A few items one can look at when evaluating a used car are, starting with the obvious, the physical condition of the vehicle. Is it “beat up”? If it has dents and worn tires, makes noises while driving, smoke from exhaust is exessive, blue, or white these could indicate extreme driving habits by the previous owner. Is the vehicle clean inside and out and in the engine compartment?
Generally speaking, the owner who cares for the appearance of a vehicle will also be one who cares for the operating system and keeps up with regular maintainance of fluids and replaces worn parts as needed. Look at the area where the vehicle is parked. If there are oil stains or other fluid residues this could indicate a problem with worn seals or other mechanical problems that will tend to lead to costly repairs and possibly shorten the usable life of the vehicle.
Finally, a not-so-obvious, and not easily performed test is to evaluate the driving habits of the previous owner if possible. If the car’s previous owner is a friend or family member this whould not pose a problem; however, if you are looking at a used car dealers wares or purchasing from a internet site or newspaper ad this is not always possible. If you have a few extra dollars to spend to insure you are not buying someone elses problems you can do a internet search using a owner history report. This service researches whether the car you are looking at was sold at an auction after being in flood for instance, or if it was damaged in an auto accident and purchased by a body shop from the insurance company, repaired and sold. Some automobiles do not perform as they did in new condition after suffering frame damage and straightening. This can lead to improper alignment and unusual tire wear and hidden damage to other underbody or suspension parts in teh future.
Finally, if you don’t feel confidant enough to check all these things yourself, bring along a mechanic who can listen to the vehicle as it starts, idles, drives, stops, turns, etc., and can look at and evaluate the fluid levels, condition, and generally inspect the vehicle condition.
