Five things to look for when buying a second hand car
- Firstly, you should always check how many mileage the car has covered. Anything over 100,000 is probably too much and you shouldn't buy it unless its had a lot of parts changed.
- Have a look at the age and model on the internet, it will tell you things to look at as the car moves along in age, such as what parts if damaged mean the car has been trashed.
- Check to see if the car has a full service history. If it doesnt you dont know how reliable the car is or will be in the future and there is no proof if they say theyve added new parts.
- Check the paintwork. This in itself shouldn't worry you too much, but it can say how much the owner cares about their car. A dull, scratched paint job with obvious signs of rust should be avoided, because not much TLC has been shared with the car. However if there has been great care attended to the car, a well polished and waxed surface on an undamaged, clear paint job, and shows the car has been well looked after.
- And last but not least, find a friend or someone you trust with experience in mechanics to pop the hood to have a good look at the engine to find out how much it will cost you to make any repairs and to see if it is worth buying.
Also in general you should buy a car just because it looks or sounds good. It could cost you a lot of money in future. But also buy the car if you really want to, not because someone is telling you its a good buy. You want to be happy with your car.
