Used cars can be much better deals than new cars in many cases. New cars depreciate much faster, and you lose out on money when you purchase one. Used cars on the other hand, have already depreciated a large amount, and will lose value much slower. However, the savings to your bank account is not going to do you any good if you buy a car that isn’t as reliable as it is made out to be. Learn how to inspect used vehicles to find out if they have problems and you can snatch those great deals without fear.
Inspecting a Used Car
Park the Car on Level Ground
Start off by bringing the car somewhere level where you can inspect it. When you are on a level surface it is much easier to see if anything is sagging, or if there is an issue with one of the tires.
Examine the Exterior
Take a very long look at the outside of the car before you even bother looking inside it. Examine all of the surfaces of the vehicle for any irregularities in the paint. If it looks thicker in some areas than others it probably has body filler on it. Place a magnet on the car in those spots to test that theory. A magnet should stick to the car body, while it will fall off filler.
If you do find any spots that just don’t look natural make sure that you ask about them. There could be a mild reason for the filler, or it could have been crashed into a tree.
Pop the Trunk
Open up the trunk and look in that secret compartment that holds the spare tire. If the trunk is in very bad shape there is a good chance the rest of the car is as well. Look for excessive wear and any rusting.
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Pop the Hood
Lift up the hood and look around for any general issues that jump out at you. Look for rust spots under the hood, and look closely at the different hoses and belts. The hoses can’t be soft, and they shouldn’t be cracked either.
Pull out the dipstick and look at the color of the oil on it. If it is black they probably don’t take care of the car very well.
Make sure that you lift off the oil cap as well. Look under the cap to see if there are any oil chunks. Chunks of oil indicate sludge buildup and that means the oil is not changed nearly enough. You could also spot a white film which points to head gasket issues.
Take a close look around the engine for any dark stains. Stains indicate fluid leaks that could be very bad problems potentially. You also want to look for any obvious changes that were made under the hood. If something doesn’t look right it is probably due to a repair made and you should ask about it.
Before you drop the hood back into place pull out the transmission dipstick and take a close look at it. You want lighter colored fluids, and you definitely don’t want to smell a burnt smell. If you do, the transmission fluid has not been changed in a long time and you could have transmission problems.
The Test Drive
The last stage of your inspection is the test drive. Make sure that while you are driving the vehicle you get it up to a high speed. Although it may be difficult to get the car up to top speed in some areas of Reno Nevada, if you can get it up to at least 60 or 70 it will help you find out if there are any issues you didn’t notice before. Watch out for vibrations, or pulling in one direction or the other.
Also make sure to step on the brakes in the vehicle quickly a few times. If it vibrates excessively during braking there may be a problem with the brake system that has to be addressed.
When in Doubt Bring in an Expert
If you aren’t sure about a vehicle after inspecting it yourself, and you really want to give it a chance, ask if you can bring it to your mechanic so he can take a look. If they say no, then walk away from them without looking back. If they say yes, bring it into the shop and have your favorite mechanic take a look at it for you. He should be able to find most of the problems with the vehicle pretty quickly, and you will have a good idea if you are getting a good deal or not from him.
The more thorough of an inspection you give any prospective vehicle, the better chance you are going to have at getting a good deal. There is nothing worse than buying a vehicle that fails less than a year later.
