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First Look - Buying a Car (Part 1)

Ok, we have found the car of our dreams and with all fairness it’s no Ferrari. Nor is it new. But ’'its got that gleam to it and lines that make it look great?....Is it really the car for me? Well, let’s start to look at a few things and really see if it is?

First time appearances can be deceiving. Sometimes cars can be polished up just for sale and like the saying goes - 'Never judge a book by its cover' - 'never' could have been echoed louder.

Now, starting with a simple procedure, we shall ask:
Does the car have a service history? If it doesn't have any sort of history attached, it will be difficult to see what has been done to the vehicle.

Has it ever had a major problem such as a blown head gasket. Has the timing belt been changed? Timing belts can be slightly expensive if you purchase the car and the former owner hasn't taken care of it when the last service schedule said that it was meant to be changed.

I have come across this problem where former owners have actually sold the vehicle just before a major service was due, or the service was only quarter finished e.g. they only changed the oil, when in fact the spark plugs, air filter and gearbox service have not been done.

Has the handbook ever been stamped by a legitimate business? - e.g. a registered workshop, dealership or Motor Traders Association affiliated workshop?
This question is most relevant because unregistered backyard operators may not be considered legitimate under the manufacturer’s warranty or so called 'after market warranties'. So if the car needs some repair under warranty, it may be rejected due to the fact that the car was not serviced to the guidelines.

Are invoices included in the service history? Although this is not entirely necessary, any further information that gives us an idea on the care taken by the seller can give us a good idea about the car? One would also be wise to check if there are large gaps between the odometer readings written in the service book. This could represent bad service schedules, or perhaps too much time between services. You would have to look closely at the service schedules and see if indeed they roughly meet the odometer readings. A car exceeding its service by 5000km is way too long?

Have a good walk around the car and see how the body looks. This is an indication of how the owner has looked after the car e.g. paint faded, knocks, bumps and scratches. We'll talk more about this in the next article.