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Buying A Used Car
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Wednesday, 19 May 2010 16:01
In recent news from the RAC a shocking three quarters of the used cars they have inspected have been found to have faults that would lead to a failed MOT. In addition, a further one in three have potentially dangerous or illegal faults.

Nicola Johnson, Manager of RAC Inspections, told us more, “Individuals looking for a used car bargain are entering a minefield and not everyone has either the right level of knowledge to know what to look for, or a mechanically minded friend or family member they can call upon to help. The level of issues we have found with used cars is concerning, with half of the vehicles we checked having more than ten faults. Even if they weren’t a risk to motorists’ safety, over 80 percent of those with faults would cost the new owner more than £200 to fix.”
These are worrying figures, and show just how vigilant buyers need to be when buying a second hand car, and also when it comes to maintenance of their vehicle. However, many of the issues raised are easily resolved by owners keeping an eye on, for example, tyres. In fact, the most common faults found by RAC engineers were worn or damaged tyres, many of which were illegal - see the tips for caring for your tyres below. 44 percent had faulty steering and/or suspension, making driving risky, particularly in poor weather conditions. A further 42 percent had fluid leakages, 39 percent had corroded or worn brake discs and countless more had damaged exteriors, such as cracked windows and chipped paintwork.

So, to assist drivers RAC Inspections offers these tips for buyers of used cars:
  • Always check the car's logbook or registration document to validate ownership, accuracy of age and mileage.
  • Don't rely on the MOT as evidence of a car's condition.
  • An RAC Car Data Check will give you the previous history of the vehicle and tell you if it is registered as stolen, has been written off or is still on finance.
  • View the car in good weather conditions and in daylight.
  • Test drive the car on a range of roads for at least ten minutes.
  • If you haven’t got a mechanically minded friend who can view the car with you, get at a full vehicle inspection which will help identify potential expensive mechanical problems and major accident repairs. The resulting report can help you negotiate with the seller. Remember, the average costs of repairs exceeds £200, so the report can pay for itself.
To conduct an RAC Inspection
log on to www.rac.co.uk/web/vehiclechecks/examination/ or call 0800-975-5867.
Here are five top tips for caring for your tyres courtesy of Halfords:
• Check that tyres wear evenly. Excess wear at the centre of the tread usually means the tyre is over-inflated.
• Examine tyres fortnightly for damage, splits or cracks, and don’t forget to check your spare too.
• Check your tyre pressure at least once every two weeks.
• If your tyres need inflating follow the guidelines and recommended pressure in your vehicle manufacturer’s handbook.
• Check pressures before the car is used and when the tyres are cold. After a long run, warm tyres can usually read approximately 4psi above a cold tyre reading.
 

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