Tips And Advice For Inspecting And Checking A Used Car
Buying a second hand car can be one of the quickest, easiest and cost affective ways to owning the ideal car. You do not have to be a car expert, garage owner or a mechanic to inspect a second hand car, but there are a few golden rules you may want to know, find out all about them in the video below.
Buying A Used Car Should Be Easy Not Hard
Buying a used car is usually a challenge – but it doesn't have to be like this.
While buying a second hand car, there are certain steps that should be taken and points to keep in mind. There can be real dangers to buying a used vehicle – avoid needless trouble by planning ahead.
Here are a few tips to keeping things easy during your second hand car purchase.
While buying a second hand car, there are certain steps that should be taken and points to keep in mind. There can be real dangers to buying a used vehicle – avoid needless trouble by planning ahead.
Here are a few tips to keeping things easy during your second hand car purchase.
Get It To A Garage
As soon as you have chosen what used car you wish to buy, you can take the car to a nearby car garage, checking company, or other specialist to make sure everything in the vehicle is running fine. A specialist can check over things like the manufacturing date, expiry date, registration period, or if the car has a recall put out on it.
Car recalls are usually issued due to a potential problem connected to a safety issue or defect – a car or garage specialist will know if your vehicle fits the bill or is on a recall list.
It is not the job of those selling the vehicle to repair any recalled parts before selling the car to a new person - they are not even required to highlight to the buyer that the vehicle is under any recalls. It’s best use professionals and specialists – they have a vast array of knowledge that can be applied to checking your vehicle.
Car recalls are usually issued due to a potential problem connected to a safety issue or defect – a car or garage specialist will know if your vehicle fits the bill or is on a recall list.
It is not the job of those selling the vehicle to repair any recalled parts before selling the car to a new person - they are not even required to highlight to the buyer that the vehicle is under any recalls. It’s best use professionals and specialists – they have a vast array of knowledge that can be applied to checking your vehicle.
Check For An Online History
If you can't find a reliable specialist in your area, you may consider using an online used car history HPI check free. Online companies such as these are designed to offer quality checks on used cars. These companies have an in depth knowledge and can find out all about the car in question – this includes and documents that the seller had possessed during the time he or she bought it, but no longer has. This information can be vital to you as a buyer, as they may reveal a vehicle's previously unknown history.
The legal documents found in your online search can include a warranty period, car insurance, tax budget, and more. You may overlook these factors initially, but professionals are very much aware of how important these documents are.... and if they find that any paper is missing, then the car price may be reduced. If there has been any servicing done, the paper should be handed over to you.
During a routine check, the professionals will ask for the spare tire, check the carbonator, the brakes, the engine and many other mechanisms. Finding this paperwork will save you the hassle of having to deal with it on your own down the road!
There is an increasing demand for companies who offer these online services like used car checking, both free and paid, and most provide a high quality service, are trust worthy, and reliable. You will find that most online car history companies have a professional attitude and are very dedicated to their job. If you are planning to buy a second hand car, locating a quality online car history company can be considered time well spent.
The legal documents found in your online search can include a warranty period, car insurance, tax budget, and more. You may overlook these factors initially, but professionals are very much aware of how important these documents are.... and if they find that any paper is missing, then the car price may be reduced. If there has been any servicing done, the paper should be handed over to you.
During a routine check, the professionals will ask for the spare tire, check the carbonator, the brakes, the engine and many other mechanisms. Finding this paperwork will save you the hassle of having to deal with it on your own down the road!
There is an increasing demand for companies who offer these online services like used car checking, both free and paid, and most provide a high quality service, are trust worthy, and reliable. You will find that most online car history companies have a professional attitude and are very dedicated to their job. If you are planning to buy a second hand car, locating a quality online car history company can be considered time well spent.
Discuss The History With The Seller
If you discover any skeleton's in the closet of the used car you're interested in, you will want to bring up your findings (and concerns) to the person selling the used vehicle. This can be a bit difficult, as you never know what reception you will receive, but it should be done all the same.
If you're buying the used car from a dealership, answering your questions and easing your worries will be the primary concern of the employees. After all, you want to buy the car and they want to sell it to you – chances are, if anything is missing, it will either be found or the price will be drastically reduced.
Dealerships will often do anything to keep a customer happy, so they will come back for their next car purchase.
If you're buying the used car from a dealership, answering your questions and easing your worries will be the primary concern of the employees. After all, you want to buy the car and they want to sell it to you – chances are, if anything is missing, it will either be found or the price will be drastically reduced.
Dealerships will often do anything to keep a customer happy, so they will come back for their next car purchase.
Things Might Get A Bit Tricky
If you're buying the used car from an individual seller, things might get a bit tricky. Human error can often times account for lost paperwork, but it can also be a sign of a shady seller trying to get rid of a lemon.
If the seller is desperate, they might lower the price... or they may try to bluff, saying that they will get the paperwork to you later or that the paperwork is not that important. Remember to have a professional standing by (or one who you can talk to online) who can tell you for sure how important the paperwork is.
Always keep a level head when buying a used vehicle – often times selling and buying cars is done through the slightest of manipulations. Ultimately it's up to you whether or not to buy the car, but go with your gut and advice from the garage or vehicle specialist you took the car to.
While buying a second hand car can be difficult, there are ways of side-stepping potential issues – always research the car's history and have it checked by a mechanic before purchasing.
This will save you time, money, and potential frustration in the long run!
If the seller is desperate, they might lower the price... or they may try to bluff, saying that they will get the paperwork to you later or that the paperwork is not that important. Remember to have a professional standing by (or one who you can talk to online) who can tell you for sure how important the paperwork is.
Always keep a level head when buying a used vehicle – often times selling and buying cars is done through the slightest of manipulations. Ultimately it's up to you whether or not to buy the car, but go with your gut and advice from the garage or vehicle specialist you took the car to.
While buying a second hand car can be difficult, there are ways of side-stepping potential issues – always research the car's history and have it checked by a mechanic before purchasing.
This will save you time, money, and potential frustration in the long run!
Are Used Car Prices Are Up?
It is said that used car prices continue their upward push and are staying strong, be sure to read all about it in the infographic below.
How to Check A Car's MPG
With increasing fuel prices, fuel efficiency of a vehicle is more important than ever. As a car owner, it is important that you are thoroughly aware of your car's fuel efficiency.
Knowing the car's mpg (miles per gallon) can help you tell whether your car's functioning at optimum levels or needs a makeover to increase mileage. And plus, it also helps you sell your car quickly (in case you are planning to do so).
With that said, here's how to check your car's mpg in a hassle-free manner...
1. Get yourself a notebook. Your car's fuel efficiency cannot be calculated at one go because there are so many factors that play a role in determining the efficiency at a given point of time. Always keep a notebook in your car's dashboard where you have your vehicle's VIN, gas fills, mileage, services and other essential information.
2. Fill up your fuel tank at the gas station and record the mileage of your car before you start. Consider this mileage A.
3. Drive your car for as long as possible (At least until it is less than half full). The longer you can stay without refilling the fuel, the better.
4. Fill up the fuel tank again to its full and record the mileage again.
5. Calculate your MPG. Here's the simple formula: (Mileage B - Mileage A)/Gallons B.
Tips:
- Your car's odometer can often be inaccurate. We recommend verifying it often by using markers every now and then when you're driving.
- You can also check your car's mpg with a lot more accuracy with the help of an application (if you have a smartphone). There are so many apps that can help you do this.
- For increased accuracy, consider purchasing a liquid measuring gauge to verify the fuel level in your tank.
Reference:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HPI_Ltd
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HPI_Check
Knowing the car's mpg (miles per gallon) can help you tell whether your car's functioning at optimum levels or needs a makeover to increase mileage. And plus, it also helps you sell your car quickly (in case you are planning to do so).
With that said, here's how to check your car's mpg in a hassle-free manner...
1. Get yourself a notebook. Your car's fuel efficiency cannot be calculated at one go because there are so many factors that play a role in determining the efficiency at a given point of time. Always keep a notebook in your car's dashboard where you have your vehicle's VIN, gas fills, mileage, services and other essential information.
2. Fill up your fuel tank at the gas station and record the mileage of your car before you start. Consider this mileage A.
3. Drive your car for as long as possible (At least until it is less than half full). The longer you can stay without refilling the fuel, the better.
4. Fill up the fuel tank again to its full and record the mileage again.
5. Calculate your MPG. Here's the simple formula: (Mileage B - Mileage A)/Gallons B.
Tips:
- Your car's odometer can often be inaccurate. We recommend verifying it often by using markers every now and then when you're driving.
- You can also check your car's mpg with a lot more accuracy with the help of an application (if you have a smartphone). There are so many apps that can help you do this.
- For increased accuracy, consider purchasing a liquid measuring gauge to verify the fuel level in your tank.
Reference:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HPI_Ltd
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HPI_Check
Customer's Pulse on Car Purchases
Here is an infographic on how the market shows behavioural characteristics of customers on cars and car purchasing.