Buying a used car from a private party individual scares the living bageeeeezus out of most people. There are a lot of people out there that will tell you anything they need to make a sale, or quite frankly might just be clueless as to the issues with the car they are selling. I completely understand the stress. Let’s face it, for many people their vehicle may be their second biggest purchase ever (second to their home) and if even if it isn’t, I guarantee it is a chunk of cash that you wouldn’t want to put into a pile and burn. Fortunately, I’ve been involved with cars since I was a kid, and in that time I’ve been able to collect some knowledge that has helped keep me from getting burned on multiple occasions. Now, let’s get one thing out of the way before we go any further, however. There is no silver bullet out there that is going to protect you from every possible situation. I like to say cars are like light bulbs, one second they are working, the next they aren’t. In other words- these tips are just that…tips. Use your head, ask some good questions, do some research, and follow these tips. All these combined may just save your butt. Enjoy these 10 tips to buying a used car:
Clamp Marks –
Get down on the ground and check out the area of the car under the rocker panel. Here you are going to find the pinch rail of the car’s unibody. What you are looking for is any sign that the car has been placed on a frame machine. These signs will look like a series of diagonal slash marks, dimples, or hash marks. These indicators mean that the car has been in a serious enough accident that a body shop felt the need to put the car into a jig to either assure that the structure is straight or to actually pull it into place using chains or hydraulics. Just to be clear, depending on the price of the car, or what your needs are, clamp marks may not be a reason to walk away. It should, however, cause you to look more carefully at the car for other indicators, or at the very least ask the seller some more questions.
Paint Work
Another indicator of a previous accident could be paint work. Although paint work might be just for cosmetic reasons, it could also mean that there has been an accident which could affect the vehicles drive ability or durability. There are a few simple ways to detect paint work that requires no tools at all. First, find a car that you are completely confident has no paint work whatsoever. Feel the edge of the hood closest to the windshield with your fingertips. Factory paint work feels completely smooth. A painted panel will feel rough almost like sandpaper. Second look in the jambs for tape lines. These will be hard lines formed from removing masking tape from the freshly painted car. Lastly, stand back from the car and look at it in a different light. Is there texture (orange peel), what about craters (fish eye), or specs of dirt? Sometimes, you can even see sand scratch marks still under the paint, or rings of bad body work. Like clamp marks, paint alone doesn’t mean that you necessarily need to pass on the car, but it should lead you to ask more questions as to why the paint was done anyway.
Turned bolts
While you have the hood opened and you are looking for those tape lines, take a peek at the bolts holding the fenders and hood on. Cars from the factory are painted with these panels and bolts already in place so the paint should be intact and smooth on the nuts and bolts. If the edges of the bolts have the paint chipped away, this usually indicates that the bolts have had a wrench applied. As I’ve said before, this should just lead you to question why someone would be under the hood turning bolts unless something bad had happened.
Welds
As you are looking around for the car look at the radiator core supports, and rear quarter panels (trunk jamb areas) for signs of welding. Factory welds should look like small perfectly indented little circles which are consistently spread apart. Aftermarket welds will sometimes show signs of heat marks, pooled metal deposits, and sometimes even different looking seam sealer.
Oil
Pull the oil cap. Look on the underside of the cap itself. If it looks like chocolate milk there is a problem. Most likely there is coolant mixed in with the oil which is not something you want to get into with a used vehicle purchase-walk away immediately. If while looking at the cap you don’t see chocolate milk but instead, notice something that looks like melted chocolate or pudding you want to walk away as well. But just to be sure stick your finger inside the oil cap hole and rub your finger on the underside of the valve cover. More pudding or mud? This is sludge. Walk away!!!! Lastly, check the dipstick. If the oil is low walk away. I mean if someone is so lazy that they would leave low oil levels on a car they were trying to sell, what does that say for how they really took care of the car?
Oil leaks
Take an overall look for leaks coming from the engine while at the same time taking a good long sniff. Sweet smells typically come from the coolant, walk away. Oil leaks can be an easier fix depending on where they are coming from. Valve covers/oil pan – most cases an easier fix. Anywhere else…if you’re reading this article, you probably aren’t skilled enough to fix it and you likely need to walk away.
Transmission
Drive the car!!! Don’t ever buy a car without driving it. If the seller refuses walk away. It’s important that you are the one driving. I can drive a car with a bad trans and have you believing it’s brand new. You and you alone need to see if the car is shifting properly or slipping. Also when it comes to the trans, you will want to check the dipstick (if it has one). Is the fluid clean and red or is it black and burnt? If it’s burnt, walk away.
AC
Check the air conditioning. Sure you can tell yourself all day long that you don’t need AC, but it sure makes it nice if you decide to use it. And – AC repairs can be expensive. Simply put the back of your hand near the vent and check to see if the air gets cold after a reasonable amount of time.
Brakes
Obviously, make sure the car stops okay, but beyond that, there are a couple other details. Is there a pulsation in the pedal, steering wheel or your seat when braking? This would be the rotors. Actually, a cheap and easy fix if you are the least bit handy, so just use that to your advantage during negotiations. Also, many wheels now have open faces that allow you to see the caliper. Take as close a look as possible at the pads themselves making sure they have a reasonable amount of material left (1/4 inch or more). Again, pads are an easy fix, but this can be a great negotiating tool.
Tires
You’ve probably heard of the old advice of using a penny to measure tread. If you put a penny in the tire tread and you can see all of Lincolns head, the tires are less than 2/32 they need to be replaced. I’m here to tell you that 2/32 is pretty low. Again, great negotiating tool. But beyond tread depth, also look for signs of dry rot, bulging, uneven wear, and on the test drive listen for tire noises.
Great deals can be had buying a used car over new. With a little time and effort you can drive away with an amazing ride. Do your research, follow your instincts, and add plenty of questions. Happy hunting!