A surprising majority of us have been stung when buying second hand cars. Whether the milometer had been tweaked to show a spritely engine that simply wasn’t the case or whether the car had been put through an MOT on the sly and was never likely to pass one again, there are many ways that a used car could be problematic. It’s not even uncommon for drivers to buy a used car and find that it dies on them the very next day.
And yet, realistically, buying new cars is not going to be the right move for most people. Not only are they out of the price range of many drivers, but the moment the ink has dried on the contract the car will lose a huge amount of value. But, how safe is buying a used car?
Ultimately, it depends how you go about it. The first thing to do is to get a car registration check to ensure that the number plates have not been switched on the car to hide the fact it has been stolen. In many cases a car registration check will be free and can be done from your phone instantly. Once you are confident you have the real deal, the next thing to do is to always ensure you get someone who knows a little something about cars to go for a test drive in the car with you.
A layman may not notice some very serious problems with cars and someone with some experience of the more intricate workings of cars may be able to save you from making a very costly mistake.
It may also be worth getting a car data check if you still are not a hundred per cent certain. These are extremely cheap and very quick to obtain and can tell you everything from the maintenance history of the car to whether it has been in an accident or even been involved in any illegal dealings.
Buying second hand cars is going to be the most sensible way for many to get the right car – and with the right knowledge and a car data check, it can be just as safe as buying one new.