Finding a great deal on a used car requires two essential elements: you must find the right car at the right price. If you think you’ve found a deal that is priced right you might ask yourself “Exactly why is this car priced attractively? Is the seller just trying to move the car quickly, or is there a problem with it? “ Maybe you got lucky and found a vehicle that is priced right and has not been discovered by anyone else yet. Maybe not.
You’ll have to look closely, but the answer lies in the car itself. You can’t tell if the car is priced right until you determine the true mechanical condition of the vehicle and rule out any problems that might not be visible at first. That means you have to do more than just kick the tires. You have to take a good hard look at the vehicle inside and out. Ultimately, a mechanic should inspect your potential purchase before you lay down any cash, but it is neither realistic nor cheap to send every car you look at to a mechanic.
You will save time, money and headaches if you can learn to perform your own basic mechanical evaluations of potential great deals before you get serious about a car. You don’t need a lot of mechanical know-how or tools to check out a car and spot problems. You will have to get down on your hands and knees and look underneath a few cars, but that is probably the hardest work involved.
There a few things you can do to start evaluating a car before you look underneath it, like checking out the vehicle’s history using the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) found on the driver’s side of the dashboard, visible through the windshield. The VIN is unique to each specific car and allows you to research the vehicle’s complete history and will reveal title problems, major repair history and fire or flood damage. Needless to say, you want to avoid any car with problems in these areas.
Another easy thing you can do is to check for recalls and Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) on any car that you are considering. Recalls are concerned with safety-related issues and auto manufacturers are required by law to perform all recall service work at no charge to the vehicle owner. Recalls do not expire regardless of a vehicle’s age. The TSBs are manufacturer-generated reports on mechanical problems that occur on specific vehicles. The bulletins do not concern safety-related items and manufacturers are not required to notify the vehicle owner’s or pay for any repairs recommended. You can check to see if recalls or TSBs were issued for a particular car by visiting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website.
Outside
After you’ve finished your document research you can start your evaluation by walking around the car and visually inspecting the exterior. Walk around the car and look for dents, chips, broken head or taillights and mismatched paint. All gaps between body panels or hood and fenders should be a consistent width and line up evenly. Be wary of fresh paint jobs or signs of paint overspray on trim pieces and in the wheel wells, both can be signs of recent repairs or hidden rust problems. Any visible rust usually indicates more rust in unseen areas. You can test any suspected body repairs with a magnet. If the magnet will not stick to body panels (on a steel-bodied car) there may be hidden body filler underneath the paint indicating prior collision repair.
The car should sit level and even from side to side. A low or high corner can indicate suspension damage. You can perform a quick suspension check by pushing down on each fender to compress the suspension and watching the rebound after you let go. The car should bounce back gently and stop moving. If the car bounces more than twice it could indicate worn-out shocks or struts. Here’s where you have to bend down – look underneath the car to checks for dents, dings and scrapes, all are signs of possible trouble and hard use. Check to see if the frame rails under the car line up and look straight, any frame damage at all is unacceptable. Even if the frame is straight, but shows evidence of repair, it could be evidence of major damage.
Take a good look at the tread wear on all four tires. Excessive wear on one side of any tire could mean alignment or suspension problems. Tread wear should be even across the tire and the same on both sides of the car. Uneven tread wear over the circumference of the tires can indicate steering, suspension or brake problems.
Inside
When you open the door to begin your inspection of the interior, take a look at the doorframe to make sure the interior paint matches the exterior. After you get inside, shut the door and take a big whiff of that old car smell, because that is what it should smell like, a used but clean car. If you smell mildew, mold or rotting fabric, it could be the result of flood damage. If the interior smells like antifreeze, the heater core could be leaking and need replacing.
Open and close all the doors and trunk lid to make sure they fit correctly and operate smoothly, parts that don’t fit could indicate collision damage. Use the keys and make sure the locks work correctly. Roll the windows up and down to make sure they are in their tracks and operate smoothly. Check for chips and cracks in the glass while you’re at it.
Examine the seats and upholstery for any burns or stains. Worn-out seats and well-worn pedals are signs of lots of use and the mileage reading should reflect that or it could be evidence of odometer tampering. Make sure the steering wheel is centered when the wheels are pointed straight ahead, if not suspension problems could be lurking underneath. Check out the seatbelt mounting bolts and the bolts holding the seats to the floor for signs of rust that could indicate prior flooding. Open the trunk to make sure the spare tire, jack and handle are all in place. Look under the trunk carpeting to check for evidence of collision repairs.
Under the Hood
Open the hood and examine the fender attachment bolts for signs of being removed indicating prior bodywork. The engine compartment should be relatively clean and grease-free. Look for oil spots that could indicate leaks. Corroded, frayed or melted hoses, belts and wiring are all signs of trouble. Before you start the car pull the oil dipstick and check to see that the level indicates full. The oil should be brown or black depending on how old it is. If the oil is milky-colored it could be due to water in the oil from a blown head gasket or something worse.
Start up the engine and listen to it carefully, it should start immediately and idle smoothly without any strange grinding or knocking sounds. You can check the transmission (automatic) fluid dipstick (with car at idle) to make sure it is full and the fluid doesn’t smell burned. Transmission fluid should be light red to red-brown, if it is dark-colored and smells burned there could be big problems ahead.
Pay close attention to the exhaust when starting up a potential purchase. A bit of white condensation smoke upon starting a cold car is normal. When the engine is warmed up it should not be smoking at all. Black smoke indicates an over-rich fuel-air mixture and possible fuel injection problems. Blue smoke is the result of burning oil and indicates major engine problems. White smoke from a warm engine can indicate water in the fuel from a blown head gasket or cracked block. Take a look at the body and rear bumper near the tailpipe, excessive black soot deposits could point to a worn-out engine needing costly repairs.
Drive it
Before you take off on a test drive, start the car and turn the steering wheel from full right to full left. There should not be any play, slop or odd grinding noises that could indicate a damaged steering linkage or worn-out steering gear. Next, shift through the available gears with the clutch depressed on manual transmission-equipped cars, or set the parking brake on automatics. There should be no grinding noises from either type of transmission as you go through the gears.
When you do start driving, check to see if the engine accelerates before the car does, a sure sign of a worn-out clutch or slipping automatic transmission. Neither are cheap repairs. Also listen for knocking or pinging sounds during acceleration that could signal engine overheating or timing problems.
As you are driving, test all the lights, wipers, turn signals, radio, heater, air-conditioning and speedometer/odometer. If the odometer doesn’t work the indicated mileage is meaningless.
Hit the brakes hard a few times to make sure they don’t squeal and the car actually stops in a reasonable distance. The car should drive straight and smooth if the alignment is correct. If the steering wheel shakes it could be a wheel out of balance or alignment problems. If the whole car shakes it could mean extensive suspension or frame problems.
While you are driving is a good time to ask the seller for any maintenance records indicating regular oil changes, checkups or repairs. Good records are a sign of good maintenance. When you complete the test drive park on clean pavement, turn off the car, get out and look for leaks under the car. If the car smells like antifreeze after the drive it could mean cooling system trouble.
Balance
That’s it. You are now an expert used car inspector. But you should still keep in mind that mileage numbers are critical in the used car marketplace. The industry-standard average for car mileage is 12,000 to 15,000 miles per year. Many major car components have a limited lifespan, after enough miles, those parts need replacement and many of those parts can be very expensive.
It’s a good idea to check out the recommended service intervals and parts replacement schedules for any specific car you are interested in. You can find the factory owner’s manual for most vehicles with an online search. Vehicles nearing the 75,000-mile mark may have a slew of neglected services hidden inside them. Clutches, timing belts, water pumps and many other components do not last forever. If there is no documentation of services you can assume they were not performed.
You can’t really judge the car-care habits of previous owners (on private party sales) based on their age and appearance either. A grandpa selling his Buick might not guarantee gentle driving habits and dealer service schedules. He might have skimped on servicing the car, had 26 minor collisions (repaired) and drove around in a high gear at slow speeds for 5 years, destroying the engine and transmission in the process. Likewise, the 20-something kid with the wild hair might not have drag-raced his Honda as you might suspect. It might be the focus of his life and he has babied it and maintained it with religious zeal. You never know and that’s why you have to check out every car with a critical eye.
This makes the true value of a used car a balance of mileage, condition and price. If all three factors line up, your target car has passed all the tests and your next stop is a certified mechanic for a professional’s inspection of the vehicle.
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