Ultimate Guide: What to Check When Buying a Used Car

Before you hand over your hard-earned cash, follow this step-by-step guide to ensure your next used car purchase is safe, legal, and great value. This guide includes everything from reviewing the car advert to completing a proper car registration check and verifying documents before payment.

1. Before You Set Off

Before arranging to view the car in person, there are several things you should do to protect yourself from scams and costly mistakes:

• Review the advert carefully: Look for vague descriptions, mismatched photos, or prices that seem too good to be true.
• Request the reg plate: Before meeting the seller, get the number plate and run a quick reg check to confirm basic info such as make, model, colour, and engine size.
• Car history check: Use a reliable service to run a full vehicle reg check — this will reveal if the car has outstanding finance, been stolen, written off, or has mileage discrepancies.
• Check MOT history and tax status: A taxed vehicle check will tell you if the vehicle is road-legal. MOT history can also hint at ongoing issues or poor maintenance.
• Research the make & model: Look online for known faults, recalls, or common wear-and-tear issues. Search for “[Make] [Model] faults” to build a checklist for your inspection.
• Ask about service history: Contact the seller and ask if the car has full or partial service records. Find out when the cam belt was last changed and whether major services have been carried out.

2. When You See the Car

Now it's time to inspect the car in person. Bring your checklist and don’t rush the process. You’re looking to confirm that everything matches the seller's description and what your checks revealed earlier.

• Inspect the exterior: Check for rust, mismatched panels, poor paint jobs, and signs of accident repair. Make sure the body panels line up evenly.
• Check the tyres: Uneven wear may suggest suspension or tracking issues.
• Look under the bonnet: Check for leaks, worn belts, and fluid levels. Look under the oil cap — a milky residue could suggest head gasket failure, and a costly repair.
• Test the engine: Start the engine cold and listen for rattles, knocks, or smoke from the exhaust.
• Check common faults: Refer to your earlier research on the make and model to see if any known faults are visible.
• Take it for a test drive: Make sure you use all the gears, including reverse. On an open road, safely run the car through the rev range while checking for smoke in the rear view mirror. Check steering responsiveness, gear changes (manual or automatic), clutch feel, and braking behaviour.

3. Before You Hand Over Any Money

This is your final chance to verify everything. Many buyers make the mistake of skipping this step — don’t be one of them.

• Verify the service history: Ask to see physical documents. Cross-check mileage and garage stamps with the dates and readings shown in your earlier checks.
• Check the V5C logbook: Make sure the name and address match the seller. Lots of stolen vehicles don't have a V5C so avoid any car without a V5C unless you're 100% sure it's not stolen.
• Match the VIN and engine number: The VIN should match what's on the logbook and etched on the vehicle itself (check the windscreen and inside the door frame). Engine numbers should also align.
• Does this feel right?: Trust your instincts, if anything feels off about the person selling the car, or the car itself, walk away now. It's your money and for most people this is a major decision, don't let anyone pressure you into making a bad choice.
• Payment safety: Avoid carrying large amounts of cash. Use secure payment methods and ensure a proper receipt is given, including a signed copy of the sale agreement.