What questions to ask when buying a used car?

Question

Im just about to go and look at a 2000 X reg VW Polo 1.0E {£2,495}. I have never been to buy a car on my own and I really dont know what to ask or what to look out for. Any help you could give me would be appreciated no matter how obvious.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Im not sure if your equivelent where you live would have something similar but over here in Australia i got some really good tips off the buying a used car guide from the RACQ (our roadside service) website. Obvious things though would be to just go over the car and look for signs of an obvious crash, get the car checked over by an independent mechanic, check the kilometers to see that they are not excessive for the age and price of the car. Check over everything, all the buttons and switches and functions (i once bought a car and in my zest forgot to check the air con so i was really disappointed later to find that it didnt work!!!) Also take your time test driving it and really try to get to know it and not over look stuff in the excitement which is so easy to do!!! Goodluck i both love and despise car shopping!!!!

Answer 2

How reliable it is. When it has been serviced if it has a good record (break downs and whatnot) and if u wanna no anything else just ask! Also cheak how old it is

hope i helped

Answer 3

Two and a half grand for an X reg 1.0 polo is way over the odds.  You would be better getting yourself to a car auction where you can probably get a similar car for under 500 quid.

So, the question you should be asking is, why am I paying 2495 for something which I can probably get for a fifth of the price elsewhere?

Answer 4

Give the car a thorough look all over for scratches, dents etc. and if you come accross them decide whether you'd still pay that much for a car with a dent or scratch like that. If there is a bad dent or scratch try to convince them to lower the price a bit on the basis of the imperfection in the car. Ask them about the service history of the vehicle, if anything has been replaced recently, if they think something may need to be done to the car, and ask if you can go for a test drive with them, just so you know it feels right. If there are things needing to be done, or if they mention a constant problem with the vehicle try and haggle the price down a bit more on the basis of that.

Answer 5

ask the guy who's selling it: why are you selling it anyway?

-ask about features and stuff

ask him to tell u if there are any faults in the car, damage that needs fixing

the price he's willing to offer, if he's kind maybe u can bargain with him

how long the car has ben running

its expected lifetime

umm cant think of anythin else sorry. im too young to drive but that prob what i'd ask if i was to get one

hey good luck mate

Answer 6

First off ask about regular servicing and documents to back that up. It's a fairly new car so there shouldn't be much wrong with it.

I'd check in this order

1. Tyres same size (the numbers should be the same ie 165/70R/85), & look for EVEN wear. (uneven wear suggests tracking is out, or steering is defective in some way)

2. check suspension, should bounce back

3. look from the back to the front at the line/body shape, vehicle should be very straight, if not could be accident damaged, look for bumps and scratches which will rust eventually if not dealt with

4. look under the bonnet, check oil level is correct between the two lines, check for messy c**p around the cyclinder head, look for unusual leaks,

5. take it for a test drive!!

You could ask the owner about some stuff I'm sure they'll help you out.

If you don't know what you are looking for it's fairly useless though as you wont know what's wrong.

Ask them if anything has been replaced past few months. Ask if there were any advisory notes on the MOT.

It's seems a bit over-priced I would pay no more than 1500 for that car.

You can get a free check on DVLA website so don't bother paying money for it just need the reg.

Answer 7

Firstly, I'd ask why you were paying £1000 too much for the car;

http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/used-price...

The book value also doesn't take into account the fact that the 1.0E is the base model & therefore far less desirable than other models.

With any car, if you know nothing, either take someone who does, or pay the AA or RAC to check the car over for you.

Answer 8

For about £5 you can check whther it has been stolen, written off, has HP outstanding etc by going to this web site.

https://www.mycarcheck.com/

Then you check that the MOT is genuine by entering the details on the governments free web site (below)

Ask to see the service book and see how well it has been serviced and maintained.

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