Buying a used car can be an extremely difficult task, especially if you know nothing about vehicles. Nevertheless, there are certain things you can do to ensure that the car you purchase is a legitimate, reliable motor.
Check Documents
Cars in New Zealand should come with specific documents when being sold secondhand. These include:
WoF
All cars on the road in NZ must undergo a Warrant of Fitness test every six years. Be sure to check that the car has the documents to prove it has undergone these inspections.
CIN
Used cars should also come with Consumer Information Notice (CIN) documents. These provide information about the vehicles history.
Ownership, Sale Agreements, Loan Disclosure and Insurance
In addition to CIN and WoF documents, used cars should also come with Ownership, Sale Agreements, Loan Disclosure and Insurance papers.
Check Vehicle History
With the correct documentation, you can perform an informed vehicle history check. Upon inspection of the papers you may find obvious issues that you might like to bring up to the seller, or you may get the idea that the vehicle is not 100% legitimate. In this instance it’s advisable to get a comprehensive vehicle check performed by a third party company. Vehicle checks may at first seem like an unnecessary expense, but when you take into consideration the value of the car and the cost of encountering further problems down the line, you’ll quickly realize that this cost can provide invaluable information that will save you hassle, and money in the future.
Vehicle Inspection
The most obvious task when buying a used car is to perform a vehicle inspection to ensure that it’s in working order and doesn’t have the telltale signs of damage that has been covered up and left undocumented.
Unfortunately if you’re not a mechanic, there’s not too much you can do to check over the engine, however spotting inconstancies in the bodywork is a little easier.
Check for different shades of paint, as it can be hard to match up the colours when applied at different times. Also look for any flaws in the panels. Both of these signs are good indicators of the car undergoing repairs that might not be in the documents.
Check for rust. Rust damage is often covered up with retouches of paint. Again you can look for different shades of colour, you can also use a magnet to test the material underneath the paint; if the magnet doesn’t stick, then the metal underneath has been corroded.
When you take into consideration these important bits of advice, you can reduce the risks of buying an unreliable car that cost a lot to maintain. And when you shop at a reliable used car dealership, you can be sure that the vehicles you’re looking at both great value for money, and safe.
