Depending on where you live, having a car can be a bit of a necessity but we don’t all have the budget for a new motor.
Buying a second hand vehicle is a great way to get on the road without depleting your bank account but you have to be careful to do your research and make sure you get value for money.
Here’s our top tips for buying a second hand car!
1) Know your rights
If you buy from a garage/car dealer, you are protected by the Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act 1980 as you have the same rights if you buy an item second hand as if it is new. In this case, if you find a fault with the car after you have bought it the dealer is the person who must set matters right. If you buy a commercial vehicle or a tractor from a dealer, you may not have the same protection under the law.
Sellers have responsibilities such as giving accurate and truthful answers to the questions you ask and the National Consumer Agency has further details on this here.
If you buy at an auction, you have little legal protection. The auctioneer cannot be held responsible for any defects found after you have bought the car and by bidding at an auction you are signifying that you accept their terms and conditions so make sure you check out the fine print before you go.
If you buy from a private seller, you still have minimum protection if the car is faulty so it’s worthwhile to bring a trusted mechanic or clued-in friend who can advise you on the mechanical state of the car. While the seller is required to give you accurate information to the questions that you ask, they do not have to provide information that is not requested.
2) Do your research
Cars depreciate extremely quickly so it’s important to make sure that you are getting good value for money on your motor. If you have a make or model in mind, check local garages or online sites to get an estimate of the average cost as sellers will be more than happy to pull the wool over your eyes to get a great price!
3) Give the car a thorough examination
This is the single most important thing to do when buying a used car and if you don’t know your bushings from your bonnet then it’s well worth bringing somebody a bit better informed to give it the once over. It may cost a few quid to bring a mechanic out but it could save you a lot more in the long run!
The Car Buyer’s Guide has a handy checklist of things to look out for here.
4) Ask questions
As we mentioned before, a private seller is not obliged to tell you anything about the car other than the information that you request so make sure that you cover all the bases.
Here are some of the basic details that you should know.
– When was the car bought and why is it being sold?
– Does the seller have ID and is their name on the log book?
– Has this car ever been crashed?
– Was the car first registered in Ireland/was it imported?
– Has there been any mechanical work done to it?
– What is the mileage again? (Refer back to the clock)
– When was the last full service carried out, and by whom?
– When was the timing belt done?
– Where is the VIN number? (Should match that in the log book)
5) Final check
Before shaking hands on the deal, run the car’s registration through a website like www.motorcheck.ie, which will give you a comprehensive history of the vehicle for your peace of mind.
Happy driving!
