If you are thinking about purchasing a second-hand car, there are many important aspects to consider, and for a person with little or no knowledge of cars, there are risks involved. Obviously, you should find out what you can about any used car that you are thinking of buying, and with that in mind, here are a few important aspects to take into account when buying a second-hand vehicle.
- Full Service History – Known simply as FSH, a full service history is evidence that the car has been maintained according the manufacturer’s recommendations. Any car that does not have FSH, should really be avoided, as you can never be sure how the car was treated throughout its history, and, of course, a car with a full service history would be in the upper price range for that specific make and model.
- Approved Dealership – Rather than looking for a car from a private seller, you should focus your attention on approved car dealerships that sell both new and used cars. There are several reasons for avoiding a private sale, the main one being that you have absolutely no warranty when you buy a car from an individual, whereas a car dealership will issue a fair warranty on all used cars that they sell. There are, for example, affordable used cars for sale in Canberra from a reputable dealership that issues a warranty with every vehicle they sell.
- Test Drive – You should never make a commitment to buy a used car without first climbing behind the wheel and taking the car out for a test drive, and the garage would have no problems with this. You could even book a test drive through the dealer’s website, which is more than a little convenient, and with a dealer employee in the passenger seat, you can get a feel of how the car performs and handles.
- Inspecting the Vehicle – In the event you are not knowledgeable regarding cars, you should take a friend along, someone who has at least a basic knowledge of motor vehicles, who can look at the engine and the underside of the car.
If you restrict your car viewing to approved car dealers, you will never have to worry that you might have been sold a car that is not worth the asking price, and when a dealer sells a second-hand car, they are prepared to issue the buyer with a fair warranty.
