Buying a used car can be very cost-effective, but if you pick the wrong car you can end up seriously out of pocket.
If you buy a second-hand vehicle which has been stolen, you legally have no right to its ownership. This means it will be taken from you and you won’t be able to get your money back.
Stolen cars aren’t the only thing to be worried about; if you buy a car that’s in bad condition it could be expensive to fix, not to mention dangerous to drive.
Before you even view a car you’re interested in you should try and get the registration number and perform a car history check. This will help you work out if the car is even worth a visit.
On the DVLA website you can check the following things for free:
- year of manufacture,
- date of first registration,
- engine capacity,
- colour,
- expiry date of the current tax disc or SORN declaration,
- vehicle excise duty rate.
You can also pay for a more extensive check. We recommend:
Here’s our 11-point car check checklist to help you make sure you’re getting a good deal:
- Beware mobile phone numbers. Beware of buying a used car from someone who only has a mobile phone number. These are almost impossible to trace if something does go wrong, so always get a landline number too.
- Check the value. Find out what the market value of the car you’re looking at is. If the price is lower than you’d expect it to be, be on your guard.
- Get a good look. Always arrange to see a vehicle in the light, at the seller’s home if possible. Try not to go when it’s raining, as this can hide a number of defects such as dents and scratches. Check underneath the car, beneath the bonnet and the carpet for rust and any signs that the car has been in an accident. This could include signs of welding.
- Test the owner. Ensure that the owner knows the vehicle and its features well. If they don’t seem to know much about the car and it’s history, it could be stolen.
- Get the registration certificate. Never buy a vehicle if the seller doesn’t have the registration certificate (the V5C). To check that the registration certificate is official, hold it up to the light. You should be able to see the DVLA watermark through all layers of the paper.
- Check the VIN. Decide what make and model of car you want and find out what its VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) should be. Then check that this 17-character VIN matches the one on the registration certificate. You can usually find the VIN number on the car chassis, the windscreen or on the floor by the driver’s seat
- Check the engine number. Make sure the engine number matches the one on the V5C too.
- Check the locks. See if the locks are different from one another. Changed locks could indicate that the vehicle has been broken into before. The car should always have two keys and look out for signs of forced entry too.
- Think about the mileage. If the mileage looks too low for the age and state of repair of the car then you should be careful. the odometer might have been tampered with.
- Look at the tires. Take a look at the tires – are they in good condition? If the owner hasn’t changed them for a while, what other routine maintenance might they have ignored?
- Take a test drive. Get the owner to give you a test drive – they will have to drive you if it’s a private sale, otherwise you won’t be insured. Make sure they drive at different driving speeds, and watch carefully to see how the steering, brakes and gears handle. Listen for strange noises and check the electrics too.
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