Top tips for buying a used car

Are you looking to buy a used car? Here are our top tips for purchasing a used car. 

What to look for on the car exterior:

1. Does the car have scuffs, chips, or scratches? Second-hand cars will have certain blemishes that you wouldn't get with a brand-new car, hence the name 'second hand'.  

2. Check the shut lines of the car, are they true and even? If these are not straight, this would indicate that the car has experienced some damage. 

3. Check for paint work corrections, you can do this by looking at the seal under the windows, if these haven't been removed there may be splashes of visible paint. 

4. Check the tyres, front tyres wear quicker than rear tyres.

- Make sure you have a decent tread depth, the legal limit is 1.6mm however once you get to 3mm the car is getting ready for a new set of tyres. 

- Tyre 'wear band' - this is a small square block inside the tread depth, if that is near the surface, the tyres are getting ready to be replaced.  

- Uneven tyre tread depth - this can be a sign that the vehicle is out of track and requires tracking 

- Wheel damage - check for surface damage. If there is surface damage, the wheel could be buckled or need replacing. 

- Wheel wobble - make sure you test drive the car, if it has wheel wobble, it probably means that the car needs its wheels balanced. 

5. Check the lamp lenses, these can often be cracked. The car would fail its MOT if it had a cracked lamp, so that would need to be replaced. 

6. Check the indicator flasher, these are often on the mirror of a car. If this has been caught and cracked, this will need replacing. 

7. Check for standard equipment, does the car have a roller blind or a parcel shelf and spare wheel? Make sure you get these with the car. 

What to look for in the interior of the car: 

1. Check for seat wear, are the seats in the car well looked after? 

2. Check for carpet mats, does the car have them? If it does, make sure you get them. 

3. Check for steering wheel wear, is the steering wheel in good condition? 

What to look for with the car performance:

1. Make sure you do a test drive. Your car is likely to be your second biggest purchase other than your house. 

2. Check for wear and tear. There nearly always be some small bits of wear and tear as it is a second-hand car. 

3. Check for seatbelt wear - are they in good condition? A damaged seatbelt does classify as an MOT failure. 

4. Check for pulling, make sure you don't feel any pulling from the steering. 

5. Check for brake juddering, when you break, do you feel juddering coming from the steering? If so, that is often an indication that the brake discs or pads are worn out and need replacing. 

6. Can you hear any unusual noises? 

What to check for with regard to service history and warranty: 

1. Check how long is left on the MOT.

2. Check what type of warranty comes with the car, Jim Walton provides a 12 months parts and labour warranty with all cars purchased. 

3. Check the service history of the car. 

4. Check the timing belt and water pump. 

5. Ask for all sets of keys, they are expensive to replace. 

6. Ensure the lock and wheel nut key comes with the car. 

Please do not hesitate to contact our team with any questions you may have.