How to check a used car before you buy it

Before you go

Call the seller first. Ask about accidents, repainting and flooding, where the car was serviced and why it is being sold, and write the answers down: you will compare them with what you see. Ask for a photo of the registration document and the VIN in advance.

Ask the seller not to start the engine for at least 3–4 hours before you arrive. A warm engine hides worn timing chains, hard starting and noises. Bring a torch, paper towels, gloves and a charged phone; a paint thickness gauge is a bonus.

1. Papers and VIN

• The VIN on the car (under the windshield and on the door pillar) matches the registration document, character for character.
• The owner named in the papers is the person selling. If not, be ready to walk away.
• There is no loan, no unpaid fines and no restriction on the car. Check this in the official register or the traffic authority of the country you are buying in.
• The odometer reading fits the service records and the wear on the pedals, the steering wheel and the driver’s seat.

2. The body, in daylight

Look at a clean, dry car in daylight, never in a garage or at night. Walk around it slowly, then crouch and look along each side at an angle.

• Panel gaps (bonnet and wings, doors, boot) are even and the same on both sides.
• All panels are the same shade and have the same paint texture. Overspray on rubber seals or trim means repainting.
• Paint chipped around the hinge bolts of a door, the bonnet or the boot means the bolts were removed.
• Sills, wheel arches and door bottoms have no rust or bubbling paint.
• The tyres wear evenly, have no cracks and are not too old — read the DOT code.

More on this in How to check a car’s paint and accident damage and How to read a tyre DOT code.

3. The interior

• Lift the floor mats and the boot floor by the spare wheel: no damp, silt, sand or rust. See How to tell if a car has been in a flood.
• Switch the ignition on without starting the engine. The warning lights (airbag, ABS, engine) come on and go out after the start. A light that never comes on may have been disabled.
• Wear on the steering wheel, the pedals and the driver’s seat matches the mileage.
• The air conditioning blows cold within 2–3 minutes, with no smell or noise. Windows, mirrors, locks and the screen work.
• Airbag covers sit flush and match in colour and texture.

4. The engine, from cold

Touch the bonnet and the engine: both must be cold. If the seller has warmed the car up, that is a warning in itself. Open the bonnet and look for oil or coolant leaks, damp or crusty hoses and a milky film under the oil filler cap. Then start the engine and listen. How to read what you hear is in Cold start: what to listen for and look at.

5. The test drive

Drive for at least 20–30 minutes on different roads. Check the steering, the brakes, the acceleration, the gearbox and the suspension; the details are in the used car test drive checklist. Afterwards let the engine idle and look under the car and under the bonnet for fresh leaks and smells.

What you can’t check yourself

You can’t see the inside of the engine or the gearbox, the frame or the electronics. If the car passes your check and you want it, pay for a workshop inspection before you pay for the car. Use everything you found to negotiate: worn tyres, an overdue timing belt or tired brakes are fair reasons to lower the price.

Walk away if the VIN does not match, the seller is not the owner, there are signs of a flood or of structural repair, or the mileage does not add up.