How to Test Drive a Used Car and Avoid Buying a Lemon

How do you acknowledge if that lustrous used car you find online is a rolling chariot or a hopeless money pit ? As an car auctioneer for over 20 years , I ’ve seen thousands of used cars worth more money dead than animated . Most are swop - ins and repossession buy on the sleazy , primped up , and retailed to unsuspicious consumers . Remember , cozenage creative person and unethical sellers are as common on Craigslist these twenty-four hours as actual , decent sellers .

We already coveredhow tofinda great used car ; but now that you ’ve found it , what next ? The very bad thing you could do is be madcap and buy with your eye . Take a trial run drive , and I do n’t just entail one nimble jaunt around the engine block . There ’s a specific method to dumbfound the most out of a trial drive , and you should start by taking things ho-hum – really slow .

1. Slow down your movements and soak it all in

Think about inspect a car like appreciate ok artistic creation . The more time you drop stay still and looking at a work of art , the more you acknowledge . The same is true with a used car . slit , dings , scuffs , and all the realities associated with vilification and neglect can easy be missed if you scan past them in an instant . I scrutinise over 10,000 vehicles a year , and every exclusive time I visit a used car , I consciously decelerate down my body movement . This serve my brain decoct on what ’s in front of me .

2. Open every door and look for imperfections

Take your time , walk around the car , and lento spread out each door , along with the trunk . Do n’t be afraid to open and close a door more than once if it just doesn’tseemright . A threshold can have a loose hinge , but it can also have inning damage , a damaged locking mechanism , or even ripped mouldings that are plan to keep the water out . count for things like water underneath the carpeting . Examine the gaps and imperfectness that are right in front of you . You may not be an expert , but that does n’t mean you ca n’t get a unspoiled grasp of the fomite ’s qualities .

3. Ask the owner questions, but don’t be rude

Nobody likes to be given aMagical Mystery Tourof all the little thing that are incorrect on their older fomite . think back : thisisa used gondola , after all . Find something incorrect , or something that makes you suspicious about the gondola ’s account ? It ’s OK to ask a question , but notseventeenof them . When you meet the proprietor , be friendly , courteous , and cultivated . Donottry to " talk them down " on the terms – do n’t even mention money in the beginning . While you have every right field to ask direct interrogation , you have no right to diss their car or their asking toll . It ’s also defective for your business .

4. Get in and start playing with the buttons. All of them.

The best meter to essay all the buttons and features isbeforeyou go on the overt route . Go ahead and adjust the seat and mirrors , and lead off examine each and every button ( windows , radio receiver , mirror … ) . Take a minute or two and verify they ’re all do work properly .

5. Start ‘er up and pop the hood

When you commence the vehicle , always check the strain conditioning and the warmth . If it select more than 15 seconds for either one to form , make a bill of it , since those stamping ground can be expensive and complicated .

Then walk out and start the hood . You ’re not a professional machinist , but you could take distinction of what I call the big three : liquid levels , leaks , and vocalize . When the fomite is running , look at the coolant level , any oil build - up around the engine , andthe transmittal fluid dipstickwhich should measure " cold " on the low-pitched divot on most vehicles . Listen for any ticking , rattle , or other abnormal noises . Not comfortable doing all that ? An experienced mechanic who has take care at thousands of vehicles can add you their eye and ears later on .

6. Take a good, hard look – and smell – at the oil

Oil can tell you an awful lot – unless the car hasjustbeen given an crude modification . Remove the dipstick and admire those tone of brown : is it a pallid , milklike John Brown ( burn out head gasket , aka lots of money ) or burnt , black , and tar - similar ( engine sludge ) ? You do n’t have to know it all . If it looks like the oil color above , that ’s a well thing . Also check the oil colour level on the dipstick to make certain it ’s in the crosshairs between " contribute " and " FULL . "

7. Check the steeringbeforeyou drive

Before going on the road , low-down the window and turn the steering cycle all the means to the right and pull up stakes . You should n’t find out any foreign noise or find like you have to tug excessively on it . If the force is uneven , or there ’s a lot of immunity , the steering organization may need anything from new hosepipe ( less than $ 100 ) to a mightiness - steerage pump gathering ( $ 200 + ) to a brand - Modern wrack ( $ 1,000 + ) .

8. Test drive it with the windows up AND down

ensure you repel the railcar with the window open and unsympathetic , because both can help you distinguish unequaled issues . Listen for any unusual and repetitive sound . And with the windows up , you could better hear any piping , pinging , and thumping sound come from the railway locomotive .

Do the tires seem to make noise ? Is the transmission shift hard ? Are there groan or whistling noise as you go quicker ? You do n’t have to figure them all out . But if the car does n’t go right , more time than not it has a flimsy return – or something bad . Take about 20 minute of arc and make certain you drive it both in stop - and - go dealings and on the highway .

9. Pay special attention to the transmission and brakes

If the transmission feel like it ’s jerking or shift late , that ’s a GIANT red-faced flag . Although some used cars can have their transmission mounts jade out , a destiny of used cars , especially higher - mileage cars with continuously varying transmissions ( have sex as CVTs ) , are infamous for their unforesightful life and high replacement toll .

What else ? The brake ! Give the owner a principal - up , and then firmly ( but not like an half-wit ! ) test them out . The flavour should be linear and consistent . If the brakes vibrate or have a squealing audio , either the brakes need to be replaced or have already been replaced with cheap components .

10. Ask about an inspection

If the fomite is not for you , give thanks the owner politely and allow them know you need to look at a few more vehicles . If you still wish it , there ’s one huge question you ask to ask : " Can I have the vehicle scrutinize ? " If the owner state no , you ’re done . Finished . Do not negotiate . Refusal of an inspection is the largest red flag there is . Do not fall in love with the car . commemorate that there are over 230 million used railroad car in the United States – mint of other fish in the sea .

If , on the other hand , the seller agrees , you ’re on to the next step of the used - machine - purchasing process : empower in the expertness of a unfeigned professional mechanic who can separate the keeper from the rolling money bomb that is a used - car lemon .

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How do you know if a used car is any good

Flickr/Daniel Oines

Steven Langis an auto auctioneer , machine dealer , and former part - owner of an motorcar auction bridge near Atlanta , Georgia . sense liberal to accomplish him straight at his Facebook page which you may findhere .

Take things very slow on your test drive.