Visually Inspecting A Used Car

Once you've found a car you like, you need to know how to inspect it and what to look for when doing so. As long as it’s daytime, you can almost always see defects in the body unless they have been carefully covered up. It’s always a good idea to look over the outside of the car, walking around it several times so you don’t miss anything. Bend down and look underneath as well if it’s possible to do so, you may see evidence of extensive rust on the underbody. If you do find a lot of rust, bring it to the dealer’s attention so that he knows that you have detected it. He might decide to lower the price to keep you interested. Even so, a lot of rust is not a good thing, as rust can erode all kinds of metal parts and cause a major headache later on should you decide to buy the car. Don’t let the incentive of a great price cause you to make a bad decision. Tires are another issue. Although you can always buy new tires, the ones that are on it can tell you a lot about the condition of the chassis. Look for excessive wear on one side of a tire. This can be evidence of a worn out front end or other problems, and is especially important if the tires have very little wear besides what is on the edges. Of course, it is possible that there is just an alignment problem that can often be fixed easily, but be wary nonetheless.

Once you are satisfied with the external condition of the automobile, move on to the inside. One of the first things to look at is safety equipment, like the safety belts and airbags. If the car is so old that it doesn’t have airbags, you might want to consider something a little newer. Check that the safety belts, at least on the driver and passenger sides, are not broken or badly worn, and that they can be pulled out easily and will retract when removed. Sit in the driver’s seat and put the belt on, making sure that the belt and latch both work properly. Not having working safety belts is just plain unsafe, and can get you a traffic ticket as well almost anywhere. Look at the condition of the seats in the front and back. If you never plan on having passengers, you can probably put up with a torn up back seat, but the driver’s seat should at least be comfortable, with no springs or wires sticking out that could scrape or cut you. Lastly, take a good look at the floorboards, moving any mats that may be there. A hole in the floorboard is never a good thing, and could be evidence of underbody rusting. Not only that, but it could be dangerous to you or your passengers.

Another important area is the instrument panel and controls. You won’t know if they are functional until or unless you test drive the car, but you can do a quick visual inspection. It is also a good idea to feel the gearshift, knobs, levers and pedals to see if they are firm and not about to fall off or come loose. Many older cars will have cracks and dents in the dashboard, which is to be expected in most cases. It will be a matter of personal preference how much the cosmetic appearance matters to you. Don’t forget about the mirrors. Both the rear view and the outside mirrors should be in place and not cracked or broken. They should still be adjustable and not so loose that they won’t hold when you do adjust them.

Be sure to check the windows for cracks and dings, especially the windshield. Don’t buy a car with a cracked windshield unless you plan to replace it as soon as you drive off the lot. You should even look at the wiper blades. Though wiper blades are easy to replace, it might start raining before you get a chance to replace them. Besides, any good used car dealer should have already done these things so that the car is easier to sell.

Use your own good judgement when doing the visual inspection. If you are unsure of something, ask the salesman. Above all, be sure to bring any unacceptable items to the dealer’s attention. He may not have been aware of it (though he should have been), and might agree to fix it for you to make the deal.