Buying a used car is usually a pretty stressful experience. The fear of getting ripped off can be pretty overwhelming. There’s nothing worse than finding out that the car you just bought is a lemon. The sad fact is, that no matter how well you check out a car before you purchase it, something unexpected can still go bad. So the plan is to stack the odds in your favor.
The smartest thing to do, is to have the car evaluated by a professional before buying it, and I highly recommend doing this. But in the meantime, here’s a whole bunch of good useful stuff that tells you how to evaluate a used car.
![How to Evaluate a Used Car [A Step-by-Step Guide]](https://pro.autospt.com/UploadFiles/202202/2022021616415693.png)
When purchasing a used car, it’s important to understand that it’s just that, a used car. If your plan is to buy a car that has nothing wrong with it, you need to buy a new car. Even then you can’t be sure that you won’t have problems. So you should weigh the issues that you find with the used car, against the initial cost of the car, and what you’re willing to spend on it after the purchase. Here’s the things that you should be looking for.
![How to Evaluate a Used Car [A Step-by-Step Guide]](https://pro.autospt.com/UploadFiles/202202/2022021616415764.jpg)
The first thing that you notice as your approaching a car is the condition of the body. As you walk around the vehicle, look for any body panels that might not exactly match the color of the rest. Look for a door, a fender, a hood, or a trunk lid that is off color. If the paint doesn’t match, that particular panel has been repainted.
A panel that has been repainted was either replaced or repaired, this means that the vehicle was in a crash.
![How to Evaluate a Used Car [A Step-by-Step Guide]](https://pro.autospt.com/UploadFiles/202202/2022021616415709.jpg)
Also look at the gaps between panels. Compare the gaps on one side of the vehicle to the other side. Look at the gaps between the front doors and the front fenders. If the gap on one side of the vehicle is significantly different than the other side, one of these panels have been replaced or repaired.
![How to Evaluate a Used Car [A Step-by-Step Guide]](https://pro.autospt.com/UploadFiles/202202/2022021616415784.jpg)
Stand in front of the vehicle and look at the gaps on both side of the hood. If they aren’t the same, the hood isn’t centered, which means it’s been removed. Do the same with the trunk lid. Sometimes hoods are removed to make room for engine replacement.
![How to Evaluate a Used Car [A Step-by-Step Guide]](https://pro.autospt.com/UploadFiles/202202/2022021616415711.jpg)
If you are looking at an older car, and you are worried about rust, use a magnet around the rear wells to assure that they are metal. Sometimes guys repair body rust with putty. This kind of repair never lasts.
Speaking of rust, get down on your knees and check out the rocker panels. The rockers are the area along the sides of the vehicle, under the doors. Get down real low so you can see the bottom of the rockers. Chances are you will see a little rust, especially if you live in a high rust area. If the rockers are rusted away, walk away.
Rust isn’t just a cosmetic issue. Rust can cause many functional issues with steering, suspension, and drivetrain.
Open the hood before the engine is started. You will see some rust under the hood. The high temperatures in the engine compartment can promote some rust. What you shouldn’t see is things that are rusting away. Pay close attention to bolts. If you see the heads of bolts that are so rusted that they no longer look like a bolt, the vehicle has a rust problem.
![How to Evaluate a Used Car [A Step-by-Step Guide]](https://pro.autospt.com/UploadFiles/202202/2022021616415826.jpg)
Remove the oil cap. You should see oil under the cap, and only oil. Scoop some oil out with your finger. There should be only oil on your finger. If you see anything that resembles black or brown mud, the oil in this engine has not been properly changed. Engine sludge is the number one reason that I have walked away from used cars over the years. You can’t fix sludge, it is an engine killer.
Also beware of a milky white substance under the oil cap. Sometimes this is caused by condensation due to the engine only being run on short trips. But it could also be a sign of serious engine issues.
![How to Evaluate a Used Car [A Step-by-Step Guide]](https://pro.autospt.com/UploadFiles/202202/2022021616415899.jpg)
(When you’re making arrangements to see the vehicle, insist that the engine is cold when you arrive. You should be suspicious if the present owner warms up the engine before you arrive. He could be covering up a cold engine knock or driveability issue. )
On a cold engine only, remove the radiator cap. Do not remove the radiator cap on a hot engine. On some vehicles the cap is screwed on to a plastic degas bottle. Be sure that the anti-freeze isn’t brown. It’s okay if the coolant isn’t shiney clean, you can get it flushed, but brown is bad.
The anti-freeze that you see in the radiator or the degas bottle is the same anti-freeze that’s in the engine. Brown means rust, rust is bad.
Put the cap back on and have someone start the engine. Stand along side the vehicle so you can see the tailpipe and hear the engine at the same time. You should expect to see a small puff of smoke when you first start a cold engine. What you shouldn’t see is large amounts of white, blue, or black smoke. Large amounts of cold start white smoke could be caused by coolant seeping into a cylinder overnight. Blue smoke is burning oil, and cold start black smoke is most likely a sticking fuel injector which could lead to a very expensive catalytic converter repair. All these colors are bad.
Listen for a cold engine knock. Sometimes these kinds of knocks can go away in only a few seconds. Today’s cold engine knocks become tomorrow’s full time, real expensive knocks.
While you’re under the hood pull the transmission dipstick. If the vehicle has considerable miles, the fluid won’t be clean, and maybe it will smell a little burnt. This is okay, as long as it doesn’t smell badly burnt. You’ll know the difference. If the burnt smell on the transmission dipstick is overwhelming, like a campfire, the transmission is toast.
![How to Evaluate a Used Car [A Step-by-Step Guide]](https://pro.autospt.com/UploadFiles/202202/2022021616415805.jpg)
Look all around under the hood for a water line. Almost every flood car I’ve seen has had a noticeable water line that is visible along the firewall, from under the hood.
You already know what a car engine is supposed to sound like. All knocking noises are bad, and are a good reason to not buy the car. Don’t let the seller turn off the engine. You need to see this baby reach operating temperature.
I think that I forgot to mention that you should wear your “get dirty clothes” when checking out a used car. The only way to look under the car is to lay under the car.
Lay on your back and look under the engine with a flashlight. If the vehicle has some miles on it, you will see leaks, but they should be small leaks. If the bottom of the engine or transmission is soaked and dripping, you should be concerned about how often it’s been run low on fluids. So it’s not just about getting the leaks fixed, it’s also about the damage that has already been done due to the lack of proper fluid level.
Before you drive the vehicle, look at the tires. We’re not so concerned about the amount of tread depth on the tires. If it needs tires that’s okay, figure that into the price that you’re willing to pay for the car (What Are The Best Tire Brands). What you’re looking for is uneven tire wear. If any of the four tires show drastically more wear on just the inside or just the outside, you could have a suspension issue.
It’s normal for tires, as they wear, to start to lose tread unevenly. But if the inside or the outside is almost bald, and the rest of the tire is sporting some meaty tread, the alignment is off a lot. There is no reason, under normal operation, for front or rear wheel alignment to change that much. Small changes are normal due to the natural wear of steering and suspension components. This is why it’s good maintenance to periodically get a front end alignment.
If the alignment is off a lot, either something is bent, broken, or improperly installed. Tire wear is quite often a good gauge of steering and suspension concerns. This is why you should be suspicious when you see brand new tires on a vehicle that is up for sale. Who spends that kind of money on a car that they’re selling? Someone with something to hide, that’s who.
So the body and the suspension seem straight, the engines not sludged, noisy, or dumping fluids, and the rust appears to minimal, time to climb inside and take a seat. If you can’t get comfortable in the seat, you shouldn’t buy the car. I realize this seems like a silly thing after discussing engines and suspensions, but if driving the car hurts your back, the car’s not for you.
If the passenger compartment has a moldy, mildew smell, it’s been wet. This either means that it leaks when it rains, or it’s been in a flood. Walk away.
Take the time to move some things around in the passenger compartment. Work the windows and the wipers. Beep beep the horn. A squeaky horn or an inoperative power window is no reason not to buy the car, but you need to have an idea of repair costs before you make an offer. Put her in gear, and go.
Notice the position of the steering wheel when driving in a straight line. The steering wheel spokes should be lined up straight. If the wheel’s off a little, that’s okay, it needs an alignment. If the steering wheel’s off a lot, there’s a problem. There is no reason for the steering wheel to be far off center. 45 degrees is too much. If this is the case, a component is either bent, broken, or improperly installed.
The three most expensive things that can go wrong with the average car is the engine, transmission, and rear differential. Hopefully you’ll be able to detect any issues during the road test.
There are lots of noises that a car can make while driving down the road that are not expensive to fix, and there are some that will mug you and steal your wallet. The only sure way to know the consequences of a noise is to have it diagnosed by a professional automotive technician.
Most of the time a faulty rear differential will give you a nice noisy warning before it goes bang. The most common noise for an unhealthy rear differential to make is a whining, howling, hooting noise. This noise can come two ways. It can happen only when accelerating, and stop as soon as you let off the gas, or it can come when you let off the gas, and go away as soon as you start to accelerate. This depends on which side of the ring gear is worn, the coast side or the drive side.
So if you hear a hooting from the rear, that changes with gas pedal pressure, plan on a big bucks repair for this vehicle.
While driving the car, pay close attention to how the automatic transmission shifts. I’m sure you’ve been driving long enough to know how an automatic transmission shift should feel. If the transmission neutrals out between shifts, even a little bit, it’s done. This is called a flare up, and almost always requires transmission disassembly.
Don’t be afraid to drive it hard. Mash that gas pedal. Listen to the engine and the transmission while you’re kicking it in the butt.
Pay attention to whether the vehicle pulls hard to one side while driving straight. Listen for excessive squeaking around corners. Both can be signs of front suspension issues.
A vehicle needing brakes is not a good reason to walk away from the sale. Brakes are normal, expected maintenance items. So if the brakes squeak when applied, no big deal. Pay notice as to whether the brake pedal goes to the floor when applied, or slowly drifts to the floor when at a stop. This indicates a loss of pressure, and it can sometimes be a costly repair.
The most important thing to do during a road test is to “feel the vehicle.” You know what it is that you expect from a car. Your personal preferences of things like handling, power, comfort and style are just as important as all the technical mumbo jumbo that you just read.
Don’t shut the engine off when you finish the road test. Open the hood with the engine still running, and listen for any knocks that might only appear when the engine is at operating temperature.
![How to Evaluate a Used Car [A Step-by-Step Guide]](https://pro.autospt.com/UploadFiles/202202/2022021616415986.jpg)
Now you’ve learned how to evaluate a used car and just completed an extensive examination of the vehicle as per the recommendations in this article. You’re standing there in your dirty clothes, flashlight in one hand, shop rag in the other, and you think that you might want to buy it.
Let me just say that I cannot overemphasize the importance of having a professional look over the vehicle before you make the plunge. If the seller won’t let your guy check out the car, he’s hiding something.
Ask for maintenance records. Most people won’t have them, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. It also doesn’t hurt to check the vehicle identification number at Carfax.com. Carfax only has information that has been properly reported. So just because it’s not on Carfax, doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.
Check the present going rate for the vehicle at KBB.com. They have a phone app so you can check it on the spot.
If you decide to make an offer on the car, come in low. Real low. Make the seller laugh at your offer. This way the starting point of the negotiation is determined by you. If you want the car bad enough, and he wants to sell it bad enough, you’ll agree on a price.
I hope this helps you to come out on the good end of your next used car purchase. All the info in this article is secondary to what you feel in your gut when you’re looking at a used car. If it doesn’t feel right, walk away.
Happy Motoring!
