Buying a used car can be a great way to get a great car at a reasonable price. The advantage of buying a used car over a new car is that you can often get a fairly new car, with low mileage for significantly less then what a new car would cost. However when buying a used car you will want to be sure you are buying something that can last you a long time with out much trouble rather then someone elses piece of junk. In this guide I hope to help guide you to making a better informed decision when used car shopping. Today I would like to just focus on the visuals of used car buying. They say a picture is worth a 1000 words, well being there in person is worth a million. At a later date we will check out the mechanicals of used car buying.
After you’ve chosen the car you would like to look at the first logical place to start inspecting is the body. If you know what to look for the body of a car can tell you the story of the car. The first thing to do is inspect the paint closely. Nice shiny smooth paint can be deceiving but if you know what to look for you will know if the body has been repaired or panels replaced.
First inspect the gaps of all the panels, they should be even, if not chances are they have been in an accident or replaced. Open all the doors, the trunk, and the hood, everything should open and close easily and smoothly. Also check for any play in everything including the door handles which could also point to an accident or replacement.
Next you want to inspect the paint, unless the car has been rarely driven and stored in a garage always some nicks and chips may be present. Whether the amount present is acceptable to you are not is your decision. What we really want to look at here is if the paint is consistent. Do all body panels look the same shade of paint? For example if the paint on the door is shinier and brighter then the paint on the fender, this may mean the door has had some repair done to it due to an accident or other reason. Also at this point check to see if there is any paint on any of the trim pieces, fender linings, or other places it shouldn’t be. This may also indicate some repair and repainting.
The next step in inspecting the paint involves looking down the painted surfaces of the car at a low angle in good light such as sunlight. At low angles looking down the length of lets say the hood or the door you may be able to see where a panel has been repaired by waveyness in the paint or surface. Often times this is not visible when looking right at the surface at higher angles.
Now that you have thoroughly inspected the paint it’s time to move on to tires and suspension. First look at the car straight on and make sure it looks level. The car should not be leaning to one side or the other, then do the same at the rear of the car. Next looking at the side of the car look to see if the car appears to be sitting at the correct ride height, if it appears to be lower then normal it could indicate troubles in the suspension.
Next you want to inspect the tires, bald tires can be a sign the car is abused, or at the very least not safe to drive. If the tires are wearing unevenly for example if the outside is worn more of the inside this indicates an alignment issue which could be as simple as getting the car aligned or mean there is suspension damage or wear that would need fixed. I would advise against paying full price for a car with any uneven tire wear as it will atleast mean you need new tires, and at worst could mean an expensive repair bill.
It’s time to move on to the interior, but first let’s make a stop at the door weather stripping first. Check it for visible cracks or if it’s brittle. Worn weather stripping means that you car’s heater will have a tough time warming you up in the winter. It also means it will allow moisture in which will fog over your windows more. These are generally and expensive replacement so beware.
Moving on to the interior of the car you will want to take a look at the various seating surfaces and carpeting. What you are looking for here is inconsistencies in the surfaces. The seats and carpets will have some wear and tear with age, this is normal and unavoidable, however if the seats are worn and the dash looks worn but the carpets look brand new then the owner could be trying to cover up a potential issue. It’s possible that there has been water leaking into the floor boards or other problems. Again consistency is what we are looking for here.
Now is a good time to check the windows. If you see any cracks or chips note that you have an expensive repair on your hands. You will not want to drive the car with cracks or chips as in most states it is illegal and you will get a ticket.
That’s kind of the quick and dirty of what to visually look for when looking for a used car. In our next installment we will check out what you need to look for mechanically.