Basic Inspection Checklist

• Check the state of the tyres. Make sure they're road legal and if they need replacing, ask for the cost to be deducted. Otherwise, you can source great deals on tyres here.
• To check a car's suspension, push down hard at each corner and let go. The car should spring straight back up and immediately settle at the original level
• Check that bodywork panels line up correctly and look out for mismatched paint. Either one could indicate a crash
• Doors that don't close properly and signs of a repaint around rubber door seals are two more signs of a possible crash
• Check under the rug between the front and back doors for welding. This could indicate a 'cut and shut' car (where front and back halves from two different cars of the same model are welded together to make a 'new' one). Despite being very dangerous, dodgy sellers regularly pass 'cut and shuts' on to buyers
• Stickers can hide damage so peek underneath
• Check that the exhaust isn't about to fall off. If it needs replacing, barter the cost off the asking price
• While underneath the car, check the ground for any oil leaks
• Ensure that the gears operate smoothly and the clutch engages correctly
• If the car has a low mileage, yet the pedals and seats are worn, the car may have been 'clocked' (i.e. the car's indicated mileage has been tampered with)
• Start the car and check that the oil light goes out straight away
• Check the steering wheel moves smoothly and silently from lock to lock
• Check all the electrics (windows, lights, wipers, radio etc) are working correctly
• Check for exhaust smoke. Excessive smoke of any colour is a sign of trouble
• Once the car's warmed up, check that the engine idles smoothly
• Walk away from a car with an engine that makes rattling, knocking or any other worrying sounds
• Check the dipstick and inside the oil filler cap. A 'mayonnaise' type residue means water's gotten in and it could mean an expensive repair bill

Inspection Tip #1: always view a car in daylight when it's dry as raindrops or poor light can hide all manner of superficial, and sometimes serious, problems.

Take a Test Drive

Always test drive before buying. Try the car out in various conditions, e.g. puttering through town and at speed on a dual carriageway. Listen out for a healthy sounding engine; ensure all gauges and dials are working correctly; use all gears including reverse; go over a speed bump or two while listening for suspension knocks; test breaks; and take note of any steering drift to the left or right when going in a straight line.

Inspection Tip #2: Even before you physically inspect a car, you can check out a model's general safety by visiting Euro NCAP to see how the vehicle performed in crash tests.

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Next: Inspecting the Paperwork

Buyers Guide