Must know these Vital inspection tips Before buying used cars

When you buy a used car for the first time, it is very difficult for you to be completely certain about its origin, its history of maintenance services, its history of failures, or even if at some point it required major repairs due to an accident. If you have never bought a second-hand car, it is important that you pay attention to the following:

Mechanical Performance

One of the first things you should check when buying a used car is its mechanical condition. Buying a car, even if it is pre-owned, represents a considerable investment and therefore you must ensure that its performance is optimal and that it still has a considerable useful life. To make sure that the car you are going to buy is still in good condition, it is recommended that a mechanic you trust inspect it and check:

• Body of the car: Sometimes the owners of used vehicles decide to sell them because they suffered an accident. And when this happens, they generally repair damaged cars to improve their aesthetic appearance and be able to sell them easily. For this reason, it is important to check in detail things such as the floor of the car to see if it has no deformations, the frame of the vehicle in the chest to ensure that it did not have frontal blows, the door frames, the chassis, the carter, etc. Any welding you notice could be indicative of a major repair.
• Engine: Obviously this is one of the fundamental parts of a car, which is why it should be checked by an experienced mechanic. The first thing is to do a visual inspection to detect leaks, cracks, welds or deformed parts that could indicate an impact. Once the above is done, it should be checked if the engine starts without a problem when turning on the ignition switch, if the gear starts on time and if there are no strange noises. Finally check if when starting the engine the car does not emit blue smoke or black smoke, as this could indicate problems with the engine seals or gaskets or damage to the piston rings.
• Suspension: It is very important to make sure that the car’s suspension system performs well, especially if you are going to use the car on the road. To make sure that it is in good condition, you should check the operation of the shock absorbers. You can rock the car from side to side to detect any strange noises or squeaks that could indicate problems with the ball joints or in the forks of the tires. It is also recommended that you take the car for a spin, if possible on a cobbled street so that you can assess the condition of the car’s suspension.
• Leaks or leaks: The best way to check that the car is not leaking antifreeze, oil, and other fluids is by checking the underside of the car. To do this, put the car in neutral and turn it on, including the air conditioning. This will activate the circulation of fluids through all the systems, giving you the opportunity to verify that there are no leaks or runoff that could indicate a crack or leak in any of the elements.

altered mileage

As a general rule, it is estimated that a car, under normal use conditions, should accumulate around 20,000 km per year. Therefore, if you are going to buy a used car, it is important to ask about how the vehicle has been used so that you can estimate its approximate mileage.

Unfortunately, on some occasions, used car owners resort to mileage alteration services to make the condition of the vehicle more attractive and to be able to command a sale price higher than its real value.

Checking the actual number of kilometers driven can be a bit tricky. For example, if the car is a late model, you could use an automotive scanner to check the ECU and verify actual mileage. Older vehicles do not have this Engine Control Unit (ECU) so the inspection can be done visually. Ideally, check the dashboard of the car in detail to verify that it is correctly attached and that there are no signs such as scratches or spaces that could indicate that it was removed to make the alteration.

Finally, you can review the car’s maintenance book to verify the mileage that was recorded in each of the services. If the current mileage does not make sense with what is reported by the automotive service history report, it is very likely that the mileage has been tampered with.

Documents in order

Once you have inspected the mechanical and aesthetic conditions of the car, the next thing you should check is that all the papers are in order. Specifically, remember to review the following documents:

• Original Car Invoice: With which you can verify the origin and legal ownership of the car. To verify that it is original, you can call the car dealers to confirm that they have a record of said invoice.
• Proof of Payment of Possession or Endorsement: It is important to check that the car does not have any debt of possession or endorsement , otherwise once you buy it you would have to pay them. Although if you are interested in the car, you could negotiate a price reduction with the person so that you take charge of paying the debts.
• Circulation Card: Whose data must coincide with those of the invoice letter and must not present scratches or amendments. It is very important to have this document because you will need it to process the change of owner.
• Proof of Verification: It is important that you are up to date, if applicable in your state, otherwise you would have to pay the debts for verification at the time of carrying out the license plate change process or even to avoid fines when driving.
• Proof of Non-Obligation of Violations: Similarly, before buying a used vehicle you must make sure that it does not have unpaid fines. Otherwise, in the event that you are stopped or that you have to do any other vehicle procedure, these debts will come to light and you will have to pay them.

How to avoid fraud attempts when buying a used car?

In fact, more than 90% of these frauds originate from Internet sites. To avoid being a victim of a fraud attempt when buying a used car, we recommend paying special attention to the following:

• Low Prices: One of the first indicators that could alert you to a fraud attempt is prices. It is best that you check the prices of cars with similar characteristics in several places. This will give you a very good idea of ​​the price range you will have to pay. If the price of the car seems like a bargain, think twice.
• Place of origin: On many occasions criminals steal cars in certain states and transfer them to others to be able to sell them. It is best to buy cars from the same city or entity so that you can easily and quickly verify both that the papers are in order and that there is no report of theft.
• Advances without visual inspection: Never, ever give an advance without having physically inspected the vehicle or the papers. It is very common for scammers to generate a feeling of anxiety through a false emergency scenario. Most likely they ask you for money to put it aside because they already have another buyer there in front of them or they need a certain amount to pay a debt, etc. They only do this to deceive you and get you to deposit money, if you do it, it is very likely that they will never answer your messages or calls again.
• I deal with several people: Sometimes scammers work in groups, so when you want to talk to the seller you will notice that each time it is a different person. If this happens, it is best to cut off the communication and not continue with the purchase.
• Documents in order: Check that all the information of the current owner matches the information presented in the vehicle documentation. Make sure that all documents are original and that there are no scratches, amendments or corrections.
• Avoid payments with checks: This is one of the most common frauds and consists of writing you a check to pay for the vehicle. If you go to the bank, they will tell you that you have a transfer by incoming check but that it will be reflected in your account in up to 24 hours. Obviously it is very likely that this check is bad and will bounce. That’s why never hand over your car or the papers until the money is in your account. Preferably opt for a SPEI as a payment method.
• Avoid cash payments: Unless you fully trust the person and they give you the cash in the bank for you to deposit, avoid these types of payments. It is very dangerous because once you have the cash it is likely that you can be robbed and you will be left without money and without a car.
• Choose safe public places: If you decide to continue with the purchase of the vehicle, choose to meet in public places that have some type of security, be it cameras, police authorities, etc. This will allow you to buy and sell with more confidence.

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