such as wheels are out of alignment or balance, or transmission problems.

16. Get the VIN number and run a VIN check on a website like CARFAX to get the lowdown on the car before buying it.  CARFAX will tell you how many owners the car has had, accidents it has been in, any time the car was serviced at a dealership or place of service, warranties remaining, and it will spit out safety reports based on the cars reviews.

17. Optional but recommended - Take the car to a dealer that specializes in that type of car and have them inspect it for you.  This may cost you 50 to a hundred dollars, but it saves you surprises.

18. Check the value of the car at retail on Kelly Blue Book, NADA, or Edmunds.

When going to buy or test drive a car, take someone along with you to ease the pressure and think of things that you wouldn’t.  Test drive the car to your hearts content.  Don’t buy the car if you feel uneasy or pressured.  Tell the dealership that they can do better on price and normally they will groan but get back to you with a lower price.

Hope this has helped.  Anyone have other things to think about or add?